I am confused !
I'm confused! Please be patient with me while I try to explain.
I'm working on the tenor saxophone part for a small wind/brass ensemble. The score is in concert Bb major, putting the Bb transposing instruments in the key of C major. I then decide that I would like to give the tenor saxophone part to the euphonium instead so I change the stave instrument to euphonium and to my surprise MS2 leaves the euphonium in treble clef, changes the key singnature to Bb and transposes the part down a ninth. That is, for instance, a middle C in the stave (in C major) on the tenor saxophone part becomes Bb below the treble clef stave in concert Bb on the euphonium part.
This seems very odd since MS2 seems to be saying that the euphonium is a concert pitch intrument in treble clef, which it patenetly is not, it is a transposing instrument in treble clef. If the euphonium played that written Bb below the treble clef stave it would sound concert Ab, not the note the tenor saxophone was playing before changing instruments. If I change the clef of the euphonium part to bass cleff the note stays the same, namely Bb above the bass cleff stave. If a tenor saxophpne is playing a middle C, (in treble clef), then in order to sound the same note the euphonium must also play a middle C in treble clef.
I do realise there is quite a lot of confusion in general about the euphomium in treble or bass clef, and that it's mainly only in the brass band world that the euphonium is written in treble clef. In all other forms, orchestral, wind band and so on, the euphonium is written in bass clef as a non-transposing concert pitch intrument. So it's either a transposing instrument in treble clef or a non transposing intrument in bass clef but it can't be a mixture of both.
Could you please resolve my confusion here as to why MS2 treats the euphonium as a concert pitch intrument in treble clef, and thanks for your patience in unscrabling this tome!!
Comments
The most common way music is written for euphonium is concert pitch in *bass* clef. So that is how it sets it up if you add a new euphonium staff. However, when you change instrument on an existing staff, it changes the transposition, but it leaves the original clefs (there might be several cattered through the score) alone. So you just have to make those changes yourself.
If you wish to set it up as a transposing instrument as in the British brass band tradition, you can use the version of the instrument that says "Euphonium (treble clef)" instead of the regular euphonium. It isn't in the list of "Common instruments", but you can find it by typing "Euphonium" into the search box in the instruments dialog, or swithing to "All instruments".
In reply to The most common way music is by Marc Sabatella
Ah, I didn't know about the euphonium treble clef option. I should have known you'd have it covered !! Thanks.