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From: John Santana
Date: Sat, 28 Oct 1995 09:55:48 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: For Composers

On Sat, 28 Oct 1995, Charles Deering wrote:

> In my question about specifying the instrument, I mentioned "270." What
> I actually wrote in the score and part was "3-octave chromatic." The part
> could probably be played on about six diatonics and of course on a four
> octave. I imagined a conductor or contractor calling a player and being
> asked what kind of part it was.
>
> This reminds me of another question.
>
> If you write for chromatic or diatonic pitched in some key other than
> C, should you treat it like other transposing instruments or write at
> actual pitch? Most amature and some pro wind players are quite picky
> about this (French horn players excepted).
>
From the players whom I've met who play with orchestra and studio
ensembles, writing the part at concert pitch is the way to go. This is
at least partially true becuase the player usually decides on the
instrument. Since composers normally don't play the instrument, leave
it the the player. One studio player of great note demonstrated to me
how he played a famouse TV theme on an A instrument instead of the C
becuase the blows and draws fell in a much better place for the tune.

The composer can't be expected to know this, just as you probably don't
know the finest points of playing the other instruments but go on writing
for them knowing that the players will do it well, with whatever
technique is at their command.

I'm with you on the amplification question; it normally isn't needed.

John