How to label a part?

[miker]

So, my choir director sent me a chart. Violin, SA, TB, piano. She asked me to break it down to four choral staves, and change the violin to Bb clarinet. Obviously, no problems, there.

It’s perfectly clear that the clarinet has a different key signature, since it’s transposed. I talked to the clarinetist, and he’s fine with either concert pitch or transposed. If I were to put it in concert pitch, though, it would look strange (to me, at least) to have the same key signature as the other parts but be labeled as Bb Clarinet.

What to do?

[N Grossingink]

You could put the Clarinet on the score in concert pitch and enter a B flat transposition Staff Style for the part only. Then you'd have both. So far as the "B flat Clarinet" appearing in concert pitch, add a note that says "Concert Pitch - transposed part provided". This Clarinetist might have no trouble reading a C part, but the next one probably will.

N.

[zuill]

I would just do it the normal way, as the clarinetist is good with either way. Problem solved. Keep it simple.

Zuill

[miker]

Zuill,
What's the normal way?

[zuill]

As a transposed clarinet part. Since you said the clarinetist is good with either way, I would choose that. I consider a transposed part as normal.

Zuill

[motet]

Definitely put it in Bb.

[RMK]

Although, to answer your original question, it should be labelled "Clarinet in C".

Most professionals can transpose C parts by sight unless the music is really complicated (say, the stage band part in Wozzeck).

[zuill]

Since C Clarinet is a different instrument, I would keep it as Bb Clarinet, with a note that it is written in Concert Key.

Having said that, I would still just write it in the transposed key. No reason to do otherwise. There are those who are not as adept at transposing a concert part to the transposed key, so you would avoid any issues with those players.

Zuill

[ebiggs1]

I would keep it as Bb Clarinet

Absolutely.

[thomsmit57]

I agree with Zuill. and for all those reasons. Score in Concert Pitch, part for Clarinet in Bb.

[zuill]

I actually suggested to score in Written (Transposed) pitch for Bb Clarinet. The other "suggestion" was for doing it in Concert, with a note, if that was desired. However, I don't do it that way, nor would I suggest to do it that way.

Zuill