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soulschamber — Tribal Alto Clef
Published: 2007-01-20 06:02:52 +0000 UTC; Views: 7467; Favourites: 24; Downloads: 343
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If anyone can tell me what the alto clef is used for, I will send you an imaginary batch of e-cookies and cake.So tell me if you know; anyway, the alto clef is used in written music for violists, the only instrument using that clef. Few people can read it, including conductors. I am fortunate to read that, treble, and bass.
Drawn about one month ago in about two hours.
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Comments: 50
Mostly for viola's. It was also used in choir and vocal pieces in the past, but it's very rare these days.
I do occasionally stumble upon choir pieces that have it, but I think that's only because I have a passion for really ancient chamber music.
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Oh my gosh! I love love love this. Since only the viola and like, the alto tenor sax or something really bizarre play with the alto clef. I love finding other violists....or at least people who know what they are. Lol. To you mind if I borrow this design? I love love love it!!!!!!
And my viola's name is Tobias ^_^
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-stares in awe, scrolls down, reads comments- Can I use this for a tattoo, too?
I named my viola Claude.
Alto clef is the only clef I can easily read 
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Love to find artwork involving the elusive Alto/Tenor clef Everything seems to be Treble centered!!!
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The Alto clef (or C Clef) is primarily used by Violist. Cellist also read the Alto clef usually in it's Tenor clef form (moved up two lines and rising above the staff instead of fitting perfectly on it). The alto clef rests somewhere between the treble clef and the bass clef. It's lowest note is a C which rests two octaves below C above 440 A... hehe I win
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The viola is the only instrument in the world that consistently plays on the alto clef. It made music theory for me, a Violist, weird.
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I absolutely love this drawing. And it's hard to find anything remotely resembling an alto clef for tattoos, because most people just know of the bass and the treble clefs. It's like...we're the taboo clef. 
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Thank you so much! And I agree. It's so hard to find stuff with the alto clef. Nobody knows what it is, how to read it, etc etc. Definitely taboo
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don't violas use it. I see it in there music in orchestra becase I stan next to them (I play bass). That's really cool looking.
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oky. it's a wonder how they read it. I don't understand it. I can only read bass and treble cleff since I play upright bass and alto saxophone. You should design something for the other 2 clefs.
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i have done a treble clef design, and i can't really remember if i have a single bass clef design. i do know that i have the bass clef incorporated in some of my designs though...
do you know what the middle C is? Well, the middle line in the alto clef is the middle C. i can read treble clef, but bass clef very little. i learned how to play cello barely, i could play very badly, and it was difficult to read the clef.
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now I know how to read all 3 clefs, only alto a little, though. thanks for explaining it though.
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you're welcome! glad I could help...
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VIOLAS!!!
I named my Teri
think your picture is awesome!
could I use it for a toattoo?
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I named mine Count Gerard Machiavelli Castiglione because of friendly competition.
I suppose you could use it for a tattoo, just make sure that you tell everyone that it was done by Mary Raymond!
I'm glad you like it!
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yeah I did it's the best one i'v eseen so far if you do something like that with the F holes let me know I want that on my back but i just don't want plain ones.
I love the name of your viola
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i probably will at some point. Glad you like his name. He's honored!
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lol I do I love when people name their insttruments really original names.
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lol I do I thouhgt oneof the most plain names was chad.
she named her cello chad it was really plain.
I thought.
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That is pretty plain. I always think of the Chad in charlie's angels...a plain, but very eccentric person....
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Violas mostly...I'm not sure of any other instrumen. I named my viola Bill.
Treble and Bass cleft are fun. My friend, a cellist, and I traded instruments for a day. It was fun.
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I named my viola Count Gerard Machiavelli Castiglione...outrageous, right?
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That's the pimpest name EVER.
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Thanks...it was really hard to come up with it, or at least for it to sound cool...
But I must say, that Bill is pretty awesome too, it's a good simple name....I probably would've picked something like it if I didn't feel like being elaborate and silly.
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But being elaborate and silly adds tot he spice of life.
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sweet >_<
teh viola playing person wants to send you e-baked cookies because she could not find any cool pictures of her beloved clef ;_; not many people know what their for yeah...
sadness ^__^
but its awesome ~
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Thank you!
It's always nice to find someone who knows what it is and how to read it....
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Violins often use the treble clef...
But yes, they can use the alto clef also!
The alto clef is MORE OFTEN used in choir
It`s located between the treble and the bass clefs
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Yay, viola! I'm in my fifth year of viola. I can read treble and bass, also-- I love my music theory~
The poor, poor, poor ignored alto clef. This makes up for it, though, what a gorgeous drawing!
According to Wikipedia, the alto trombone, a mostly abandoned instrument, also uses the alto clef. It used to be used by oboes and such, too, but no more. Poor, poor alto clef.
*Completely found this drawing searching "Alto clef"* >>
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Thanks! I have been playing viola for seven years....I love music theory too! And history, and culture, basically everything. I can read treble, and sort of play violin, and I can barely read bass. Which is bad, because I am going to learn cello soon.
And yes, the alto clef is ignored quite frequently....it's very unfortunate, and it saddens me.
I'd love to see an alto trombone now.
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I wish I played cello! I was going to, but it couldn't fit on my bus, so I chose the violin. P: Heh. I can read treble and bass because I play piano, as well.
An alto trombone would be cool.
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I need to learn piano, and I have a keyboard, but I don't really know how to play it...
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Beautiful! I love this! I play viola and know for a fact that alto clef is used for the Viola. (ark88us, the alto sax uses the trebel clef.)
~~heather~~
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How long have you played viola? I have played for about seven years now....
I love to find other violists! It gives me happiness...
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I've only played for four years, but I'm playing grade six music ^^ (music grades not school grades)
~~heather~~
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That's cool. Do you play from any of the books like Suzuki?
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For class we use the Essential Elements series but, for solo/ensamble festival we use Suzuki.
~~heather~~
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That's cool, I haven't used Essential Elements for SUCH a long time....
Have a wonderful day!
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A um..fix to my other message.
Violas, not cellos.
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The alto clef is for cellos.
yeah.
Did you know there is also a tenor clef and a soprano clef?
i love AP music theory.
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I knew there was a tenor clef, and I may have had an inkling about the soprano, but I'm not sure.
You have the AP Music Theory class?! I am soooooooo jealous! I took IB Music for a semester, but it was zero hour at six in the morning, too much for me.
How is that class?
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ITs pretty cool! I love my teacher!
and the stuff is really interesting
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Sweet...My orchestra teacher really wants to get that class at our school, but by the time that goes around, I will probably have graduated.
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isn't the alto clef used so that you don't have to read all those ledger lines? the design is really pretty by the way
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I don't know if the specific use is for not reading ledger lines, only that violists read it and maybe one other instrument.
Thanks!
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I think some alto sax players use it, but I may be totally wrong. I use it when I play my viola.
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I think you may be right, and just so you know, it is super fabulous that you play viola! I love to hear that!
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