Review

Ken Davies
Read Tenor Clef Now: 15 etudes for bassoon – cello – double bass – euphonium – trombone:

Gautier, MS, United States
Publisher: Kenvad Music
Date of Publication: 2012
URL: http://www.kendavies.com

Primary Genre: Study Material - method
Secondary Genre: Study Material - etude

Read Tenor Clef Now is a ‘pre-Blazhevich’ book, set up for students to learn a few notes at a time, expanding out from a five-group set around c1, specifically notes c1, d1, b, a, g. These five notes then expand by step with some skips and leaps. Each successive etude builds from the notes already learned, adding a few notes at a time. The etudes alternate between sharp and flat keys, progressing to F-sharp/G-flat in varied meters. The book is intended for upper high school or early college players who are able to play all of their major scales at least an octave and a half and can read fairly fluently in bass clef. The preface gives a visual explanation of the C clef. Each etude is a full page in length, ranging from G to b1; the first five etudes do not go above f1. No attempt is made to cover the trombone’s full range, just the basic range of the staff. This book is a fine addition to the current resources for learning tenor clef.

-Donald Babcock
Eastern Michigan University