[78-L] Brass Band keys

[Valerie Langfield]

A flat minor concert would be B flat minor played (5 flats in key 
signature); and F minor (4 flats) for the instruments in E flat. Not 
unusual. The score (if one existed) would probably be shown in the 
transposition (B flat minor, since most BB instrumetns are in B flat), 
since you'd actually have G sharp minor rather than A flat minor 
(concert) which would make things look very odd.

I've found BB keys are often tweaked for friendliness, from the original 
keys.

I'm 99.5% certain Buglers' Holiday is in written C major (i.e. B flat 
major concert); then the 3 soloists are just playing their fun and game 
stuff in C major, which is a LOT easier than D flat, especially as so 
much of it is built around the C harmonic series. :)  I'll confirm that 
as soon as I can.

Cheers,

Valerie

>In fact these are all British bands, from Paxton 78s. Some of them were
>recorded by Levy's, which wasn't known for pitch accuracy, but the Dvorak is
>one of them so G Flat Minor is probably okay. However, Bugler's Holiday in B
>Flat means pulling the thing down 2.5%..not an outrageous amount to be off
>speed in these early days of tape-to-disc fluctuations.
>
>Here's another one, not a transcription this time: Ord Hume's "B.B. & C.F."
>which at 78rpm plays a little below A Flat Minor. Not credited as a Levy's
>master, and getting it to A Flat Minor is a matter of raising the speed 1.4%.
>Assuming that the piece IS in A Flat Minor, this puts 2 out of 3 sampled discs
>in the "pitch 'em up about 1.1-1.5%" range which also works for the Buglers if
>that arrangement is in B Major.
>
>More?
>
>dl
>
>Valerie Langfield wrote:
>> David,
>>
>> In the UK at least, and I can't see why it would be different your side,
>> brass band instruments play in flat keys - that is, they are all
>> transposing instruments and if they play a C it comes out as a B flat
>> (instruments in E flat play C and it comes out as E flat). Flat keys are
>> greatly favoured, or better still, keys without any accidentals at all!
>> As far as I can recall, and I'm not at band again till Tuesday week,
>> Bugler's holiday is scored in C which means it'll come out as B flat.
>> For it to sound as B means it would be written in D flat for the B flat
>> instruments, and A flat for the E flat instruments; most unlikely. Much
>> easier for the B flat instrs to play in C, and the E flat insts to play
>> in G.
>>
>> The Dvorak is likely in concert G flat - not as horrific as it seems,
>> since the B flat insts will play in A flat, and the E flat ones in E
>> flat. That's OK to play.
>>
>> Does my explanation make sense? Does it tie in with your findings?
>>
>> (At the back of my mind is the idea that there was a slight pitch change
>> in brass band instruments, too, a few generations ago, but I can't
>> remember which way.)
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Valerie
>>
>>
>>> Before I begin transferring some brass band records, a question 
>>>about pitching
>>> and keys. A disc labelled "Dvorak's Slavonic Dance #8 in g minor" plays
>>> closest
>>> to F#. Anderson's "Bugler's Holiday" plays in B. Actually they're both
>>> slightly
>>> off but these are the closest actual keys (no more than 1% 
>>>off)..just want to
>>> know if they're probably correct. The discs date from the mid fifties.

-- 
Valerie Langfield
www.rogerquilter.co.uk
www.boydell.co.uk/51158714.HTM
rcq at minuet.demon.co.uk