Z clef

Someone in another topic mentioned the Scott Smalley Z clef. I took the seminar .... oh 12 years ago. (He talks about aliens, and how we should accept them into our life. In general he is a kinda weird dude)

I am NOT endorsing or arguing against it.

I thought I would post some of the notes I have from that seminar just to give some context to the technique.
I think one important thing to note is he "invented"
(he did not BTW.... anyone who reads all 7 clefs really can do this on the fly in ones head) this system as
scores moved away from transposing to concert pitch. Also he was getting viola parts in treble etc.

Thus, when having to move at a fast speed he needed to have some kind of system. Also keep in mind he was not overdubbing or laying samples etc.
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The Z Clef theory

The Z clef theory came about for Smalley as a necessary reaction to the change from transposed scores to concert scores, now used on the scoring stages of Hollywood. This change was instigated by Danny Elfmann’s “hostile take over “ of the Hollywood film- scoring scene. The benefits of using concert scores on the scoring stage is that composers and conductors can address any questions fielded from a session orchestra quickly, without having to be concerned about the transposition of each instruments, thus correcting misspellings of chords or notes quickly. The side affect of concert scores is that no longer can good instrument and section voicings be immediately seen on the score. That is, a transposed score shows what the players are reading and can quickly reveal if an instrument family is playing in an equal (relative) register, with equal timbre and strength. Without this facility, a new method of checking chord voicings was necessary, the z clef.

The z clef is a measuring tool to establish if instruments are playing with equal timbre and strength. Its application is particularly useful when choosing voicings for instrument sections playing accompanying figures. Batman by Danny Elfmann in bar 16 is the best example of why the z clef is necessary when writing concert scores. It can be seen in this example that the chord voicing on beat one in the strings is weak and has come about for two reasons.

1. The string voicings have been writing from a keyboard using a sequencer and a sample string library. The voicing seen in the Batman example is heavily divided in the violas and cellos. Put simply, it sounded great on the sequencer but didn’t account for the fact that when strings perform divisi, they lose dynamic impact.
   
   
2. The voicing used created on the keyboard is an easy “chord shape” on the keyboard, however, when transferred to real strings the voicing is in no way sympathetic to strings.
   

To avoid poor chord voicings for strings or any section of the orchestra the z clef “acid test” can be applied. In principle the z clef “acid test” measures two aspects of a chord voicing:

1. The spacing of each voice/instrument within a 6th of each other on the z clef
   
   
2. The lowest voice/instrument sitting either withing the 6th (created in the z clef)
   
   or outside of this 6th as dictated by the harmony.
   

This concept of good chord voicing comes from traditional SATB writing. That is Soprano, Alto must note be further than a 6th from each other and so to Alto and Tenor, the Bass can be independent of the other parts as is dictated by the harmony.

The poor Batman String voicing isolated is as follows:




The process application of the z clef to check this voicing is simple. Transferring the notes of each instrument from their original clef to the z clef without changing its position on the stave. That is, disregard the clef the note originated from and write the note in the same position on the stave on the z clef. For simplicities sake, accidentals have not been transferred to the z clef, as they are inconsequential.

As is seen here, the chord voicing is weak because not all the notes sit within an interval of a 6th. Violin II plays the lowest note on the z clef. This note and the instrument playing it is being cancelled out by the other instruments causing the overall chord to be weaker that necessary. As previously mentioned, further contributing to the weakness of the chord is the divisi Viola and Cello writing in this section. As can be noted by the activity in the other sections of the orchestra, a stronger chord voicing is necessary for the strings to be heard.


The steps to create better chord voicings and avoid the afore mentioned problem can be done by using the z clef in the following way:

1. Choose the melody note or highest note for the chord.
   
   
2. Add the bass note as dictated by the harmony. (This note can sit within a 6th of
   
   the melody note on the z clef or outside of this range.
   
   
3. Add the 3rd of the chord, checking that it sits within a 6th from the melody note on
   
   the z clef.
   
   
4. Add the 5th of the chord, checking that it sits within a 6th from the melody note on
   
   the z clef.
   
   
5. Add the final note of the chord for a complete string section voicing, checking
   
   that it sits within a 6th from the melody note on the z clef.
   

The aggregate of this approach to voicing chords for strings, which also has application to brass or woodwind, is that each instrument within the section is physically playing (relatively speaking) in the same place on the instrument, giving each instrument equal opportunity to be heard. Following this method through to its logical conclusion, it can be observed that as the melody or highest note rises in pitch so to do the lower notes of the chord voicing, each in their relative range to the melody note. This progressive rise in pitch creates an equal increase in intensity of sound for all instruments concerned, causing perpetual balance within a section.

 

Is the question how much I personally use this, or in general how much do people use this ?

Somewhere on the forum is the thread in which another member talks about it's uses and benefits. I would say it's pretty niche, as you had to attend
Smaller's course to learn about it. It's his "invention".

I put "invention" in quotes, because it's simply a case (IMO) of what is old becoming new again. The main reason for it was for streamlining workflow.
The concepts and ideas under the Z-clef are in every orchestration book. From memory the Piston book goes into great detail about balance.
He had to orchestrate 30-40 pages a day so this became a measuring stick.

One point that really needs to be emphasized is Smalley was used to working in transposing scores. That's really the whole point - he was reverse engineering from transposed to concert pitch.....not the other way around. That's why I made that box to state the Z clef shows what the player sees not the sounding pitch.

"That is, a transposed score shows what the players are reading and can quickly reveal if an instrument family is playing in an equal (relative) register, with equal timbre and strength. Without this facility, a new method of checking chord voicings was necessary, the z clef."

Where this, I suspect, was really needed was finding a way to balance loud brass and the rest of the orchestra. I am sure you have read the general principle that 2 horns are needed to equal the sound of 1 trumpet. Let's say for example you have a A minor in first inversion

Concert pitch



Transposing




If look at the end result to the Batman score I posted, you'll see that basically the chord is now more in-line with the overtone series.

Before it was Root- 3rd (which in a lot of traditional books the D bass clef is the lower limit for 3rds) and then a lot of doubling the root higher etc.
The final result shows the Root-5th-3rd which is what every orchestration book will talk about due to the overtone series.

But, again the main point is he need to check balance issue within concert pitch scores.

It's a topic for another day, but I am glad I learner to read all 7 clefs. It does the same as the Z, so yes I think about it all the time but...... it's is pretty fluent now. I had to learn all 7 clefs as it's apart of Fixed do (cough, cough) training. I think it is very important to be able to read transposing scores fluently.

For example - if on the spot you need to know the pitch of the trumpet just think in tenor. For the horns: mezzo-soprano

This way you can check harmonies on the spot without having to to think about it. I would know right away the chord.
(I'm sure those moveable doh cats can too....cough ....cough)

The transposed score would reflect more the balance of the registers.

 

Probably the most obvious answer is attending the Smalley orchestration workshop. I have the benefit of hearing it from him in person and the numerous
questions asked by other participants. Noam has posted a nice response above. (I stress again I am just reporting about this, not advocating it's use.)

I'll see if I can give a helpful answer with as few words as possible.
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Our modern notation system evolved from vocal music.
Imagine S,A,T,B.
Our vocal chords and breath define the dynamic curve

Think of each section of the orchestra (excluding horns)
Imagine they are S,A,T,B

Read Noam's post again.
Look over my post again

Let me know if it makes sense.

 

Oui.

The one exception for the brass is that Smalley talked about the need for 4 trumpets, and the 4th trumpet doubling 1 an octave lower.
Reasoning for this is similar to big band writing, i.e for a full sound, the melody must be doubled in the lower octave with the remaining instruments voiced inside the said octave.

 

I would agree with you. I also think the "problem" is null for us. You are comfortable with transposed scores, and I am taking an educated guess
you don't write your viola parts in treble clef, and you already know about spacing the notes wider in the lower register etc.

 

Good to hear about teaching your son the various clefs and transpositions. Acquiring this skills is available to musicians of all ages
with right amount of rigour, focus and regular practice. I think I stated a few times, I was "reporting" about it with the notes I took in the seminar.

Ha ! Write your congressman too ? Threaten him with "if any of my tax dollars goes to this" statements.
Walk 6 miles in the snow uphill both ways to school and you liked it.

We are in our 40's; too young for get off my lawn comments. (I live in Manhattan so..... I won't be saying that phrase anytime soon.)

 

What ? You don't think little Suzy Johnston getting up to tune the orchestra of St.Mary's elementary school in Odessa Texas is covertly and knowing spreading the Nazi propaganda of Joseph Goebbels with A = 440 so we will all accept a one world government ? Come on..... thats obvious. Look at Itzhak Perlman tuning A=440 .... total Nazi spy.