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Scan 170
Harvard Dictionary Of Music(1950), 1950
28 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1CLAVIER
3ing the 16th and 17th centuries. The earliest record is a reproduction contained in Virdung's Musica getutscht (1511). Cf. SaRM, 217; N. Bessaraboff, Ancient European Musical Instruments (1941), pp. 325f.
5Clavier. (1) Pronounced kla'-vi-er, i.e., keyboard. — (2) Pron. kla-vēr', i.e., any stringed keyboard instrument, in modern times usually the pianoforte. — (3) For the German word, see *Klavier. — (4) The French word clavier has the meaning indicated under (1).
7Clavier Hans. See *Keyboard III.
9Clavierübung [G., Study for keyboard]. A title used by J. S. Bach for four publications of keyboard music. Clavierübung i (1731) contains the six *partitas; ii (1735), the Italian Concerto and the French Overture; iii (1739), a number of organ chorales preceded by the Prelude in Eb, and closed by the Fugue in Eb (*St. Anne's Fugue); iv (1742), the *Goldberg Variations. See remark under *Klavier. The title was adopted by Bach from former publications, such as Johann Kuhnau's Clavierübung aus [address hidden] … (1689), containing suites.
11Clavilux. An instrument invented by Thomas Wilfrid, around 1920, for the performance of *color music [see *Color organ].
13Clavis [L., pl. claves, key]. (1) A key of a keyboard [cf. the terms clavicembalo, clavier, Klaviatur, Klavier]. — (2) In medieval theory, claves are the pitch names a, b, c, …; they were frequently written on the keys [cf. CS i, 214, 257]. — (3) In medieval theory, claves signatae are the clef signs (letters c, f, g).
15Clef [from L. *clavis, key; G. Schlüssel; It. chiave]. A sign written at the beginning of the staff in order to indicate the pitch of the notes. There are three such signs (see Example a).
17These severally represent the tones g', c', and f, hence, the names G-clef, C-clef, and F-clef. The G-clef, also called violin clef, is used on the second line of the staff; it indicates that the note on the second line is g'. The F-clef, also called bass clef, is used on the fourth line; it indicates that the note written on the fourth line is f. The C-clef is used in two positions, on the third line (alto clef or viola clef), or on the fourth line (tenor clef) (see b). The G-clef is used for the upper staff of pianoforte music and for all high instruments (violin, flute); the F-clef is used for the lower staff of pianoforte music and for all low instruments (cello, double bass). The alto clef is used for the viola and instruments of a similar range; the tenor clef for the high range of the cello, the bassoon, the tenor trombone, etc.
19History. The above signs are evolutionary modifications of the letters they stand for. Example c shows early shapes, illustrating the gradual corruption of the letters c, f, and g. In music prior to 1750 each of these signs occurs in various positions. See Example d which also shows the position of middle C (c') in each clef.
21CLEFS
22a. The G-clef; three forms of the C-clef; the F-clef.
23b. Position of the clefs on the staff.
24c. Early forms of the clefs.
25d. Positions of the clefs in music prior to 1750: (1) French violin clef; (2) Violin clef, G-clef, treble clef; (3) Soprano clef, descant clef; (4) Mezzo-soprano clef; (5) Alto clef, C-clef; (6) Tenor clef; (7) Bariton clef; (8) Bariton clef; (9) Bass clef, F-clef; (10) Sub-bass clef.
27The great variety of clef-positions encountered in old music results from the desire to avoid ledger lines. Whenever the range of a voice exceeded the five-line staff, the position of the clef was changed or another clef was introduced. In mod-
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