I can't stand it. First I learned treble clef on my clarinet, then bass clef of bassoon, and now I have to learn a whole new one. ugh.

I love clefs. They make it much easier to transpose. I use Treble, Bass, Tenor, Soprano, and Baritone lef all the time.

Well, don't think of it as a whole new one. It's almost treble clef anyway.

Well now let me see I have heard bassoon players complaining about too many leger lines, so a new clef is used to cut down leger lines. Now that's wrong! I suppose that the music is really just too high, what with the music that's too low and in that oh! ever so awkward bit in the middle, is there anything that bassoons do play?

LOL, I play piano so I both the clefs!

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so I "know" both

You get used to it with practice. Eventually you might come across bassoon in treble clef or even alto (There are a couple of bars in one of the Handel Coronation Anthems which catches bassoons & cellos out because they assume it's tenor!).

What I don't like is music written in tenor but below the bottom of the stave.

What I don't like is music written in tenor but below the bottom of the stave.

About a year ago (Thursday, June 04, 2009) I asked cello players to recommend between the bass clef and the tenor clef for the sake of readability of a cello part in a piece I was then working on. One respondent (bobmrbassman) recommended using the tenor clef even though part of the melody went below the staff. You might be interested in reading that discussion at http://www.8notes.com/f/33_247111.asp and offering your comment. I would love to read your opinion.

Most cello players don't mind tenor clef because they don't really have to transpose, just go up one string. Quite a different proposition for bassoon players - wherein a whole new clef has to be learned. That's why we object to it more than cello players. (My opinion, for what it's worth)

Most cello players don't mind tenor clef because they don't really have to transpose, just go up one string.

Tricks like this do nor always work. Cello players also need to be familiar with the treble clef where there is no use in shifting a string. Also, a cello player who uses this trick may have a problem in the case of a tenor clef double stop on the two upper strings.

Isn't it better to learn the notation under all the clefs a player is required to be familiar with? After all, the middle C requires the same fingering whether its note is placed on the first ledger line above the staff (bass clef) or the fourth staff line (tenor clef). What is the difference between learning notation under the control of one clef and learning notation under the control of another?

When I inquired with trombone players about their obligatory clefs, the response was at least three, namely, bass, tenor, alto and possibly others (http://www.8notes.com/f/30_249733.asp).

Trombone players actually play in bass, tenor AND alto clef. But it really isn't a big problem. You just have to read frequently in every clef and with time it'll become natural.