Even more complicated than I thought! That's why the viola teacher said it's best to play the treble clef on the viola and just play it an octave lower. But at the time I didn't know the impact that would have on bowing, phrasing, and "feel".Peter Duggan wrote:Actually, that's not going to work either unless you change the key signature (to the one a semitone higher) and any accidentals as well...
So a treble clef tune in D (two sharps) treated as alto clef (sounding in Eb) is going to need the new key signature or you're going to be transposing from D major to E Dorian instead! Likewise G major would come out as A Dorian, E Dorian as F# Phrygian and so on.
I do love the viola sound though.. a bit deeper and richer. but that'll be for later, as a second instrument.