First Practice of the 2010 Music Season

[Gandalfe]

Our community concert band met for the first practice last night. Scary and there were a lot of people missing. We have 10 practices before our first concert. I walked out to change reeds at the 45 minute mark and the intonation was scary. We've two new alto sax players and I moved to bari so that guy could try out the alto sax music.

I need to get some reeds 'cuz I haven't played bari in a while. The bari parts are a snooze for me, but I like the cardio work out and of course, the low notes.

 

[tictactux]

We're having a two-day weekend full of wind music (three gigs), next thursday the winter rehearsals are starting.
Will post the programme if anyone's interested. (something with Egmont, Queen Sheba, Robin Hood, Liberty Fanfare). And I'll play bass.

 

[Gandalfe]

We're having a two-day weekend full of wind music (three gigs), next thursday the winter rehearsals are starting.
Will post the programme if anyone's interested. (something with Egmont, Queen Sheba, Robin Hood, Liberty Fanfare). And I'll play bass.

Bass as in sax? Now that'd be video-worthy.

 

[Groovekiller]

Baritone sax is the greatest "Main axe" there is. When you stay on top of that horn, you can switch to tenor or alto, no problem. Going to bass sax is a bit of a jump, but at least you're in the ballpark.

 

[Ed]

Baritone sax is the greatest "Main axe" there is. When you stay on top of that horn, you can switch to tenor or alto, no problem. Going to bass sax is a bit of a jump, but at least you're in the ballpark.

My only problem with going from bari to alto is that I really feel it in my chops after a couple of hours! Other than that I never run out of air

 

[Groovekiller]

My only problem with going from bari to alto is that I really feel it in my chops after a couple of hours! Other than that I never run out of air

I get that on clarinet at the beginning of the season

 

[Steve]

the college band asked me to fill in again on clarinet. They are having issues finding clarinets - usually there are hundreds of them. Last time they only had about 5. I played 1st, 2nd and 3rd parts .. whichever needed more support.

college bands are fun .. good music and technically difficult on the clarinet (more than on sax usually)

 

[Tammi]

My community band/choir starts back up Sept. 10 for the Christmas season. I don't know where I'll be in the band, so I'll take the clarinet, alto, tenor, and a bari just in case.

 

[tictactux]

Bass as in sax? Now that'd be video-worthy.

No, bass as in clarinet. I wouldn't be concert ready on any of those watering jugs.

 

[Al Stevens]

Our band (http://www.communitybandofbrevard.org) does not take the summer off.

We're preparing for the September 13 concert, which has a big bands and Broadway theme. I'm playing tenor sax in the concert band and piano in the big band.

This is the first time the community band has tried a big band format. Most of the players are straight out of the community band. We're lucky in that several of our players (piano, drums, bass, lead alto, jazz tenor, bari, lead trombone, jazz trumpet) have professional big band experience, so it won't be a complete fustercluck.

This concert has me dusting off my arranging chops, too. Our guest lady vocalist does not have a book (she usually works in a jazz setting), so I wrote four big band accompaniments for her.

All in all, a great way to spend a summer. If you don't need to get paid, that is.

 

[Al Stevens]

Baritone sax is the greatest "Main axe" there is. When you stay on top of that horn, you can switch to tenor or alto, no problem. Going to bass sax is a bit of a jump, but at least you're in the ballpark.

+1 on that. Nothing improves my tenor playing like a couple hours playing bari.

 

[Gandalfe]

We're lucky in that several of our players (piano, drums, bass, lead alto, jazz tenor, bari, lead trombone, jazz trumpet) have professional big band experience...

I consider the lead alto and bari the two most important parts in a Big Band sax section. That you also have a lead tenor with jazz chops is gravy. Sounds like you'll have a decent jazz band.

 

[AltoRuth]

We have our end-of-season finale on the 13th---a "band fest" where each of the three local community bands play 4 or 5 numbers, then combine forces for the SSF. (sigh!---don't want to count how many times I've played that one already this summer!) I play in all three bands, so it's a good workout for me. The icing is that after the afternoon affair, one of the three bands will do an "in gratitude" concert for the church that provides us our rehearsal space. (I'm on first alto for all three bands, so I'm anticipating being a little tired by the end of the day.) Sometime I'd like to try tenor, but there seems to be an oversupply of tenor players, so I'll stay put. Never have tried bari---I doubt that at my age I have the lung power to manage it, and besides, wouldn't want to carry it around. (Actually, I'm beginning to envy the piccolo player).

I started on alto way back, stopped playing altogether for many years, and then returned to playing later in life. I had to do a lot of shedding just to get up to speed on alto,but now I'm playing far better than I ever did in the earlier years. Restlessness sets in and I now find myself envious of those of you who can easily double. I've toyed with the idea of learning clarinet and/or oboe, but think it's probably too late to really reach enough proficiency to actually play in an ensemble. Everyone I have talked to says that it's much more difficult to go from sax to clarinet than vice versa. Still----I keep cruising Craig'slist......

Sorry for the digression. I always like hearing about your various experiences---keeps me interested and motivated and I keep learning good stuff from y'all.

Ruth

 

[Al Stevens]

Sometime I'd like to try tenor, but there seems to be an oversupply of tenor players, so I'll stay put.

I recently switched from 1st alto to tenor because that's what they needed. Concert band tenor parts are a lot easier and a lot less interesting than alto.

 

[Gandalfe]

Restlessness sets in and I now find myself envious of those of you who can easily double. I've toyed with the idea of learning clarinet and/or oboe, but think it's probably too late to really reach enough proficiency to actually play in an ensemble. Everyone I have talked to says that it's much more difficult to go from sax to clarinet than vice versa.

I'm a very average player. But I did play bass clarinet because the community band needed it one year. By the end of the year we'd accummulated four more so I was able to go back to the sax section. If I can learn to play clarinet, you should be able to. And it came in very handy when I auditioned for a pit orchestra gig.

Our current band incarnation has two sax players in the soprano clarinet section as they want to improve their chops. They didn't mind starting on third parts and have actually been called upon to play second and first parts. I toy with the idea of doing that on the flute to force me to give that instrument some time.

I bought my grandson a new Buffet B12 (IIRC) for $200 a couple of years ago. He's since moved on to guitars but the instrument now waits for my granddaughters to choose their instruments.