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nworbekim wrote:AND I LOVED IT!!! i was invited to play in a quintet for a wedding and was nervous about it. i've never played that type of ensemble. we read thru the processional/recessional and then through some of the Canadian Brass books.

i had a great time and i'm hoping to get to go back. it's much more fun (challenging) than playing in a band...

There is one tuba player for every major metropolitan symphony.

And one needed for every quintet.

I like those odds better!!

Quintet playing is some of my favorite too! I've never been much for tuba solos, so quintets are like a solo within an ensemble. I think they're loads of fun! I'm glad you got to enjoy it too!

A non-dramatic properly motivated artistically aware brass quintet is hard to beat as an experience for a tuba player. You control the rep, if you don't like the options you can write or arrange your own, no need for huge spaces to rent, easy to move around, relatively easy to get a few paying gigs, not much in the way of counting rests, perfect for experimenting with gear, beer tab is relatively low (some exceptions apply), no competition with other tuba players for intonation and balance, always a crowd pleaser indoors or out, and some of the best laughs and friendship there is to be had.

I have only done a small amount of quintet playing, but I thought one of the best parts was being around 4 other people with similar interests and intentions. Playing in a band is such a mixed bag and varying degrees of seriousness and skill levels... but in a quintet, the super-exposure of each part really takes care of that in a hurry.

The only thing I don't like about quintets is those ridiculous quintets that use a bass trombone instead of a tuba. I mean, come on, isn't 1 trombone player enough?

bort wrote:The only thing I don't like about quintets is those ridiculous quintets that use a bass trombone instead of a tuba. I mean, come on, isn't 1 trombone player enough?

Fully agree. It's like giving a kid a nice pair of school slacks for Christmas.

One exception worth noting is Septura. Those guys are amazing.

+1

When I was chasing my degree, I played euph in a double quintet.

We performed classic Frescobaldi, Gabreilli, eTc stuff as an antiphonal choir in a big church.

It was set up with two lofts, front & rear, and the sound was just divine if we did our part.

We played Saturday afternoons, and when the word got around we had almost as big a crowd as Sunday...

DG

nworbekim wrote:AND I LOVED IT!!! i was invited to play in a quintet for a wedding and was nervous about it. i've never played that type of ensemble. we read thru the processional/recessional and then through some of the Canadian Brass books.

i had a great time and i'm hoping to get to go back....

This (but I like playing in band too).

If your quintet becomes a regular thing, you might want to check out some of fellow TubeNetter Craig Garner's brass arrangements, on http://www.dorm40music.com" target="_blank. We play quite a few of these in our brass group. If you play in churches, he has some nice brass/organ arrangements too. I particularly like "Salvation is Created", "Hosanna Anthem" and Handel's "The Trumpet Shall Sound" (listen to it on the site and you'll see why ). Tell them you heard about these on TubeNet.

My formative years on tuba were spent mostly in quintet and drum corps.

Yup, two widely different goals, but both demanded individual responsibility, and I've always liked having that responsibility.