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Actual scene at orchestra rehearsal: Very elderly tuba player (me) says to very elderly bass trombone player, "Pssst-----I lost count, let me know when we get to letter W." He replies, "Pssst----I was going to ask you the same thing." We, uh, blew our entrance.

Ace

I am incredibly bad at counting rests, especially significantly long ones. I make an excerted effort with the help of bass trombonists I play with to write in cues at every rehearsal mark and 5 or so before I enter (or the phrase before) so that I don't have to panic if I miss count, which i will of course still be doing. It has saved me numerous times and I find the knowledge of the entrances stay with me for quite a while and well enough that when I am given a clean part with another group or a new rental part that I still know the audio cues for my entrances.

I'm sure most do this but I have played with many who don't write in any cues and have had students that have been very insistent that they "can count" and "don't need to cheat" to know when to come in.

I was initiated into learning the score, writing cues, etc. when as a greenhorn the trombone section would have endless fun with me by counting (under their breath) and bringing their horns up to see if they could get me to come in early...

(certainly taught me NEVER to rely on anyone else... )

The usual answer I would get is something like:

"I dunno, but we're well past X"

bloke wrote:The piece itself (particularly if "good") can easily distract from it.

Thankfully, this tends to be my problem more often than not, especially when someone or a section really nails a great entrance or phrase.

Pieces that aren't good to listen to are usually pretty easy for me to zone out and just count--the only problem there is not forgetting to go back to 1 at the next rehearsal marking.

I've always thought it would be good to use one of those clickers that ushers have to count how many seats are full/how many seats are left. I'd count the measures but keep track of the measures on the clicker. The "clicking" would be too noisy so maybe an "app" for a phone?

bloke wrote:The piece itself (particularly if "good") can easily distract from it.

#1 problem for me

bloke wrote:poorly-written pieces where listening becomes tedious

Close second

roweenie wrote:conductors with unintelligible beat patterns

No help

Blame the conductor for not counting you in!!

Sometimes I'm as likely to get lost playing as I am counting rests.
In this piece I lose track of those measure repeats every time. My only hope is listening for the phrase endings.

Hup

Three Valves wrote:Blame the conductor for not counting you in!!

In that same trombone section once, the Music Director cued the Principal incorrectly.
He shook it off like a catcher would.
The MD cued him again, incorrectly.
He shook it off again.
Finally he did it in the right placed.
The Principal nodded and came in right on time...

bloke wrote:' gotta number those measures (not measure #'s, but 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...etc.)

This works OK on most pieces. On this one I still lose track.

bloke wrote:and/or (better) listen to the chord changes. You don't need to know what the names of the chords are...just be able to hear that they're changing.

Yes, this is the solution, at least on this piece. I don't even try to count. Just listen for when the next section is about to come in.

Hup

I thought the subject was "Feeling Old and Colicy"