Orchestra?

[Water Music]

My youth orchestra is playing the Bacchanale right now, it's not that hard, and there are A LOT of rest. You should get a recording of each song, try to memorize your entrances and then just go from there.

Oh, and that the orchestra tunes to Concert A would've been useful a couple months ago. I played Bb, and it took like 2 rehearsals to actually figure it was A.

[windshieldbug]

I played Bb, and it took like 2 rehearsals to actually figure it was A.

Yes, but think of how far you can lip notes down now!

[Water Music]

Well, my first rehearsal, I was clueless to the tuning portion, so I played after the trombone started, and I couldn't figure it out until the next rehearsal, when they tuned again, because after break we didn't tune again.

[windshieldbug]

... and the tuba player's mantra: if the conductor does not say anything to you, it means you're doing everything right! What you want to hear, when it's all over, is "Great sound!"

[LoyalTubist]

There is no tuba part to Light Cavalry. But there is a euphonium part! When I played this piece 26 years ago, the euphonium part was handed to me. It was just too high to play. So the bass bone player and I traded parts and no one was the wiser. I think this is the usual practice on this piece, unless a euphonium player is hired.

(My only post for today, I promise.)

[adam0408]

All the above posts are great advice, but I think some of you may be forgetting some key points:

cultivate a taste for Jim Beam Bourbon whiskey and fine cigars. limit yourself to under $10 per cigar though because with the amount of rests you will be counting, you'll be smoking pretty much non stop. Both hobbies should help you pass the time during the rests. Dont worry about counting those 128 measure breaks, because the director either will cue you or not notice your absence.

To go along with your love of bourbon and cigars, you should definately purchase a zippo lighter. While no self-respecting cigar afficianado will light his cigar with a zippo (so I am told, because the fluid taste sucks up through the tobacco and flavors it unpleasently.) they sure do look cool. Be sure to make as much noise as possible as you learn to light the zippo in cool ways http://www.lightertricks.com Drop it as often as possible.

Blow your cigar smoke in rings, and endeavor to land one on the bassoonists head. If this proves too difficult, or you don't have a bassoon, simply blow them at the trumpet players. Act like you don't know where the smoke is coming from at all times.

Sip the bourbon straight from the bottle. Be sure to procure the largest possible size and drink as much of it as you can during rehearsal. (a possible alternative to the bottle would be a nasty old Mc Donalds cup.) Exclaim loudly during break at the amount you drank: "hey look guys, when we started rehearsal it was up near the top, now its halfway through the label!!" Not only will you cease to care about that important entrance as you drink more whiskey, but your playing will vastly improve due to your gargantuan confidence boost.

Above all, it is vital to remember to make loud comments and farting noises when other sections screw up. On farting noises: Get a straw and stick it just below your armpit hair and trap it against your body with your arm. Blow into it with much gusto, and you should produce a ripping good "bronx cheer." These are usually loud enough to get the attention of the cello section, which is exactly what you should be aiming for.

If you screw up, don't say anything. Either act like nothing happened and deny the event or assume a puzzled expression and choose between pulling out all your slides and inspecting them carefully, or oiling a valve or two. Extra points can be had if you do a complex maintnence procedure with your rotary valves.

Arrive at rehearsal late and make lots of noise setting up your stuff while the strings are tuning. Bring a tuba stand, not to use, but simply to drop and bang around. Explain to the trombone section about your bad back and that the stand is there "just in case." If you have a mute, bring it and make it roll up under some string player's chair. When they offer to grab it for you, rush over to them and dive to get it.

Well, I think that pretty much sums up the tricks of playing in an orchestra. If the above doesn't work, just do crosswords the whole time and don't even bother taking out your horn.

[danB]

This is a fantastic post!! If this dosen't fill your kicks just keep showing up later and later to rehearsals until someone notices. Also, try wearing a black mumu instead of a tux to concerts (one famous brethern of ours did do this and was fined accordingly). Don't hesitate to try different tubas on Dvorak 9 either. CC, Blat, F, Eflat, Cimbasso, D tuba, G tuba, contrabass trombone, etc....

BTW I prefer sudoku to crossword puzzles these last weeks....

DB

[tubafatness]

I was in the same position about a week ago, so let me tell you what I did. I came in ready to play. Was excited to play. As the minutes rolled by, I was still excited to play. Then less excited. Then a little less than that. Then I dropped into sheer boredom. Picked up a book at the local corner store, read a few chapters. Don;t get me wrong, it was great listening to the orchestra, and even better to play the few times I could. But it's not great having to listen to the same 16 bar section over and over again. So, read a little, sleep a little, and do not under any circumstance forget where you are in the piece.
Peace, Aaron "Tubafatness" Hynds

[Albertibass]

i guess i havent read all the posts, so im gonna say it anyways, there are more sharps in orc. music, and yeah i agree, some parts can be boring. but when its exciting, its really exciting.

[windshieldbug]

You may not play all the time, and rehearsals can get long, but you get the best seat imaginable for the concerts.

And something I didn't know when I first played with a pro orchestra while I was still in school: the strings applaud during a concert by shuffling their feet on the stage. It's not real loud, but with their hands full you can sort of understand it. I didn't know about it, and played the tuba solo in American In Paris. I thought I'd nailed it pretty well, but then I heard all this foot shuffling, and I wondered what I had done to anger the orchestra...

[tuba114]