 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-05-10 17:30
Any advice for a first-time pit player on the subject book?
I've got the gig, and the band is bass-heavy, so I won't be playing the baritone sax or bass clarinet segments.
I need to make clean, consistent entries.
thanks
Bob Phillips
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Author: William
Date: 2009-05-10 18:02
Merle Evans, Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus conductor, once told me, "If you want to watch the show, buy a ticket!!". So, speaking from "experiance", if your location in the pit gives you a view of the stage, don't let yourself be distracted into missing entrances--or forgetting which cue the band is in. Pay attention, at least for the first few shows......
Question, if you are playing a set book, how can the pit be "bass heavy"? Unless you mean someone else has been hired to split the book with you. I always enjoy the challenges of doubling and like play all the parts in my book, if for no other reason, just to avoid boredom.
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Author: Ryan K
Date: 2009-05-11 02:54
I've played that book. Really fun parts.
Just pay close attention to the conductor, and learn the show really well. Then watch/listen.
Pits, especially when you don't have horrible doubles, are low stress, and fun.
Ryan Karr
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-05-11 18:54
Thanks!
I'm particularly grateful for the admonition to avoid "watching" the show.
William, the book I have is from the 9-piece arrangement. The organizer/conductor/producer has apparently gathered his friends together and has an ensemble rich in bass: horn --cello; so he's looking primarily for me to fill in the (soprano) clarinet parts and stopped me from handing my book to a colleague who regularly plays bari in the local big band.Ryan K wrote:
> I've played that book. Really fun parts.
>
> Just pay close attention to the conductor, and learn the show
> really well. Then watch/listen.
>
> Pits, especially when you don't have horrible doubles, are low
> stress, and fun.
>
Bob Phillips
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-06-09 05:43
I've just finished the work with HONK!
I found it to be terribly difficult:
The pace for many of the riffs is too fast;
The frequent key changes call for extreme alertness;
Making the entrances correctly requires more ensemble experience than I have;
The show is long, running about 3:40 with a 10-minute intermission. Not an easy thing to do well after driving 225 miles and taking a music lesson on a performance day;
Pit work is just like having a job.
On the other hand, this was a great and very worthwhile learning experience:
I got to play with musicians who are much better than I (I love that!);
My colleagues were tolerant of my errors and helpful in correcting them;
I learned a whole lot about ensemble playing;
I got to see the value of all those drills in F# M, A#minor, etc;
I got to sit and stare at some very mystical near-over-the-break sextolets and figure out how to use the side trill keys in whole new ways;
No one pays much attention to the orchestra anyhow; we're nearly invisible and continuously asked to quit drowning out the singers.
I'll do it again, given the opportunity; but probably until after a few months' recovery time.
Thanks for the help from the BB, and cheers to the pros I got to play with.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2009-06-10 09:20
Well, I can relate similar experiences! The last one I did was indeed blisteringly fast in all keys on both Bb and A, with much improvisational fingering and not-quite-enough rehearsal time, and some truly excellent players to serve as a somewhat humbling example. If I learned one thing, it was to go away and practice all my scales equally, something that was never emphasised when I was learning. F# is as valid a key as C, especially when it comes to the modern musical.
I disagree that no-one listens; in every one I've done, there have been nice comments for the band. (Clearly, in amateur work at least, a certain amount of 'musicality' :-) is acceptable...)
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2009-06-10 15:18
Hi Bob,
I enjoyed your True Confessions above; working in the pit is really a "job" and not for everyone. I did notice that you did not mention doubles and fast instrument switches with often a huge embouchure change as well.
I will be doing my 6th show of the past few months next month and really enjoy these kind of things but you need to have your parts under control before the first music rehearsal. I always try to get a CD of the show (finding out which version is being done can be tricky, keys can be different,and cuts abound) so I can practice a good bit ahead of time.
If shows are not for you, do not be afraid to admit it. Nothing is worse than struggling musically.
HRL
PS I have a double on recorder for Full Monty next month; fortunately, as a former band director, I just happened to have one around. My picc peg is a perfect fit.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2009-06-10 16:08
I've played the 2nd reed book on Honk! and it's really not bad. A few things need woodshedding. Sorry to hear that you're not doing the bass clarinet or bari sax parts, because I really enjoyed them.
1. The best advice that you've been given is to PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR JOB. Counting is a very nervous job, and you have to do it with concentration and confidence.
2. Be fearless about your entrances. You don't have time to second-guess yourself in the pit. If you have problems, see item #1 and/or consult your music director. Don't try to hide them, because they'll show up again when there's a critic in the house.
3. Make your own copy of the book, and mark it (or even cut and paste it) so that another person could easily follow it. You may not plan on having a sub but---well, my Dad died during my run of Honk! and the funeral was during a matinee. Nuff said?
4. If you need a sub, get the best one you can find. A good sub is more likely to save your job than steal it. A bad one will not make you look good in comparison.
5. If you are awkward in any key on any instrument, start woodshedding to correct that. Show keys are determined by vocal ranges, and I've played a lot of harrowing stuff in 6 flats.
Enjoy your experience. I think that pits are the ultimate test of your musical craftsmanship. (as opposed to artistry) Having a show go great gives you a terrific feeling about yourself as a musician. With so many local & regional shows running a month or less, you have about as much time to relax on the job as a NASCAR driver. I always feel like they improve me as a musician. Have fun!
Allen Cole
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-06-11 04:06
Thanks, Allen and Hank,
The music director thought that they had enough bass in the orchestra with the string double bass and the cello, so thought that they could do with just the clarinet parts. I did transpose the Bari stuff to keep busy and also played the bass cl parts --both an octave lower where possible. No instrument changes.
My teacher has been pushing me to work all the scales, so I was surprised when most of the F# stuff fell to hand. A nagging problem was that that darned A# stuck around when after a key change to fewer #s.
I'll certainly make my own copy of the book next time. OH, how I wish I could get 9x12 xerography around these parts. By time the organizers get through erasing my pencil marks, it will take a skip loader to pick up the eraser crumbs.
I have an incredible Yamaha recorder that stays in tune when you change dynamic level. My other one changes pitch with volume like they "should."
I did have a cd, but it had cuts and vamps different from those we did. Also, in some of the long tunes with late clarinet entrances were not too helpful. You wait for minutes to practice an entrance; and that takes a huge amount of time.
My take-aways:
Do more work on the unusually encountered scales and arpeggios --and learn the related minor.
Play brazenly. It is more rewarding to be there early and have colleagues shushing you than to miss the riff entirely.
Everyone will not agree on the proper intonation, so sometimes, you've just got to live with being out of tune.
I got much better at noticing key changes.
thanks
Bob Phillips
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