 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jacqui
Date: 2006-05-02 15:43
Well i am happy to report i lived through my first audition. I didn't even throw up on anyone. It wasn't really like an audition though. The director of the community band listened to me play a couple songs i had been working on in my private lessons and then had me sit with the 3rd clarinetists. I stayed for the 1 1/2 hours rehearsal although i think i maybe played 6 notes during the entire time. They played sooooo fast. And all those 16th notes!!! They are way, way, way, better than where i'm at. They were all very nice and all encouraged me to stay with them and come to next monday's rehearsal, but i don't know. I could not even follow them just reading the music let alone playing it. My instructor told me last week that i should find a band that is a little advanced of me so that i am challanged, but not too far advanced so that i just feel frustrated all of the time. Do you guys think i should stick with it for a while and see if i can learn to play that fast, or should i look around at other community bands???
Oh yeah - you guys were right about the director wanting to hear me play to know where to place me and not to determine whether i could join or not. I think they let anyone join and if they can't keep up, the director figures they'll leave on their own. Should i stay or should i go?
Jacqui
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Author: susieray
Date: 2006-05-02 15:55
Hi Jacqui,
Congratulations! Please don't give up quite yet! Is there any way you can take home the music folder, so you can practice it at home? At first, when your sight reading skills are not that good yet, it really helps if you can go over your part at home and get more familiar with it. At least that way you will be able to follow along, even if you can't get all the notes!
And when practicing at home, you should take it slowly at first, and then work your way up to speed. This may take awhile, but trust me, if you stick with it, it'll happen.
Sometimes the first rehearsal can be kind of intimidating, even when the band members are welcoming and encouraging. It is just a bit much to take in all at once. After a few rehearsals, you will get to know the music, the other band members, get more familiar with that particular director, etc and you should feel more at home! It really is a lot of fun!
Sue
Post Edited (2006-05-02 17:53)
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2006-05-02 15:59
Playing music in a band context is quite a lot different from playing it alone. I'm not at all surprised you struggled at your first attempt. I nearly warned you when I replied to your previous post, but didn't want to scare you off!
It seems sensible to me to "shop around" with other bands, if there is a choice. You probably need to find a band where, with most of the music they play, you can learn to play it on your own. If you can't play it on your own, you are going to have a miserable time in band practice. See whether you can borrow some music to work on.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: marcia
Date: 2006-05-02 16:40
I would also suggest you stick with it for a while. First rehearsals, like first days at a new job, can be very intimidating, but it gets better. Three years ago I joined a group that I had dreamed about joining but never really imagined I actually would. After my first rehearsal I went home thinking "Whatever possesed me to think I could keep up with this group? Maybe I've made a big mistake." However I persisted and am very glad that I did. So I would say, don't give up on it yet, give yourself a chance. Let us know how you are doing in a few weeks.
Marcia
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2006-05-02 17:39
I'd add my voice to the chorus urging you to try it for a few weeks -- perhaps, even, for the rest of the season -- before concluding that you don't have the chops.
As David P. said, playing a band is very, very different than playing by yourself. When I was getting back into playing a few years ago, I decided to join the community band. We were allowed to "self-place" -- play the part that you think you ought to be playing.
Well, I'd never in my life played anything except first clarinet, so that's where I "placed" myself. And it was a reasonable choice -- I've played for a long time, and have never gotten completely out of shape.
But I also had not been playing WITH anyone else for a long, long time. It's a totally different experience, sitting in your own room learning clarinet (or whatever) literature by yourself or with a teacher, than playing with others. My first two weeks in the band were just flat out embarrassing. I COULD NOT keep up. I was lost almost all the time. I made uber-dumb mistakes. Doesn't matter how many concerti I could play: I couldn't play squat with the band.
But little by little, it DID get better, and by the middle of the season, I was holding my own (leaning a little, I will admit, on the other two very, very capable firsts). By my second year, I was back up to speed, and proud of myself for undergoing all the "growth experiences" that were necessary to get there.
Stick with it. You might surprise yourself.
Susan
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Author: chipper
Date: 2006-05-02 17:49
Jacqui:
I've only been playing for 2 1/2 years. The first night with the community band was indeed the classical "deer in the headlights" but I stuck with it. Even if you do get to bring music home don't feel too bad if you don't get it. You will have the third clarinet part that isn't usually the melody and is nearly impossible to play without the band. What I did was to practice several of the riffs in a particular piece. For instance a sticato chromatic run. Then you lurk in the wings of the band untill it comes around, play your little heart out then hunker back down untill a whole note comes up. Cultivate a mentor, you'll need it. Cut time marches nearly did me in but after only six months with the band I find that I can at least follow the piece and sometimes even play most of it. You'll find that many of the phrases repeat themselves throughout the piece.
Last night we were playing a piece and for some reason I kept playing a 'D' instead of an 'E' at a particular point. Why, I don't know, tired, I guess. So the director stopped the band, pointed to me and said," you, three measures before 55, you, play the first note, the second note, the third note," etc. Then after leading me through a number of times, says, "Get it?" How embarasing. But I didn't get it wrong after that. He has also had the section play one note and one member play a sharp or flat to illistrate the importance of playing in key.
Jacqui, I've learned so much in the few short months I've been playing with the band. I'm at that point where I realize just how terrable a player I really am and have half a mind to use my horn as a tomato stake in the garden. But I've lived long enough to realize that this is the point where I really start to improve.
Practice your scales, arpedgios, thirds, fifths and all other exercises untill you know them by heart. Songs are made of these exercises. I've asked the band director if I should play only at practice and sit out the preformances for now. That way I get the experience and the band is not embarased in public, but he'll have none of it. If I want to sit with the band then I have to appear in public with them. Keep up the good work kiddo, both you and your community will be richer for it.
Carl
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-05-02 21:19
Keep at it. It gets easier as you go along.
One thing that will help a LOT is to go to the scale and arpeggio section in whichever method book you're using and play them very slowly, so that they're always perfect. Doing this trains your muscle and visual memory.
Music is made up of scales and chord patterns. Once you learn them, you can recognize the "shape" of 4 or even 8 notes, instead of having to read every one. They you just start your fingers playing what they already know, while you look on ahead to recognize the next shape.
Ken Shaw
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-05-02 21:22
Oh, for sure, stay. And the suggestion to take the music home to practice is right on. I'm sure a significant part of your problem was just concentration due to everything being new.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2006-05-03 02:04
I'd agree with everyone else. Stay and give it a chance. Copy the music or check out a folder and practice. Sight reading your first few practices cold is guarinteed to be really tough. A
Her are some tricks that have helped me get back into playing with a band. Almost every march known to man is available on a CD you can buy on the net. Likewise the music of Granger, Vaughn Williams, Holst and most other band classics. Many music publishing sites and sevice bands have downloads of various works. Get these and listen to them while following your parts. Don't try to play along (at least at first). Just see how your bit fits with everything else that's going on, and learn to count it through. This will help a lot with knowing where your music is going. Once you know your parts more or less, try to finger through the sections that you don't play because they are too complicated or too high. Go for the first and last notes of phrases and work in from there. If you are hanging up on register jumps (such as in the Stars and Stripes Forever), play only the high or low notes and rest on the jump notes.
As you learn and improve, things will only get better.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2006-05-03 02:19
go for it - keep trying - never give up.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: ClariTone
Date: 2006-05-03 12:36
Definitely stick with it!!! Music can be one of the most rewarding hobbies ever!!! I'd say if they don't mind having you, keep at it. You can only get better from here!!!
Someone great once said "quitters never win"
Best of Luck
Clayton
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2006-05-04 13:33
if you have a choice, i would try another band that isnt so advanced.
if there is no choice, stay with it. bring your music to your lessons. or maybe you could get together with one of the other clarinetists in the band. just practicing that music will help you improve.
at rehearsals, play what you can and just try to follow for what you cant.
it will be good experience.
most of all, have fun!
and please - give us an update...
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Author: BelgianClarinet
Date: 2006-05-04 17:42
Don't know your age/experience, but those who can keep up during a first rehearsal with whatever orchestra are very very very rare !!
I've been playing in a Woodwind band for over 30 years ( 1st chair or whatever it's called), then stepped into a 'higher' level band and ... suprise suprise ... full concentration needed !!
I also started playing in a real symphonic orchestra .. oh boy, what a difference even with so much experience, once again ... full concentration needed.
Lately I've seen lots of youngsters entering our band's 'youth orchestra', well 2nd rehearsal was already better, and now ... 1 year later, come and see.
there is only 1 way : keep on, and practise, orchestra music, other music and as Ken said very correctly : scales and arpeggio's. I always hated them, but most of those 16th, just are ... variations on the same tricks (OK, not all, but you will be surpised one day how much music you can play buy looking at it, without really reading !!)
I'm having extreme fun in all kinds of orchestra's for over 30 years now (I'm 43), and ready for another 3 decades (or more !!). The most stupid decision ever in my life would have been quiting after rehearsal 1.
So, up for decade 1.
Post Edited (2006-05-04 17:44)
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2006-05-05 01:26
For you it was a first rehearsal; everyone else may have been practicing those pieces for weeks. Stay with it.
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