 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2008-08-04 01:39
In bands or ensembles (other than orchestral), what seating have you observed that varies from the traditional principal clarinetist sitting in the first chair at the edge of the clarinet section?
The director I play for puts her clarinetists thus: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd chairs = Principal, first part; principal, second part; principal, 3rd part. This director's thinking is not to put all the strongest players on the first part but to disperse them throughout the section.
I played in another ensemble where the principal instruments all played inside their sections, closer to the front of the conductor.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2008-08-04 05:19
I like the seating you describe, with the 3 best at the top of the 3 sections.
I've also played in a clarinet choir (15 people or so) where the placement was shuffled for each concert, ensuring simply that the key parts were played by people who were capable of carrying the part. I really liked that setup... after a few concerts, just about everyone both had the experience of carrying an important part and of matching and blending to someone else, even perhaps someone not as skilled on the instrument as they were.
It became one of the finer ensembles at the university, and certainly one with quite adept listeners and adjusters, capable of playing with a nice sound with anyone on any part at any time. Then the director retired, and his replacement drove the ensemble into the ground through a combination of extended absences and a "best players on 1st, everyone play louder" philosophy... the sound quality was literally destroyed during the course of the first rehearsal he led.
I've seen people whose playing has suffered from never having ensemble responsibility (i.e. always being toward the bottom), and I've seen people whose playing has suffered just as much from always being on top (and therefore very poor at blending and at letting someone else take the lead). Ideally, I like ensembles that can mix things up, but if there must be consistency, the first 3 on principal 1st, 2nd, and 3rd parts is what I prefer.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2008-08-04 05:33
Maybe I'm just selfish, but if someone has put the effort in and done the work to get the first part or solos, then that person deserves it, not the usually boring part.
...wields armor and weapons for battle...
What would you rather play? solo clarinet in Cappriccio Espagnol, or 2nd?
I should clarify a little...I do see both sides, and i know it helps unless of course you have a clarinet section of 100% all-staters, and who does? If only it were possible to inspire everyone to practice and improve.
____________________
Ryder Naymik
San Antonio, Texas
"We pracice the way we want to perform, that way when we perform it's just like we practiced"
Post Edited (2008-08-04 05:45)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2008-08-04 06:14
Ryder wrote:
> then that person deserves it, not the usually boring part.
> What would you rather play? solo clarinet in Cappriccio
> Espagnol, or 2nd?
You probably need to rethink that logic...
Being an orchestral 2nd clarinetist requires as much skill if not MORE than playing principal.
Not only must you possess the equivalent technical proficiency as the principal player, you must also know and understand the clarinet's role in BOTH parts.
...GBK
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2008-08-04 06:23
Thing is, very often you'll have maybe 2, 3, or even a half dozen people who have all done the work for the solos, but one of them auditioned slightly better that year.
I also find it odd that professional orchestras usually hire winds as principal, associate principal, second, etc. It would seem to me that, at that level, everyone is both immensely capable and playing the same pieces over and over. I, for one, would greatly prefer being shuffled around as much as possible in the section, even if I somehow auditioned the best of anyone in there. Change of scenery, change of perspective, and so on.
If the other clarinetist is someone whose playing I respect and enjoy, I am quite content playing either part. Ideally, I'd like to play solo one time, and 2nd next time it comes around, mainly for variety's sake and because the solo bits are indeed fun to play.
Your argument is why the 1st on 1st, 2nd on 2nd, 3rd on 3rd setup works really well for band. As someone who was very often at the top of the 2nd and 3rd sections in college, I found those seats very fulfilling. They are often overlooked, but people in those spots will generally have a much greater impact on the ensemble than the section 1sts, if they know what to do with it. If anything, the 2nd and 3rd parts are more challenging because they are typically in a non-projecting range, but the music doesn't call for them to be considerably softer.
What the me-on-1st-ism comes down to fairly often, I've found, is really a result of playing in an ensemble that is of less-than-stellar quality and that doesn't utilize the potential contributions of all its members. There aren't 8 Bb clarinets players in a typical wind ensemble simply because clarinet is popular and colleges have bunches of them lying around. There are that many because, unless you're heavily miked, that's what the ensemble calls for to ensure good balance. A good 3rd section, especially, can make or break an ensemble (when you hear a good 3rd section, you notice it instantly because it's so rare), and if the director treats it that way rather than as a dumping ground for less-desirables, the resultant sound can be quite nice.
In a lousy ensemble, I'll be eying the first part in a fit of "you're doing it wrong," but in an ensemble of reasonable quality, I find myself quite content playing any part.
Really, compared to the typical section 2nd violin, the orchestral 2nd clarinetist has a considerably important role.
If it's any consolation, as someone who's been in the non-soloish section of lots of ensembles, in my writing I go out of my way to give what I consider cool parts to the bastard-child sections... violas, 3rd and alto clarinet, etc.
It is indeed possible to inspire everyone in an ensemble to practice and improve (or, heck, to play at a higher level in the course of one rehearsal, as I've seen multiple times). It's just "hard" and often requires a really great conductor, the ludicrous rarity of which is a topic for another thread.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2008-08-04 06:32
well ok, but we were talking about band and non-orchestral settings. I just used Cappriccio Espagnol as an example since the solos are so well known.
So, let me change the example. How about Blue Shades then?
In an orchestral setting, when it comes down to it, i wouldn't give a crap what chair i have! I understand that EACH chair in that position is at least equally as important. There are only three, or two chairs in an orchestra, so each player must be at the top of their game. also, generraly, the second and thirds will switch between instruments often- bass, Eb, C, D, A.
ANY chair in an orchestral setting is a very demanding job and you can't slack off and screw around like some would be able to in a band setting.
____________________
Ryder Naymik
San Antonio, Texas
"We pracice the way we want to perform, that way when we perform it's just like we practiced"
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Author: GBK
Date: 2008-08-04 06:46
Ryder wrote:
> ANY chair in an orchestral setting is a very demanding job and
> you can't slack off and screw around like some would be able to
> in a band setting.
I'm sure that the 2nd and 3rd clarinetists in "The President's Own" will be happy to hear that ...GBK
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Author: crnichols
Date: 2008-08-04 08:08
As a military bandsmen (not at the level of the president's own), I have to agree with GBK's implication here. In great ensembles, orchestras or wind bands, no one slacks off. Try playing an orchestral transcription sometime. There's no room for ANYONE to slack off. Every part is crucial to a quality product. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. In music there's no such thing as hiding.
Christopher Nichols, D.M.A.
Assistant Professor of Clarinet
University of Delaware
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Author: denner22
Date: 2008-08-04 08:52
In the wind octet that I play in, we usually share the 1st and 2nd clarinet parts between the two of us. My other usual clarinettist is a fine player - he likes the responsibility - and it also releases me to conduct on occasion.
Most of the others in the group do not rotate roles like this, but our rotation does not seem to worry the group ensemble and in my opinion only adds to the interest in the performances.
I will add that this only works if there is mutual respect between both players.
David
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-08-04 09:25
The problem with a lot of community bands (in the UK) is that people are precious about players that have been in the band for x amount of years and are usually committee members or have 'connections' whereby they sit on 1st or solo by default, regardless of the fact they aren't by any means the best or strongest of players (and I don't mean strong in that they can play loud as anyone can play loudly).
It's off-putting to new members that are far more competant as players to be sat beneath these principal passangers whose shortcomings are obvious as they're not going to give up their seat, and their standard of playing will only keep the overall musical level of the section or band down rather than give the other players in the section or the entire band something to aspire to.
So players should be chosen on their musical ability and each chair should be able to carry their own weight rather than being passangers as the principal player needs the support of their section.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2008-08-04 09:47
I just started in a band where the first clarinet, which is me for who knows how much longer, sits on the inside, rather than the outside, and the 3rd clarinets are on the outside. It places me right next to the oboe which is actually very beneficial, it allows you to work together better, plus you're closer to the flutes. (Insert flute joke here...)
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-08-04 11:53
Ryder wrote,
> ANY chair in an orchestral setting is a very demanding job and
> you can't slack off and screw around like some would be able to
> in a band setting.
GBK wrote,
>>I'm sure that the 2nd and 3rd clarinetists in "The President's Own" will be happy to hear that ...GBK
>>
Living near Washington, D.C., I get to hear "The President's Own" often. That band has such "deep depth" (as a famous football coach once described his team) that anybody slacking off in any section would stick out like a pickle on a birthday cake--and any half-alert musician in the audience could identify the culprit in a nanosecond. With a band that good, it almost doesn't matter who's on first for a given piece of music. I have no idea whether "The President's Own" rotates soloists, but that system could work there, with no loss of performance quality.
In my old high school orchestra, with only four clarinet players...not such a good idea. The second chair clarinetist from my sophomore year on played better than I did and IMHO he deserved first chair--but his performance anxiety surfaced in seat jumps (mine didn't set in until the concert) and I had a year's seniority on him, so the director kept me in first, somewhat against my own wishes. Four-way rotation wouldn't have worked, because the third and fourth chair people didn't play well enough to master the solos. I liked the prestige of first chair, naturally, but I felt guilty about squatting in a job that should have gone to the better musician who was also more reliable on concert night.
I didn't play in the high school band except for the first couple of weeks of my freshman year, but I had the impression that the director did put good players in the principal second and principal third chairs. In the back rows of those sections in that large band, he inherited some people who could barely play their instruments. During the seat jumps during the first week of class, he asked each kid to play a scale from memory. The kids who'd had my grade school and junior high school band teacher knew their scales, but most of the kids from a certain other school couldn't even understand what the high school director *meant* when he told them in what key to play the scale. Rotating those seats in an egalitarian manner would have been a disaster!
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2008-08-04 11:54
please specify wether you are talking about professional groups or high school and maybe some college groups.
In a professional band setting no one can slack because they are expected to perform like a pro.
____________________
Ryder Naymik
San Antonio, Texas
"We pracice the way we want to perform, that way when we perform it's just like we practiced"
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-08-04 11:55
I preferred to be sat on the inside of the section (as near the middle of the band as possible) when playing solo clarinet as it meant I could see the conductor better (seeing them straight on rather than from the side), and as Morrigan said, you're nearer the oboe (which can be good or bad depending on the player, though I used to distance myself from one oboe player by having the other solo clarinet to my right!).
That kind of seating arrangement meant if there's a terraced stage setting (such as the altar area of a church), the 1st/solo players are seated on the raised area and all others fall in around the edge at ground level.
I just followed the examples set in orchestras where the principal woodwind players all sit together (relatively speaking) and the 2nds and others radiate outwards.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: marzi
Date: 2008-08-04 11:57
our clarinets are in one line, seconds on the outside, firsts in the middle in front of the conductor, thirds on the the other side, then bass cl, bassoon and maybe oboes if flutes fill up the first row. I think the thinking is the first clarinets will keep the rest of us on track this way,.
Flutes sit traditonal in front of us(but i guess theres' only first and second for them anyways). Trumpets rotate parts, but again the soloists are usually centered in front of the conductor also I think. Kinda like orchestra.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-08-04 12:14
The problem having all the clarinets in a line means the front line can get very cramped, so ideally the solo and 1st clarinets, oboes, solo and 1st flutes should occupy the front line, and the second line should be occupied by the 2nd, 3rd, alto and bass clarinets, 3rd and 2nd flutes. But it depends on numbers of players.
So in my mind a concert band should look something like this:
1st cl - 1st cl - solo cl - 2nd oboe - 1st oboe - solo fl - 1st fl - 1st fl
2nd cl - 2nd cl - 3rd cl - 3rd cl - alto - bass - bassoon - 3rd fl - 3rd fl - 2nd fl -2nd fl
1st alto - 1st alto - 2nd alto - 2nd alto - tenor - bari - horn - horn - horn - horn
tuba - tuba - euph - euph - tbn - tbn - tbn - tbn - tpt - tpt - tpt - tpt
percussion - - - percussion - - - percussion - - - percussion
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2008-08-04 21:16)
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2008-08-04 13:37
I would like to say that not being exposed to a variety of parts does hurt. when I was in H.S. I played the 1st part. In college, I played 1st part. When I started playing again, I was told I could take the part I felt most comfortable with, so I took 1st part.
Then 1 day I was asked to play 2nd and I found it very difficult. I now believe 2nd and 3rd parts are harder than 1st. Atleast they are for me because I never played them very much.
Well, on Saturday I had the opportunity to play in a quintet with my teacher and some people from The Metropolitan Wind Symphony. We passed out the parts making sure we got a different part each time. I didnt want to be a 1st hog so I was glad for that, but also apprehensive when I got a 2nd 3rd or even a 4th part.
I learned that I had shut myself off from those parts and now that I was forced to play I could do it. it built my confidence. Now I feel like I would like more exposure to those parts.
Being a strong player on 1st, I think it would be good to be a strong player on 3rd as well. (our wind sympphony already has a strong player on 2nd and another strong player on 1st).
So whoever said that playing one part all the time can hinder not help, was absolutely right.
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Author: MartyMagnini
Date: 2008-08-04 13:55
In my high school bands, we have done a slightly modified version of the "shuffle" described earlier. We assign "seatings" for each piece at a concert (and even for pieces we are just reading), where the players are shuffled around. Of course, I assign the parts - people are not shuffled at random. If we are playing Blue Shades, you can be sure my very best player will be sitting 1st chair. Some students are just not capable (range issues, etc.) of playing any 1st parts, so they might alternate between 2nd and 3rd. I always make sure a capable player is sitting principal 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, so the others have someone to model after and tune to. Not everyone is going to sit 1st chair - just those who are capable of leading the section.
The downside of this system: It takes some effort to assign the parts, and students can be unhappy everytime you post an assignment, wheras when they're give "a chair", they usually only complain for a few days at the beginning of the semester. Some of the better students can have the mentality of "I work harder, I deserve the top spot".
The upside of the system: Students become better listeners - as they move around in the section, their relationship to the entire band changes, and they get used to hearing things in a different way. It can make some students more confident, playing a little solo here or there. I think it makes the weaker players stronger, and prepares the stronger players for college, where they might not be playing 1st part. It fits in with my educational philosphy - the ensemble is the thing, we don't need a few "stars", we need everyone playing to their potential. It also doesn't punish a good player for a bad audition. And I can use it as a test to see which students can rise to the occasion and which students fold.
That being said, I don't use this system every year, or at every concert. Only the more mature students really get the concept, even though I explain it in great detail. Most students prefer the black/white concept - she is 7th chair, I am 6th. I am better than her. Period.
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Author: mrn
Date: 2008-08-04 14:48
MartyMagnini wrote:
> I always make sure a
> capable player is sitting principal 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, so the
> others have someone to model after and tune to.
I was first chair in my HS clarinet section for all 4 years. Although I always played "1st" or "Solo" parts, it was not unusual for the director to hand me some of the more difficult 2nd or 3rd parts to play to give the 2nds and 3rds someone to follow.
For example, we played a transcription of Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture, where the 2nds and 3rds had long strings of quickly-tongued triplets (a transcribed string part) while the Solo part rested. Since I was a fast tonguer and my sound carried well (sometimes too well, in fact :-) ), the director had me switch parts during the rest, play 3rd, and then come back in with my own part thereafter. For that piece, I literally played off three different parts (and needed that many stands, too).
Having a Principal 1st, Principal 2nd, etc. is a slightly easier and more versatile way to do the same sort of thing. (And if you imagine that the clarinet section in a band takes the place of the violins in an orchestra, it makes a lot of sense, since that's basically how orchestra violin sections work)
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Author: clarionman
Date: 2008-08-04 17:43
When I was in high school I played 1st/solo clarinet. One semester I was sitting on the edge of the row close to the audience on the left hand side of the conductor. The following semester the band director had us change place with the flutes so I was sitting on the edge of the row on the right hand side of the director. Another Semester I was sitting in the middle directly in front on the director with the 1st flute sitting next to me. He liked to try different seating arrangements to see what sounded the best. I did not like sitting in front of him. I am used to sitting on the edge of the left hand side.
In high school we challenge each other in other to move up a chair. But the strongest players were always on the top seats not spread around through the section. Now that I am out of high school and out of college I can see that the 2nd and 3rd parts are as equally important as the 1st part. Now I play in a community Symphonic Band and I don't mind playing 1st, 2nd or 3rd. But the music we play in the group is very challenging 90% of the music is orchestra music arrange for symphonic band.
Quote:
Chris P
The problem with a lot of community bands (in the UK) is that people are precious about players that have been in the band for x amount of years and are usually committee members or have 'connections' whereby they sit on 1st or solo by default, regardless of the fact they aren't by any means the best or strongest of players (and I don't mean strong in that they can play loud as anyone can play loudly).
It's off-putting to new members that are far more competent as players to be sat beneath these principal passangers whose shortcomings are obvious as they're not going to give up their seat, and their standard of playing will only keep the overall musical level of the section or band down rather than give the other players in the section or the entire band something to aspire to.
So players should be chosen on their musical ability and each chair should be able to carry their own weight rather than being passangers as the principal player needs the support of their section.
I completely agree with that Chris said. In the Symphonic band that I play the director does not seem to care who is better only who is been there the longest. The 1st/solo clarinet can't handle the position and some of the other persons in the section can't even play the third part. The last concert I play with them I was doubling 3rd clarinet and E-flat soprano. We were rehearsing Jupiter from the planets by Holst. All of the parts were equally challenging. I think that the arranger only change the name on the part from Violin to Clarinet and that was it. That arrangement had A LOT of notes for the clarinet. No place to slack off. The 1st/Solo clarinet player she started crying in the middle of the piece because she could not play all of the music. But she would not let anybody else play the part. She is the type of player that MUST play 1st chair or she does not play. I only have one word for her starts with B and rhymes with itchy. lol.
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Author: marzi
Date: 2008-08-04 19:06
No problems with getting crammed in a line,we get fewer and fewer(because no one will come in unless they can play the first part anymore apparently). Sometimes, frequently, I am ridiculously the only third. Fortunately I am used to playing out for orchestra.
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2008-08-04 20:51
Our clarinet's do not have any kind of mixed up seating, but our trumpets and occasionally trombones will do that based on the song. Often the trumpets sit 3rds - 1sts - 2nds, or something even more complicated when the piece calls for 3 cornets 2 trumpets. The trombones sometimes sit 3-1-2 as well. Starting in the front row to the conductors left, we sit:
1st, 2nd, 3rd clarinets
1st flutes, piccolo, 2nd altos, 1st altos, contra, bass cl, bassoons, eng. horn, oboes
2nd flutes, tuba, bari sax, tenor sax, horns (4th to 1st), euphoniums
Trumpets (when they are sitting normally, 3rd to 1st) on risers, Trombones (1st to 3rd) on risers.
Percussion
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2008-08-04 21:01
Marzi... hopefully, if you're the only third, that means there was only one each on first and second, though I fear that might not be true.
Should always have at least as many thirds as seconds, and at least as many seconds as firsts. In the case of 9 people, I prefer a 2/3/4 setup.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: GeorgeL ★2017
Date: 2008-08-05 01:57
I used to play in a community band with a euphonium player who had retired from the Marine Band. He told me when he was new to that band it was important for him to try to be principal. He quickly recognized the advantage of sitting elsewhere - the principal was expected to play every note correctly every time, at rehearsal and performance (he called it 'guaranteed notes'.) The bottom players were allowed to breathe now and then.
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Author: Nessie1
Date: 2008-08-05 08:49
I play solo clarinet in the band I'm in because it happens that the other clarinets are less experienced and advanced than I am. I think that this relates particularly to issues of top notes which are, of course, important in the band repertoire. However, I'll let you into a secret - I find it much easier to be playing a melody from a show or something, even if it is quite high up, than playing a busy accompaniment figure which the 2nds or 3rds might have which goes over the break e.g. bits of Caliph of Baghdad! Respect is due to them for that kind of thing. Besides which, I hope we all
agree that good music making is made up of all sorts of thing such as clear and accurate rhythm, unified dynamics throughout the parts and so on so the flashy fingers are not the only thing that matters.
Also, should someone with clearly greater experience come along and join us, such as a recent ex-service band member, I would be happy to move down.
From what some posters have said, it sounds to me as though some band conductors possibly need to review their choices of repertoire if they are finding that their usual first players can't cope with what they are putting in front of them though.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-08-05 10:34
In any band setting, it really should be up to the director/conductor who decides who should be doing what based on the ability of the players so they can get what they consider to be the best sound or balance.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2008-08-05 12:44)
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2008-08-05 12:41
Chris P said:
"The problem with a lot of community bands (in the UK) is that people are precious about players that have been in the band for x amount of years and are usually committee members or have 'connections' whereby they sit on 1st or solo by default, regardless of the fact they aren't by any means the best or strongest of players..."
Um, yes. I have pretty strong feelings about that, myself.
"It's off-putting to new members that are far more competant as players to be sat beneath these principal passangers whose shortcomings are obvious as they're not going to give up their seat, and their standard of playing will only keep the overall musical level of the section or band down rather than give the other players in the section or the entire band something to aspire to."
Of all the situations I've read about on this thread so far, I like the "mix-it-up" strategy. I think that would benefit the section in so many ways, not the least of which would challenge people to practice more.
Right now, I'm in a situation exactly like the one Chris described. If challenges or auditions were held, things would be VERY different. In a community band where the grandfathered-in principal is the section leader and calls the section "his/hers," I find it hard to respect this person as a leader. It's so darn hard to fight my ego, when it screams into my ear: "Did you HEAR that?!! You can do soooo much better! Your tone is WAY better! You could play circles around them." and so on...
Like another poster described, I've played first part, mostly first chair, throughout my entire clarinet experience--until now. It was a super-huge blow to my ego because I'd been raised in ensembles where the finest always sat first chair and always got the solos. It taught me to have a very competitive nature. It's taken a lot of prayer and personal reflection to accept being at the top of the third section. While, to our conductor, it may mean the equivalent of third chair, to me, I'm haunted by the memories of the majorettes in high school who were required to play in band and squawked their ways through concerts on the third part.
Really, in my middle age, I'm going through an attitude readjustment and it hasn't been easy. Reading the responses on this thread has been very helpful and I appreciate everyone's input. I think each post has brought out some good points. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
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Author: marzi
Date: 2008-08-05 14:56
EEbaum-
Ahahahaha, no. I am always outnumbered these past 3 years,3 firsts, 2 or 3 seconds (but not outmatched, the seconds aren't that loud). But then again, the sax section doubles some of what thirds do anyway.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2008-08-05 15:17
Very interesting thread. I'm inclined to agree that it's a good idea to have a strong player on each part. And also, though it has no prestige, the second part is often harder than the first. Quite often it's as technically demanding as the first, but with no obvious melody. Too often the 1st part can take over and leave the 2nds and 3rds straggling behind - and with no incentive or guidance as to how to improve.
The 'strong player in the 2nd part' concept, in general, allows the right kind of social mobility in a band. Where this is the mindset, a bandmaster can easily move a weaker member of the first part to become a stronger member of the second part, or vice-versa, without offending anyone! This is good for the wellbeing of both the band and the music.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2008-08-05 18:53
Outside of a professional setting, it is certainly desirable to have one of your top players in the lead of each of the three clarinet sections. But the reality for most groups is that you may have a limited number of players who can control pitch and timbre in their high range, and end up having to use them on first.
I play in an outstanding community group where the 2nd and 3rds are really on the ball, and most or all are capable of handling first as well. When the music gets complicated, my hat is mostly off to the thirds. This is mainly because while we have to have a lot of physical control on the 1st parts, the 3rd parts can be a technical nightmare of thoat keys and pinkie alternation. I moved from the third section up to second chair a few years ago, and thought I'd been given a coffee break. I still do, unless the principal is absent.
I play in two groups where I would say that the clarinets are all tight from top to bottom. One is a community group and the other is manned mostly by school band directors. In both cases, seating is largely informal and we don't have official sub-principals. Player quality is good enough that we don't need to. In every other concert band I've played in (including in college) we've had to set the players in a straight top-to-bottom order to make sure that we could handle our upper range extremes.
Allen Cole
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Author: D
Date: 2008-08-08 20:41
I've been in lot of bands and orchestras over the years and something that has universally put me off is the restriction to one part. The band I have stuck with longest and enjoy the most allows us to switch continually until right before a concert. This includes switching instruments. We have a lot of doublers so we just cover any parts we need for any piece with whoever has turned up that night. This week was a particular triumph as a clarinet and an oboe who had both only ever played those instruments both picked up alto saxes for a laugh. And they did really well and have agreed to do it again. It is looking like our autumn concert is going to be a forest of instruments on stands in the middle of the floor and we just pick different ones for different pieces. Our last concert there I ended up with flute, oboe and clarinet.
Certainly solves the boredom problem.....
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