 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2010-05-19 13:24
Every year our community of Hazel Dell has a "parade of bands" where there are many High School and Middle School bands marching. This year I noticed that the bands who used what I consider a traditional set up with high woodwinds in front and low brass in the back sound better. One band had all their brass in front, then the drum line, then flutes and clarinets in the back. As they went by the band's sound just faded to the usual whimpy sounds of high woodwinds playing by themselves outdoors.
I admit I used to experiment with different set ups as a band director, but the proof was in how they sounded. It seemed to me that the woodwinds made a better contribution and were supported by the more powerful brass behind them. If what you really want is a brass band, just give the flutes and clarinets tambourines or flags and leave it at that.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-05-19 17:18
Probably comes more from the ignorance of the director, or his ewanting a specific "sound" than it does for a disregard or rudeness for woodwind players, IMO.
let's face it, if they were great musicians, they wouldn't (most likely) be directing a marching band! ![[rotate]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley25.gif)
Jeff
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Author: pplateau
Date: 2010-05-19 17:27
You might check out how the british bands, (Royal Marines etc) use clarinets in back to great advantage in my opinion; they certainly don't sound wimpy!!! Au contraire, they make great music.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-05-19 19:16
Standard Army set up: Tubas in the back; Trumpets next; drums; saxes & horns; clarinets; and in the front......Trombones (as in "76 Trombones Led the Big Parade").
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2010-05-19 19:36
The marching bands in our area put woodwinds in the back as well. I was playing piccolo, and was the last person in front of the majorettes (batons). In a lot of our field formations, I was in the back as well, but was a bit underestimated! In one video we were listening to, the rest of the band noticed how well they could hear the only piccolo playing in the back corner of the band, behind the entire percussion section! Fun times
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2010-05-20 07:07
> I was playing piccolo
No offence, but you can usually put the piccolo in the next town and be OK...
:D
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-05-20 10:31
Bit of a problem if you have more than one piccolo - what do you do with four of them that have their own ideas on tuning/intonation?
BTW (seeing your ISP says Southampton which is down the road a bit) - Pompey Guildhall square, July 3rd from 9am onwards for the Royal Naval Volunteer Band Festival - give your support to the HMS Nelson Corps of Drums! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_7gDnwH0YY
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2010-05-20 10:37)
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Author: danb1937
Date: 2010-05-20 11:15
Over 30 years ago, I took a class taught by Bill Moffitt ("Patterns in Motion"), who said that you never use two piccolos, but with three (or more), the differences in intonation seem to "fill in the holes" between the pitches produced.
Strange? Yes, but teaching the players how to play in tune is a far better fix.
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