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 Concert band seating plan
Author: hard_reed 
Date:   2004-12-27 18:25

Hello, all. Would anyone be able to post a generally accepted concert band seating plan showing which instruments should be placed where?

I am thinking that instruments which play similar lines and parts (i.e, alto sax and French horn) should be grouped close to each other, but I have been unable to find a seating plan which recognized bands use. Thanks,

hardreed

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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: EEBaum 
Date:   2004-12-27 18:49

What we use (approx):

L-R, Back-Front (looking from the audience):

Timp, Snare, Bass, Mallets. Other equipment intermingled as necessary.
Tuba, Bass Tbn, Tbn 2-1, Tpt etc. 1-6
Euph, Hn 4-1, Bari, Tenor, Alto, Sopr
Cl 2, Cl 3, Eb, Alto, Bass, Contra, Cbsn, Bsn 2, Bsn 1
Cl 1, Picc, Fl 2, Fl 1, Ob1, Ob 2, EH

When necessary, piano far left, string bass far right.
(note that placing the piano far left is murder on the Cl 2's sense of intonation, a fact I've been trying to cope with)

-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com

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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: sfalexi 
Date:   2004-12-27 18:58

BTW,

I wouldn't think it'd be TOO good to have similar lines sitting all together since they wouldn't be able to hear counter-melody and harmony as well if everyone around them is playing the exact same thing as each other.

In general it always seems to me to be percussion in the back, and basically as the pitch goes up, the closer to the audience you get, with the brass behind the woodwinds.

In the one band that I hope to join back up with soon it's roughly the same as Alex's, with slight differences. We reversed the order of the last row, reversed the order of the saxes in the second to last row, and (probably because we have no bassoons or oboes), we have the first row exclusivel Cl 1, piccolo, Fl 1. The second row containst everything there listed (minus Eb which we don't have again) and the Fl 2 on the rightmost edge.

you'll find they ALL usually have the percussion, low brass, high brass, low woodwind, high woodwind format going from back to front.

Alexi

US Army Japan Band

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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: Camanda 
Date:   2004-12-27 19:37

Our Advanced Band. Balance is stellar here; the band is relatively small.

L-R 4th row: keyboard, any "other" percussion, bells/chimes, tenor, snare, bass, timpani (total 3 percussionists, 1 keyboard player on bassoon parts)
L-R 3rd row: 3rd clarinet (3), 2nd trumpet (2), 1st trumpet (2), 3rd trumpet (5), trombone (1), tuba (2)
L-R 2nd row: 2nd clarinet (2), tenor sax (3), 2nd alto sax (2), 1st alto sax (1), French horn (1), 2nd flute (5)
L-R 1st row: 1st clarinet (2), bari sax (1), bass clarinet (1), 1st flute (3)

The balance is not as good in the concert band, and it is bigger than the other band. The flute section is absolutely massive, and it is the only section other than tenor sax where we do not use people from Advanced Band.

L-R 4th row: any "other" percussion, bells/chimes, tenor, snare, bass, timpani (total 7+ percussionists)
L-R 3rd row: 2nd alto sax (3), 1st alto sax (3), tuba (1), 3rd trombone (1), 2nd trombone (1), 1st trombone (1), 3rd trumpet (3), 2nd trumpet (2), 1st trumpet (3)
L-R 2nd row: 2nd clarinet (3), 3rd clarinet (5), tenor sax (1), bari sax (2), rest of 2nd flute (7)
L-R 1st row: 1st clarinet (4), bass clarinet (2), 2nd flute (2), 1st flute (5)

Amanda Cournoyer
URI Clarinet Ensemble, Bass Clarinet

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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: EEBaum 
Date:   2004-12-27 19:43

More 1st clarinets than 2nds? Odd.

-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com

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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: Buster Brown 
Date:   2004-12-27 21:57

The only recommendation I'd have to any of these seating arrangements is to have the piccolo sit outside the bandroom for all pieces except Stars and Stripes. Picollos hurt my ears and tend to play verrrrrrrry sharp.

Thank you, but I needed to get that off my chest.

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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: OpusII 
Date:   2004-12-27 22:22

Our concertband:

L-R 5th row: percussion, bells/chimes, tenor, snare, bass, timpani, vibraphone, marimba etc etc (total 8 percussionists, 6 play all the instruments)

L-R 4th row: 1st trumpet (2), 2nd trumpet (3), 3rd trumpet (3), 1st trombone (1), 2nd trombone (1), 3rd trombone (1), 1st Eb Bas (1), 1st Bes-bas (1), 2nd tuba (1), 1st tuba (2), 1st Bariton sax (1), 1st tenor sax (3)

L-R 3rd row: 3rd clarinet (11), 3rd French horn (1), 2nd French horn (1), 1st French horn (1), 2nd alto sax (3), 1st alto sax (2)

L-R 2nd row: 2nd clarinet (8), 1st Bas clarinet (2), 2nd Bassoon (2), 1st bassoon (2), 2nd oboe (1), 1st oboe/English horn (1)

L-R 1st row: 1st clarinet (4), 1st clarinet/Eb clarinet (1), 2nd flute (1), 1st flute (1), 1st flute/picolo (1)



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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: Camanda 
Date:   2004-12-27 22:52

EEBaum wrote:

> More 1st clarinets than 2nds? Odd.

Yes, it is. I have no idea how that's supposed to work.

Amanda Cournoyer
URI Clarinet Ensemble, Bass Clarinet

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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: Contra 
Date:   2004-12-27 23:04

Ours is, from the director's point of view to the wall, right to left

1. Flutes
2. 1st Saxophone, french horn, contra-alto clarinet, bass clarinet, 2nd clarinet, 1st clarinet
3. 2nd saxophone, tenor sax, bari sax, 1st, 2nd trumpet
4. Euphonium, tuba, trombone
5. Percussion

That's it off the top of my head. It might change a little since our band splits in two in January.

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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: marcia 
Date:   2004-12-27 23:51

Re-piccolos. I sit very close to one and I have no problem with the volume because I wear earplugs!! and so should everyone who is in close proximity. My friend, who plays said picc. has been told by his teacher (principal flute of the Opera Orchestra) to "let it rip!!" as that is what picc. is for. And when played by an accomplished player it need not be sharp. Who has the best hearing of all the orchestra members?? The picc player BECAUSE of wearing earplugs.

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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: Jim E. 
Date:   2004-12-28 04:37

Every director seems to have his/ her own idea of this. Just keep me away from loud noises (trumpets) bone slides, and the perc section where things seem to fly through the air!

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 Re: Concert band seating plan
Author: Sarah 
Date:   2004-12-28 12:41

My college band goes like this:
L to R from conductors point of view starting in the back

piano, percussion

trumpet 3, trumpet 2, trumpet 1, trombone 1, trombone 2, trombone 3, euphonium, tuba

horn 4, horn 3, horn 2, horn 1, alto 1, alto 2, tenor, bari, clarinet 3

flute 2, oboe 2/english horn, oboe 1, bassoon 1, bassoon 2, bass clarinet, clarinet 2

flute 1, piccolo, clarinet 1

The band has around 75 people (I'm just guessing here). Instrumentation changes every year, but in general we have way too many trumpets, and very few trombones.

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