 The Doublers BBoard
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Author: lowreedguy
Date: 2010-10-14 15:20
I don't mean to beat the WSS horse, but I was just contacted by our local contracter about playing for the tour of WSS in Feb. His main concern are my flute/picc chops--which as a bassoon/sax/clarinet person are admittedly not as strong. It looks as though the bassoon book is gone for the tour!! Not happy!! But he did ask me about the reed 4--flute, picc, sop sax, bass cl, cl, bass sax.
Does anyone have prior experience with this book? I know the usual panic is about the reed 3 stuff, but I thought I would ask around.
Thanks!
Orin
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2010-10-15 03:40
I've only played Reed 1, but in the song "I Feel Pretty," there's a nice flute trio that Reed 4 is probably a part of, where you're playing a ton of straight 8ths for each phrase without stopping. If they take it on the faster side, you may have to end up double tonguing.
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Author: oboeidaho
Date: 2010-10-15 18:43
We are doing it now, I'm playing book 3 but my good friend is playing book 4. She is somewhat annoyed because it appears that book 2 has most of the "lead" stuff (we haven't actually had a rehearsal yet - next Sat is the first one - but we have compared books). It really does not appear that a great deal of thought was put into the dividing up of parts (unless it was just so people got big doubling fees) - book one has bass clarinet when book 4 has flute; our flute player does not want to rent a bc, so they are switching parts for those numbers (maybe you could do that?)
If there are any specific questions you have, I could find out for you - or give you the email for my friend playing the book if you are interested (off line).
jill
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Author: Merlin_Williams
Date: 2010-10-16 00:21
I played the reed 4 book last year for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival production, so I can certainly answer any questions regarding that book.
I will say that you should be a confident flute and picc player. Reed 4 has the flute solos when Reed 1 is playing alto. Many of them are exposed solo entries. There's a fast switch from bass sax to picc and back during the Dance at the Gym. I played my bass on a harness. There's also the America flute/picc stuff. Reed 4 plays the line on flute, then later on picc - doubled by both of the other piccs.
The soprano sax lines aren't hard. The clarinet part in the Rumble is tricky, but not overly difficult.
Make
Jupiter Canada Artist/Clinician
Stratford Shakespeare Festival musician
Woodwind Doubling Channel Creator on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/WoodwindDoubling
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Author: lowreedguy
Date: 2010-10-17 15:20
Thanks for all the great responses!
Jill, I don't think the switching will be an option, but it's a good solution to your situation.
Merlin, I appreciate your candor about the confident flute playing. Finding a bass down here in So. Fla. is quite a challenge as well. Experience is more valuable than anything is this business!
Orin
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Author: Merlin_Williams
Date: 2010-10-17 22:28
If you don't have actual playing experience on bass sax,'give yourself some time to get used to it. Most older basses don't have bis keys, and the intonation takes some getting used to.
Jupiter Canada Artist/Clinician
Stratford Shakespeare Festival musician
Woodwind Doubling Channel Creator on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/WoodwindDoubling
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2010-10-19 20:54
Bass sax is a real problem for most, unless you have a friend who owns one.
Also, bear in mind that there are, or have been, at least three different arrangements of this show, each with different horn assignments.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: nosqueaks
Date: 2010-10-24 01:37
I agree with Merlin- Although some of the flute and piccolo parts are doubled, there is at least one instance where you are flute 1- the parts on America are written up to High C on the flute AND piccolo.
The soprano sax is the least to worry about. There is a good deal of Bass Clarinet to play and a surprising amount of Bass Sax. I would definitely get a hold of one ASAP and deal with getting a mouthpiece and reed and the bass in good working order- the parts are notey sometimes. A bass sax stand is a must!
It is one of the more challenging books in the Broadway show category.
At least for me, anyway. I borrowed a Bass Sax when I did the show and later acquired my own- I'm still gigging on it-Have fun!
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Author: oboeidaho
Date: 2010-10-25 23:18
We just had our sitzprobe and the book 4 does appear to be 1st flute. Since we are just doing this for fun (benefit) we are swapping parts around so we get the best sound for the least practice - our book 4 player is a fantastic clarinet/sax, and the book one player is an excellent flutist. Being the stay at home mom, I made copies of all their parts today so we can swap every time book 4 has lead flute. This obviously doesn't work in most situations, but given the time we have available, I think it will be great. Both players are competent on all those instruments, but no one is equally great on all their doubles (although some people come close!).
I agree that book 4 doesn't have much else besides flute/picc that is exposed (except a few bass sax places - mostly doubled w/bari)
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