The Doublers BBoard

The Doublers BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Re: Pit Band Horror Stories

Author: Jaysne
Date: 2007-02-05 17:21

I just remembered a real mind-bender. Near the end of this particular production of Peter Pan, there was a slow clarinet solo accompanied by piano. The piano player couldn't play in the more difficult keys, so he had gotten an electric piano that had a transposition switch on it. So, for example, he could read a piece in Db while playing it in D and have it come out sounding like Db.

So one night I'm playing the solo and it sounds all wrong. I double- and triple-check my key signature. I check my horn to make sure all the keys are working. After the show was over the trumpet player (who was seated next to the piano) explained to me that sometimes the piano changes keys by itself! The pianist was in his own world and there was no way to get his attention, much less explain to him the problem. So the trumpet player told me that each night during that section he would check the keyboard readout to see what key it was in, and then he would signal to me from across the pit and mouth the name of key signature. At that point I would have to sight transpose my part immediately.

Sometimes I got it, sometimes I didn't. The things we have to put up with.

Post Edited (2016-04-25 19:26)

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics

Author

Date

Pit Band Horror Stories new

Gandalfe

2006-12-06 21:23