 The Doublers BBoard
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Author: frostslash
Date: 2008-07-12 00:04
Most of my time spent with musicals has been on the stage rather than in the pit. To my surprise, when I went to audition for this year's community theater production, they asked me to play clarinet! So this is my first pit experience. Any advice for a newcomer? The show is Annie Get Your Gun.
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Author: Band Geekette
Date: 2008-07-12 02:15
Welcome to Pit Orchestra! I have now played in Pit three times and it is one of my MOST favorite things to do! The shows we have done are Aida, Beauty and the Beast and Oklahoma, by the way.
I would tell you to get chops! One thing that really kills me was how much playing there is. I've started practicing intensly starting a couple of months before the next show so that my face will be ready for the long periods of hard playing. Personal story from my first pit experience - I got braces the first day practices started! :( Don't do that - it kinda hurts....
Another thing: Figure out where you have "solos" or are heard and practice all those parts first. Sometimes you can get away with not playing for a little while if there is another instrument playing the same part, but it is very important for you to get everything under your fingers that people will actually hear.
Next: get a pillow, a water bottle and a pencil. I am not even kidding! For me, sitting for so long kills my butt every time so I just started bringing a pillow to sit on. Even at the performances! (The trend caught on and now we all use pillows, hehehe.) Sitting in the Pit can get hot too, so always have a large supply of water with you. (Sometimes I even cheat and bring snacks with me, but don't tell :S hehehe) It's also good to have a pencil (or a few) especially during rehearsal with the actors. A lot of the times - for choreography or other reasons - the music gets changed around/edited/modified/etc. and it's important to be on top of what you are supposed to play when. Writing in key words and other cues from the singers/actors helps a lot too, especially after long rests or very repetitive parts.
Finally: Don't ever forget how important each part of the show is! Without the MuSiC, the musical would only be a play and without the CaSt it would only be a concert!
Okay, really the last thing now:
I personally love how musicals bring everybody together. It's like we are one huge family! I believe there is WAY MORE of a mental/physical/spiritual growth than you'll find on any sports team because we are all working so hard together and depending so much on eachother. Also, one of my favorite things to do is go help with the actors' costumes, makeup, and hairdos for dress rehearsal and performances!
-Sarah-
ps. By the very end of the last performance, you are calling the Pit things like the Firey Pit, Pit of Doom, Arm-Pit etc. but once it's over, you will miss it!
-Sarah- ![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif)
~ just keep playing~
Every person is a unique instrument and we all add our own beauty to the symphony of the world....*
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Author: rcnelson
Date: 2008-07-14 13:49
I'm opening the 20th musical I have played over the years next week, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. I would repeat most everything Sarah has stated, in particular, get your chops in shape. I'm assuming you are NOT doubling sax, flute or double reeds which presents itself it's own challenges (I have 6 instruments to deal with in MILLIE). But even without the mulitple instrument factor, pit work is challenging.
Be sure to follow the conductor closer than you ever would in a concert setting. Every rehearsal/performance will be slightly different in terms of tempos, length of scene changes, etc. The only way to do that is be with every little nuance of the conductor's beat. That said, I'm assuming the conductor is very good and can react to every variance. If not, then you and the rest of the orchestra needs to listen to what is going on on stage.
Good luck and welcome to the world of pit work, one of my favorite things to do.
Ron
Ron
Selmer Mark VI tenor (1957), Selmer Mark VII alto (1975)
Buescher True Tone soprano (1924), Selmer CL210 Bb Clarinet, Gemeinhardt 3SHB Flute, Pearl PFP105 Piccolo
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2008-08-23 02:06
The first thing I do when I get a pit gig is to ask for the music! I try to get it as soon as possible so I can start practicing. In my first practice session, I go through the entire book and take note of all the stuff that looks difficult technically that I know I'm going to have to woodshed.
Then each day after that I practice just those sections, gradually working up the tempos. Most of the time, unless you've heard the music, it's impossible to tell how fast some of the tempos are going to be, so I always push myself to play the hard parts as fast and as accurately as possible by the first rehearsal.
Once I get into this routine, I'll start to get familiar with the rest of the book, and get to where I am playing through the entire show each day (discounting the whole and dotted half notes, of course). This is extremely valuable, as by the time of the first rehearsal, you'll be entirely comfortable with your part. I love that feeling--you can tell the others in the group who didn't practice that much!
One fairly immutable rule is that the first orchestra rehearsal will be terrible. You'll go to the first rehearsal all excited, and come home depressed. Don't worry--it will get better and better each time. And Geekette is correct--have a pencil (with an eraser) with you at all times!
Also, during rehearsals with the cast, things can get dicey and tempers can get short. Everyone will have an opinion about how to do something; don't make the mistake of yelling out what you think should happen. It's the conductor's job to figure those things out. The only time you should volunteer something is when you know without a doubt that you're right and that what you have to say will be helpful. But don't do it while everybody else is trying to do the same thing. Wait for silence.
Can't comment on Annie Get Your Gun. I played it once 24 years ago, and played just first flute and picc. I don't recall it being especially difficult. And I liked the music.
Post Edited (2008-08-23 02:25)
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Author: Curinfinwe
Date: 2008-10-27 16:13
A bit off topic, but has anyone heard of the musical Once Upon a Mattress? It's not what it sounds like; it's a retelling of the princess and the pea. My school decided to do an easier musical this year- (two years ago, they did West Side Story, but I wasn't at the school yet.)
The drama teacher said that there a lot of parts for upper winds, but does anyone know anything about the clarinet, or saxophone part? We'll be getting music in the next couple of weeks.
This will be my first pit experience, so I'm kind of nervous as well as excited.
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Author: mikeW
Date: 2008-10-27 16:51
'Matress' has no sax parts. The ww instrumentation is flute/picc, oboe, clarinet and bass clarinet. I've played all but the oboe -- personally, I like the bass clarinet part. I think the odd instrumentation is tied into the show's origins: it was written at a summer camp using what instruments were present.
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Author: DougR
Date: 2008-11-02 02:03
Briefly, Once Upon a Mattress ran on Broadway in 1959; it starred Carol Burnett as the princess. There was a version a few years ago on Broadway that starred Sarah Jessica Parker; it was pretty good (I saw it). That version had only 3 woodwind books, but of course the program never breaks that stuff down as to which book handles what winds.
Have fun, Frostslash! report back on how it goes.
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Author: FrankM
Date: 2008-11-07 12:33
I played the bass clarinet book from Mattress a couple years ago. I thought it was weird....very high bass clarinet parts. I hope your bass is in top shape.
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Author: Curinfinwe
Date: 2008-11-07 18:59
Hmmm... I don't play bass, so I hope our schools basses are in top shape! How high does it go?
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2008-11-08 01:43
E or F above the staff (i.e., in the leger lines). What we did for that one number was to play the bass part on the soprano by reading the part at pitch but an octave lower (on the one high part, the "Spanish Panic". It came out a lot smoother and the tone color didn't really matter.
The soprano clarinet part is actually written an octave lower than the bass in "Spanish Panic". Weird to the extreme.
The woman who wrote the show (according to my at the time ancient piano player, who tutored her in music theory) did not have a firm grasp on orchestration at the time. He added that she wrote the show as part of her college course work. That would account for a lot.
I played two productions of this in less than one calendar year. Not one of my favorite shows. In fact, I'd rather do Carousel again than play Once Upon A Mattress.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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