High School Pit Orchestra

edevlin96 · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 9:32 am Post subject: High School Pit Orchestra

So I'm first chair/principal/lead trumpet in every ensemble I'm in, and this is my second year as lead in pit, but at my school the talent pool is not all that large so honestly I'm not that good, I only am on paper because of the slim pickings. Last year was certainly a success, but this year's a little heavier on the sustained higher stuff, so I was looking for some advice on practicing intonation and getting volume on B-D sustained notes, and on flutter tonguing. As far as fluttering goes, I can barely get my tongue to flutter without the instrument on my face, so how can I train myself to actually put it into practice? Keys are really not an issue for me, I've gotten very good at reading in keys and I always mark notes that I'm likely to miss. Also, we have two weekends of shows this year, and usually I'm totally dead for a few days after show weekend, so what can I do to conserve chops/be more efficient and not be gone for that week in between...there are not as many tacets or rests in general for this show as I'm used to, so I can tell it's going to be more intensive for sure. Last, there's an insane amount of trills for a trumpet part, so any tips on how to make those sound not horribly ugly would be welcomed.

Ed Kennedy · Heavyweight Member Joined: 15 Jan 2005 Posts: 3187

What show are you doing?

lipshurt · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:39 am Post subject:

I like your style of writing! you sound pretty cool

Flutter tongue can also be done in the back of your throat, and LOTS of players actually do it that way. Its just as good a way to do it. I bet that will work for you.

As for the endurance, make sure you practice playing in that register SOFTLY was well as loudly. The soft practice will give a feel for playing the notes more efficiently and easily. The loud practice gives you more strength but you have GOT to do both. In lots of shows you can actually lay out a fair amount stuff and the show is just as good. When they do the shows with a cut down pit they might not even have any trumpet parts. SO customize it to what you can do, but pick the right spots to lay out. The director can help you with that too of course...
you'll be fine
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edevlin96 · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:03 pm Post subject:

edevlin96 · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:08 pm Post subject:

trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4810

If you've seen the movie, then you've seen that show. The only addition is "Jitterbug" which from what I understand, was in the movie but was cut.

If I remember correctly about range, 1st has some Ds, 2nd maybe some Bbs.
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edevlin96 · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:40 pm Post subject:

patdublc · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 5:12 pm Post subject:

For me, Beauty and the Beast was way more of a blow than the RSC Wizard of Oz. That is because there were a few more soaring type lines to play. For Oz, a real key thing is to play the articulations cleanly. Some of the phrases are repeated over and over.
As Tim mentioned, Jitterbug is not in the movie. It's a big dance scene and pretty long so the horn is on your face a lot.
Opinions differ, but when I'm playing a tough show, I like to focus heavily on keeping my face as relaxed as possible, i.e. focusing on air support and not over playing. And, between shows, I like to do a simple set of basics like Schlossberg VERY softly and a lot of double pedals softly. That may not be best for everyone, but really helps me.
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Big Dave88 · Veteran Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 479

Assuming you have no teacher, this is my best effort.

cheiden · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 2:59 pm Post subject:

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furcifer · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 6:49 pm Post subject: OWN IT BROTHER!

Just to back up the others here:

In case RULE ONE isn't clear, let's get this straight. You're NUMBER ONE because you are the RIGHT GUY FOR THE JOB. Own it and LEAD. If you turn around and LEAD that section, they will follow and get BETTER. There's a difference between "1st chair" and "LEAD Trumpet", LOL! Something in you decided to not play drums or saxophone, so wrap your chops around everything that comes with the territory!

I've seen really good players who can't lead a section or a band to save their lives. Great on the audition or in the practice room, but the final performance has no edge on it. Fortunately, they can only take up one chair at a time. The old joke applies, "How many trumpet players does it take to change a lightbulb?" Answer: Only one, but 9 others will say, "OH, well I can do THAT...".

Flutter tongue is an effect. Lots of guys can't do it; lots more never need it. You can flutter the tongue, or substitute a growl, as mentioned, but they don't sound the same. The flutter-tongue can be done much louder than the growl, but it's just an effect, so it's not like symphony-snobs are going to tell you that you're doing it wrong, LOL!

This always cracks me up: Here's an exercise to learn to roll your spanish "r's" and get the flutter-tongue going: http://youtu.be/7oN7X9z6Cc4

There is another similar distortion effect where you actually vocally hum as you play the note(s), which I find most appealing, although I have the most trouble with the coordination required to pull it off. Really cool to dirty-up your jazz licks.
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edevlin96 · Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2015 2:33 pm Post subject: Re: OWN IT BROTHER!

MaestroTrpt · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 8:13 am Post subject:

Hi edevlin-
From what I remember when I played the show, the first trpt of "WOZ" doubles the second in certain sections AND they are printed in the same book. Also, this show rarely has long scenes: the music is almost constant. There are also a lot of cues that coincide with stage business (i.e.- Glinda will wave her staff or something, and the orchestra answers musically). Pay close attention (but you probably already do

).

"The Jitterbug" was really the only tune that really stretched me to my limits (range and endurance). However, it's jazzy, fun, loud, and you get to rip some cool licks.

"WOZ" (as most of us know) is a LOOONG show, though. I would defer to the others on this thread as far as practicing methods. Personally, I try to practice (at home) the length of time that I'll actually have the trumpet to my face in the rehearsal.
During the week between show weekends, even though your lip might be dead, still practice (albeit lightly). You don't want to lose your endurance by having the horn off your face for too long b/w shows.
All the best, and have fun with it!

edevlin96 · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 5:35 pm Post subject:

razeontherock · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 7:19 pm Post subject:

How to get through it? Be practicing a lot, but always put the horn down while your chops still feel good. Over-doing it only sets you back.

If your school playing has you playing loud, no need to practice loud. Work on your very best sound, and bring down the dynamic level without losing any tone. With that, work on being super precise and clean. Amazing how much more difficult even super easy exercises become when you have all those goals going on inside your head. This show doesn't really require anything beyond having your fundamentals together as well as I'm describing, and these are great ways to work towards that.

Another good thing to work with is the idea of practicing one "heavy day," with the next day being a "light day." Build up, don't tear down. All ideas here from the late great Dr Donald S Rhinehardt

zaferis · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2015 7:34 pm Post subject:

Lots of good stuff here.. shows can be quite challenging musically and physically, prepare for both. Keep your ears open and don't be afraid to make good musical decisions-if a part is written high, but in your production is too exposed or overpowering what's happening on stage then drop the octave, mute, or find another solution. Like the actors/singers/dancers will adjust the show to their skills, do the same in the pit.

One summer I played West Side Story with w different troops, one pit was 18 musicians in a deep pit under the stage and the other was 6 musicians at the same level as the front row of the audience. I played the book in very different ways.

NOTE: "Flutter Tonging" IS done with the tip the tongue, "Growling" involves vocalization and or the epiglottis, vocalization alone might get you a multi-phonic sound (more common with trombonists - getting 2 or more pitches happening at the same time). There is a difference in the effect, they are somewhat similar in sound, so you may get away with using one in place of the other. But they ARE different.
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trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4810

If you are concerned with your endurance, the best bit of advice I can give is to never play too loud.

Trumpet, especially 1st Trumpet, by the simple nature of the beast, will always be heard. And if it's not, that's more than likely because other sections are playing way too loud. If that's the case, it's up to the MD to remedy, not you.

Because you're in a pit for a musical, everything you do is subservient to what's happening on stage. When I started playing musicals (1972 - "How to Succeed..."), I had excellent instruction from the MD, who told me "Never play at a volume where you can't hear everything that's happening on stage."

I have followed that advice for over 170 musicals/revues/operas/etc., and singers always like it when I'm in their pit. Cruise ship cast members would be the exception to that, but then again - those people are on an entirely different level (much lower) than any truly professional or high-quality amateur production would have.

But I digress...

Even on sections where it's marked F or FF, always play smart. Those dynamic markings mean to simply bring that part out, not to plaster it up to a press box.
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acritzer · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 4:37 pm Post subject:

edevlin96 · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 4:54 pm Post subject:

This is all great advice, I really appreciate it! Playing lead last year on BATB is definitely helping me. I have yet to have issues with keys, and I've been good already about interpreting the dynamics relatively rather than at face value...I've only had to be told to back off once in 3 weeks of rehearsal, and had to bring my part out in the solo line in the opening and in one other song.

Our pit is a little big this year which is definitely going to be a concern, but having experienced playing in the pit twice is already helping me to know when to adapt, even if it takes me a bit to figure out exactly how. We've started working with some of the younger cast members who need to become accustomed to singing with a live orchestra, and with the mics it's looking like our only real issue will be with the younger kids playing the munchkins, but that's not likely to be an issue of playing too loud for them.