The ALL known, ALL hated: CHOIR vs BAND

Which will YOU side with?

CHOIR!!	16.4%	[ 11 ]
BaNd!!!11!!!	55.2%	[ 37 ]
Shut the hell up already	16.4%	[ 11 ]
Cookiez	9.0%	[ 6 ]
Neither, I'm a drama freak ^.~	3.0%	[ 2 ]
Total Votes:			[ 67 ]

[Respectful Rhino]

... is this a serious topic? Of course most people in band will say that band's tougher. Most people in choir will say that choir's tougher. It really depends on where you are. Neither is harder than the other, it's about the amount of talent and work you put into it.

If you've got a super talented band and a super talented choir they're both going to be working pretty damn hard, but the two are on completely different playing fields. The only things that are really similar are how they breath and how they read music.

Choral musicians have to hold their part against others, holding down your middle finger won't make your voice sing a C. Choral musicians also have to focus more on vowels and purity of sound than instrumental musicians (this is not to say that instrumental musicians shouldn't think on vowels and blend). Choral musicians usually perform memorized compared to concert bands who usually perform with music. Choral musicians also have to learn the correct pronunciation of different languages.

Instrumental musicians have to memorize fingerings and worry day in and day out about their embouchure. I could go on but I'm leaving in a few.

Both categories are hard if you put the work in to be good. :/

[The Simple C]

@Respectful Rhino:

"Holding down your middle finger won't make your voice sing a C" - Half the time, the right fingerings on instruments won't let out the right notes, if the embouchure and tuning is absolute crap. This is especially true for brass instruments - Trumpets, Trombones, Baritones, Tubas, etc.

People who aren't in band say that instrumentalists don't have to worry about the purity of sound, but we do; the method for sound purity is just different from choir. And, for the record, most marching bands memorize their music. Sheet music is a language all of its own, and to make sure each note on the page comes out 100% clearly, articulation and all, is no easy task.

[Respectful Rhino]

The Simple C

@Respectful Rhino:

"Holding down your middle finger won't make your voice sing a C" - Half the time, the right fingerings on instruments won't let out the right notes, if the embouchure and tuning is absolute crap. This is especially true for brass instruments - Trumpets, Trombones, Baritones, Tubas, etc.

People who aren't in band say that instrumentalists don't have to worry about the purity of sound, but we do; the method for sound purity is just different from choir. And, for the record, most marching bands memorize their music. Sheet music is a language all of its own, and to make sure each note on the page comes out 100% clearly, articulation and all, is no easy task.

I commented on the embouchure in the instrumental part of my post. Though, if you have the right fingering and support you'll usually be generally close. And I'd personally say that it might be a bit tougher for double reeds than for brass. And I said that people who are in band do have to worry about purity of sound, ie. vowel production and blend. Also, just throwing this on out there, there's a reason I put that concert bands instead of marching bands. :/ I know that marching bands usually memorize music.

Also, I was in band for eight years playing a variety of different instruments, and I've been in choir for half that time. I'd say, in my case, choir was more challenging. Because our choir sang a tougher level of literature and I had to put more time in to it for us to be good. Our band program was not as strong at all, therefore I did less work and did it without much effort.

Once again, this is only in my case, it is definitely different for everyone depending on your school.

I still say that it's a stupid argument, no general chorus is better than any general band and vice versa. All parts of music a good depending on how much work you put in them.

[Luanyya]

band is harder :/

[Natsuhiboshi Naze Akai]

Dang, that is hard to choose! I've been in both band and choir since 5th grade, so I'm equal kind of. So, prepare for some rambling!

Hmm, but, Band in my opinion is more fun, since there are quite a number of people in our choirs who are only there for an easy A, not because they actually care or have fun in the class. *cough* half of womens choir *cough* They only joined in the last few years for this year when we went to Disney. Everyone in band cares and tries. That is my school though, so I know there is going to be someone who will disagree! : D

In both band and choir you have to worry about the tone and purity of the sound, blending with other members of your section/part. You have to make sure you are playing/singing in the right style for that piece, remember dynamics and articulation for both groups. For band, if you can't hit a note, you can just do some extra practice and be able to hit it as long as it is in the instruments range, but in choir if a note is too low, it is always going to be too low. Both groups you change the music a little from the ways it's written

To me, it seems like neither one it more harder than the other, but both have their different challenges. I can't pick, but if my school decided that we would only be allowed to be in only band or only choir, I would choose band because I know how to play so many instruments and I love to play them all! But I love to sing too!

[Rainbows Reign]

@toco clarinet & The Simple C:

I apologize for being so rude and childish about band. I forgot about how hard band can be, having some friends who take it themselves. And yes, I feel your pain about cramps and aching muscles. Woken up about 10 too many times unable to walk from activities from the previous day. What gets me kinda pissed is the fact that people can be so biased (like I was). I have heard some variation on tone quality with the same instruments, but not much. But if you ask me, both band AND choir work their asses off and they both deserve credit.

This doesn't sway my opinion that choir is best, though XD

[Elanchana]

I'm totally biased because even though I like singing a lot more than playing my school band directors have ALWAYS been better than my school choir directors. I remember that at my old school the band director was like a second mother to me and took me on a trip to Lincoln Center while my choir director was a retired diva with no idea how to actually teach.