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 Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:01 pm
It's nothing personal...
Okay, I may be breaking down about it since it's the first time we've played it, but there are issues.
I'm a freshman and I'm the kind that can't necessarily march and play at the same time. Don't say "Drop out and just look good." No. I like band and I want to play. I stayed for a reason
I looked the show up on jwpepper.com. It's leveled Easy, and even the seniors can't play it, and we are one of the best bands around
I can memorize things easily if I hear them, but in the previews, since I'm a clarinet player, the BLARING yes, BLARING trumpets cover us up. I can't hear if I am playing the part right or as I think I am, WRONG.
There are rhythms that I haven't played a lot of in my junior high experience. I'm totally ashamed because I can't play sixteenth notes, or if those are sixteenth notes...I can't tell.
Our teacher isn't doing much to really help us, since we are confused by notes anyways.
We need this song (Pinball Wizard) memorized in ten days.
Any tips?
...It's just good business
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 7:06 pm
Aw, I don't know if I can help you.
But you're not alone.
I'm a freshman too and I've only had my instrument for one month!
And it's hard for me to march and play at the same time too.
I'm also determined to stick it out and in the end, and say I made it.
What's your band theme and what songs are yall playing?
The only tips I can give is that you should ask your section leader about the rhythms and notes.
And if they can't solve it, go and confront your teacher about it.
Also, spend half an hour just looking at the music, checking out the rhythms and stuff, and try to memorize it.
Hopefully, you guys should play it so much, that it'll be easy to memorize.
Make sure to ask questions, and if he doesn't make it clear, ask him again.
And when you march and play, when you have it memorized, the parts where you change sets are usually the parts where the music changes patterns or rhythms, so just march, until you know the music is gonna change, and change the set.
Hopefully, this was helpful.
But I'm just a freshman too and half of the things, I can hardly understand.
xDD.
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 11:40 am
Aw, it's good to see a dedicated freshman. heart
Ours can't even play a damned B Flat scale then get pissy when we ask them to practice.
Ok, you've never been in marching band before, but unless you have a super important part, chances are you are going to be drowned out by the trumpets or low brass. It's just how things work. Trumpets (at least at my school in all of our shows) are always in the front, and they're naturally louder than a lot of other instruments in the band. So don't worry about being heard and just play your dynamics as written. If your band director thinks you guys aren't being heard well enough, he'll say something to either you or the trumpets, don't worry about it.
As for not hearing it on the recordings, ask your band director if he has any CDs made of the songs. Mine usually has CDs of our show for people that don't have the internet/access to the songs on our site. Also, Pinball Wizard is a relatively popular song (you can go listen to it on Myspace or something, even), so if worse comes to worse, just listen to the real song and model your playing off of it, at least then you'll have an idea.
Don't worry about not knowing rhythms, you're going to learn new things when you go from junior high to high school! Just ask your section leader or an upperclassmen for help with stuff you don't understand, and you'll learn it in no time.
But I guess most important of all is to ask your section leader to start holding some SECTIONALS. That way you can all learn your parts, you can get help if you need it, and you'll know what you're supposed to sound like because you'll actually hear the clarinet parts.
Don't worry about being a little lost, it's VERY early in the season, and you're a freshman. Everyone was there once. You'll get everything in time, especially the marching and playing thing. It will get so much easier once you've started camp and practice playing and marching. Chances are you guys'll go by sets anyway, and just play bits and pieces at first.
Don't stress, just enjoy the season. Hope I've helped a bit! =)
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:32 pm
Ahhh...the sound of the blaring trumpets.
Yes..they are too loud.[Not being mean!]
Our trumpets are loud also, but we're known for our "sound" when it comes to us. We are a small band.
x]
But I understand when stress you can get when you need to learn a song and drill in so and so days.
I've been through my first week of summer band and we are learning freakishly fast this year.
; o;
Unlike last years...
Starting Monday we have like 25 more days to learn a fairly difficult song and drill. Wind-Up s is such a good piece too.
D;
Pinball Wizard sounds familiar.
You should just take it piece by piece. That's how we are learning it. Freshman and upperclassmen.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 10:49 pm
While you're still learning the show it probably isn't a terrible idea to not play until you get the steps down. I don't.
If you're having rhythm troubles it's not a big deal! Start taking lessons or just ask an upperclassman to help you out.
Spend time memorizing your music until you're sure you're playing the correct part and can keep playing it even if the trumpets are annoyingly loud. Don't worry about getting it all done at once. Do it in chunks, a few lines each day.
You'll be great, promise.
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:26 pm
The key to doing both at once is making one part second nature, so you can focus on the other.
If you're decent at marching, practice it so much you don't even have to think about it. That way, you can worry about playing your music right.
As far as memorizing music goes, slow it down, then break it down. Play a few measures at a time over and over until you can play it without looking, and then gradually speed it up as you start to connect the chunks.
If you're having problems with a rhythm, break it down beat-by-beat. Get a metronome to keep an even time, and play with that.
Also, learn to recognize certain rhythms on-the-spot. Especially in Marching Band, certain patterns tend to pop up throughout all the movements. If you're having problems in the first song, chances are the same problems will pop up in the last one.
Mark up your music, if you're allowed. I'm a senior, and my music still has more marks made by me than by the computer that printed it out.
And yeah, talk to your section leader about sectionals. They'll know what they're doing, from having the experience.
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:53 pm
the best thing to do to memorize music is to download it onto your computer, strap it into your ipod (or a walkman, for those less fortunate), and listen to it on heavy repeat.
listen for your instrument, as professional recordings usually have much better musical balance.
knowing how your part is actually supposed to sound will bring a world of good.
=3
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:03 am
One key thing you need to do is to stay posotive!
That's one of the main things that our drum majors and our BD tell us all the time.
About memorization, just practice, practice, practice! Even if you don't plan on memorizing it, it will still be memorized some.
I know what you mean about marching and playing but once you get into the swing of things it'll surely seem like child's play. ;]
Another thing to remember is that the section leader is your BUDDY. xD
Even if you don't like them I'm sure they will be happy to help you out because if they don't the whole show falls apart and everyone has him/her to blame.
In our band the section leader over us (baritones) has been one of my friends since I was in third grade, but now I'm a freshman marcher (but I'm in eighth ) and she's a Junior in school and a senior marcher if you count her eigth grade year.
And if you're section leader is busy, don't hesitate to ask someone that can play it really good.
That's about all I can tell you right now, hope you are doing better since you posted this though! Good luck. :']
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