Can you play an orchestral instrument?

[Nick Armstrong]

Slightly off topic, but I heared a lovely story today that is worth sharing.

Last Summer at a residential course, one of the country's leading flute players was giving a masterclass. His pupil of the moment was a rather distinguished looking middle aged gentleman - and not a bad player by all accounts. He was having difficulty mastering a particular technique and my college said in a friendly manner.

" this needs is a bit of concentration and practice, that's all. You'll find it easy after a while - it's not brain surgery!"

His pupil looked askance.

"I am a brain surgeon. This is far more difficult!"

Brilliant, arundodo!

[amateur51]

Brilliant, arundodo!

Yes indeed - many thanks arundodo

[ardcarp]

Playing the triangle is about the most nerve-racking [wracking?] thing to play of all. Assuming you've counted 3647 bars correctly you still have to ting it without it twiddling round annoyingly.

My lifetime achievement was to play the ophicleide in Mendelssohn's MND. I only had a day to practise on it, and found it a most approximate sort of instrument...or maybe that was just me.

[Nick Armstrong]

My lifetime achievement was to play the ophicleide

[David Underdown]

A lapsed trombonist. Can sing to a higher standard, with less practising

[Hornspieler]

My lifetime achievement was to play the ophicleide

My lifetime achievement was learning how to spell it.

HS

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Playing the triangle is about the most nerve-racking [wracking?] thing to play of all. Assuming you've counted 3647 bars correctly you still have to ting it without it twiddling round annoyingly.

Oh, yes! And in rehearsals, you've just counted 3645 bars when the conductor says, "Back to bar Sixty, please!"

AND there's the cymbals whose leather straps snap so that a rogue "plate" crashes with an impressive accel e cresc down the different rows of the orchestra in front!

[vinteuil]

... well, on the evidence so far we are looking for a work for:

horn, two trombones, oboe, ophicleide, percussion, triangle, two pianos...

Surely Saint-Saëns must have written several works for these forces?

[Nick Armstrong]

... well, on the evidence so far we are looking for a work for:

horn, two trombones, oboe, ophicleide, percussion, triangle, two pianos...

Surely Saint-Saëns must have written several works for these forces?

Best laugh of the day so far, vinmousseux, thanks!

[mangerton]

I played the oboe at school.

I have two wooden descant recorders, and a soprano rauschpfeife, which I haven't played for a few years, out of respect for the neighbours.

I have sung in various choirs/ensembles since age 13. Nowadays it's church choir only.

[ardcarp]

Mangerton. What does a rauschpfeife look like? Or better/worse still, sound like? I've only ever seen/heard the organ stop version.

[PS I always think of you as magnetron!]

[BBMmk2]

I play tuba. i have a York Preference EEb Bass. The sound is quite smooth and wondrous!!

I am currently involved with the school orchestra where I work and have a wide experience of arranging music to, as I have a music software programme to!!

[amateur51]

Oh, yes! And in rehearsals, you've just counted 3645 bars when the conductor says, "Back to bar Sixty, please!"

AND there's the cymbals whose leather straps snap so that a rogue "plate" crashes with an impressive accel e cresc down the different rows of the orchestra in front!

[ardcarp]

BBM Have you ever played the Andante for Tuba by Alexandre Tcherepnine? It's a great piece, and one that treats the tuba as a singing melodic instrument (i.e. it doesn't cast it in Elephant/Tubby-the-Tuba buffoon role). You need a good piano accompanist though.

[mangerton]

Mangerton. What does a rauschpfeife look like? Or better/worse still, sound like? I've only ever seen/heard the organ stop version.

[PS I always think of you as magnetron!]

Like a very loud, raucous crumhorn, I suppose. We did a (mostly vocal) corporate function at Stirling Castle a few years ago. There were about 200 there, and as soon as I started playing...... It was an amazing attention getter!

To get an idea of the sound and appearance, look here:

http://www.lesession.co.uk/rauschpfeife/sounds.htm

The soprano rauschpfeife is in C, so it's about the same length as an oboe.

(magnetron? I've been called many worse things than that! )