| If I wasn't comfortable playing a gig I would turn it down. I would probably explain that it's a little beyong my technical abilities, isn't a style I'm most familiar with, etc. and offer to find a sub. Give a simple reason(keep it short, people don't want excuses and you might want to work for them again) and offer to find a replacement. They may discuss it with you and say if they're concerned or not.
If the issue is range you have to ask yourself if it's a problem because your range isn't where it should be(i.e. not developed as a player yet, or maybe it's a lead part and you're not a lead player) or if the part was written poorly. If "The Trumpet Shall Sound" is too high for you then you should tell them you're not ready for it but if a choir director wrote a descant for you in the stratosphere at ppp then you should tell him/her that a trumpet doesn't play in the register in that very well at the volume and perhaps it might sound better down the octave.
If you discuss it with them you may get to keep the gig and be comfortable but if you say nothing and play poorly it reflects much worse on you than if you found someone better suited to the task. |