bBullX

I've been recently selected to the Wyoming All-State Orchestra and am not entirely sure what to expect. Given that my school only has a band, my string experience is extremely limited. I've been playing on a Courtois Evolution IV and a Kanstul 1600 with a Parke mouthpiece with a Bergeron cup and a Markello backbore. Any suggestions on which horn to use and how I'm supposed to deal with the intonation of strings?
Thanks,
bBullX

Patric_Bernard

Make sure you know your scales well...
especially ones like B and C#, scales with alot of sharps and flats... learn em haha... Thats what alot of string music is written in.

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stchasking

You should have the music by now and have noted what the key signatures are. I will guess that you have a lot of sharps or flats as previously mentioned. You need to review this web site and find out on which notes you need to "trigger" the first and third valve slides to stay in tune. The conductor will ride your butt if you don't know how to use the first and third slides. Orchestra conductors don't like trumpet players that play too loud or are out of tune.

If you play any Aaron Copeland you own the orchestra. You had better be playing "Rodeo" when you are in Wyoming.

If they sent you C trumpet parts as an alternate to Bb trumpet parts you had better get a C trumpet and get practicing with it. It will help you and add to your coolness factor.

Don't expect the string players or oboe players to have the hots for you.

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"I was performing professionally at age 17 and have never had a real job." Allen Vizzutti

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rowuk

The difference in an orchestra is that you do not have 20 people playing the same part. That means you have to ace it 100% of the time AND you are responsible for blend. The strings cannot compensate an over eager trumpet player.
I am not sure that I would switch to C trumpet - unless you have been playing one all along. Your most reliable playing is with an axe that you are familiar with. If you have access to a good C trumpet with few intonation issues, you can try it - it is a different world however and you will need to really focus on playing it.
In Germany and the UK we play much more Bb trumpet in the orchestra and somehow have maintained our coolness.........................

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

Annie

It's not necessary to get a C trumpet - unless you have the money. That's a big investment. If you can borrow a C, that's great.

If the music is in C and you can't buy or borrow a C Trumpet, just go ahead and transpose the music up a whole step. And make sure you know your keys very well, especially the ones with more sharps. String players usually play in sharp keys, as opposed to what you're used to (flat keys). You may see a key or two that has a lot of flats, and that is mainly the composer/arranger thinking it might be easier for you to read with all those flats rather than sharps.

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~Annie

*I may not be great yet, but I'm working hard on it and one day I'm gonna be there.*

Richard Oliver

Robin, never tire of reading your posts. Bull, let me know the concert date. I'll root you on from the cheap seats!

Annie

And actually, listen to rowuk - switching to C can mess with your ear when you have to play a different keyed trumpet (I had a conductor once that told me I just *had* to play D trumpet on this one tune...it drove me nuts, because I was used to playing Bb, and had never even played a C)......

Great advice rowuk!

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~Annie

*I may not be great yet, but I'm working hard on it and one day I'm gonna be there.*

Vulgano Brother

Welcome to Trumpetmaster, bBullX!
In an orchestra we are asked to perform with a wide range of dynamics and tone colors. Sometimes we carry the musical message, sometimes we provide punctuation, and sometimes we are asked to be seen but not heard. All this gets lumped under the heading of orchestral style, most of it is learned through experience, but listening to recordings can be a huge help, provided we don't just listen to the trumpet parts but to our part in the orchestra. We may be Supermen, but in the orchestra we are asked to be Clark Kent most of the time.

Congratulations and good luck!

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rowuk

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

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