Quintet playing

Eclipsehornplayer · 10-10-2006, 02:08 PM

I have been asked to play in a brass quintet on the second Trumpet part and of course have accepted most graciously. Having never played in this capacity I thought I’d post this out here and see what suggestions I might be able to get from the valuable resources that are here at TM.

The piece were playing is “The Maid of the Mist” by Herbert L. Clarke. Kind of reminds me of the boats by the same name that take you up under Niagara Falls.

Of course I’ll be wood shedding my piece and I was given a stated tempo in the neighborhood of ¼ = 90 beats per minute. What I’m looking for are general suggestions for playing in this setting.

I assume that I will need to keep a keen ear to the 1st Trumpet player and be certain to maintain proper balance with him as well as the rest of the group. I’m sure that now more then ever dynamics will be VERY important.

I’ve transposed and transcribed my part from Bb to C so that I can use my Bach 229/25A on this piece as I believe it has a better sound and will complement the lead players Bach Bb. We’ll be playing just prior to a High School Band Concert in an auditorium that seats in the ballpark of 700 to 1000. I’m not nervous yet but I’m sure I will be!

So; any suggestions?

40cal · 10-10-2006, 02:38 PM

As a NON-professional who thinks quintet playing is some of the most rewarding brass playing, as well as potentially the most difficult this is my .00002 of a cent.

The key is, be ready for anything. Versatility and the ability to adapt is of the utmost importance. You are correct in that keep a keen ear on the 1st trumpet, but also keep in mind due to the limited # of parts the 2nd will often have the melody and be cognizant of when that happens.

Style is very important (it always is, but it is magnified in the quintet setting IMHO)

Another factor for me when I was playing in a quintet is the endurance. Depending on how many charts etc... that can become huge since again, the limited # of players vs the necessary harmony etc...

If you are only playing the one piece, then hopefully that won't be an issue.

I know there are other much more accomplished quintet players on here so I'll leave it at that.

Eclipsehornplayer · 10-10-2006, 02:44 PM

Thanks Dave,

Sounds like good advice; it's noted for sure.

Fortunately it's just the one piece. I'm the lead 3rd player in the community band I play in so the music I'm responsible for in this piece is a nice departure from what I'm accustomed to. I look forward to the challenge and thanks again for the advice. Having never played in a quintet setting I'm sure your advice will be a big help to me.

tpter1 · 10-10-2006, 03:03 PM

Have fun, John!!! Quintet playing is something I've always enjoyed, but don't get anymore due to a lack of those big huge things that look like they could heat your house.

Intamacy is the big issue. Being able to converse musically with your first player. Recognizing when you are a soloist and supporter, and being able to adjust your playing within that context are key. (No pun intended...). If the first uses a Bb, you should, too.

Remember always that YOU have ownership in the ensemble as much as anyone else in the group, so don't be shy to speak up in rehearsal if you need to work out something or feel something is not right.

I'm happy for you!

Dale Proctor · 10-10-2006, 05:08 PM

You're playing trumpets and not cornets?????? On a Clarke piece????

Just messing with you. Whether you have the melody line or not, each instrument in a quintet should play as if they're playing a solo. By that, I mean with style, presence, and extreme musicality. Your styles should match, of course, and this is sometimes hard to do with limited rehearsals. Intonation is also very important. If this piece is like many quintet pieces, each part is very exposed and any wrong or missed notes are very apparent. Are you nervous yet?

That said, quintet playing can be very enjoyable and rewarding. YOU'RE the man - the only one responsible for that part. You can make it sing without any interference from other section players. If I had the time, I'd join another brass quintet. Ours has been corrupted by the "Civil War bug", and now we play only 3 or 4 "legit" quintet gigs a year. I miss it.

Vulgano Brother · 10-10-2006, 05:18 PM

If it is an established quintet and you get to fill somebody else's shoes, it can be a blast -- all you have to remember is rather than just playing your part under a conductor, you'll be fitting your part into the right places.

You might want to reconsider going for the "C sound" as a means of matching the other trumpet and seek a sound that fills the gap between 1st trumpet and horn. We used rotary Bbs in the Sueddeutsches Blechblaeser Quintett and it mixed real well across the ensemble.

Play the piece as a group together about a zillion times, with a minimum of comments, and try to let the “music play the band.”

Have fun! Quintets are an awesome way to make music!

JStrube · 10-11-2006, 06:28 AM

Is your Bb a Bach? If not, then the Bach C would match better.

Eclipsehornplayer · 10-11-2006, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dale Proctor

You're playing trumpets and not cornets?????? On a Clarke piece????

If this piece is like many quintet pieces, each part is very exposed and any wrong or missed notes are very apparent. Are you nervous yet?

(

We always play Clarke pieces on Trumpets. It's like no one plays cornets down here. Almost every part we play in the community band was written for Cornet but we play trumpets go figure!

Thanks Dale! No presure eh?

I am looking forward to it. As a dedicated 3rd player it is very challenging and between dynamics, articulation, and matching the 1st player I'm sure I'll be quite busy.

Eclipsehornplayer · 10-11-2006, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vulgano Brother

If it is an established quintet and you get to fill somebody else's shoes, it can be a blast -- all you have to remember is rather than just playing your part under a conductor, you'll be fitting your part into the right places.

You might want to reconsider going for the "C sound" as a means of matching the other trumpet and seek a sound that fills the gap between 1st trumpet and horn. We used rotary Bbs in the Sueddeutsches Blechblaeser Quintett and it mixed real well across the ensemble.

Play the piece as a group together about a zillion times, with a minimum of comments, and try to let the “music play the band.”

Have fun! Quintets are an awesome way to make music!

Thanks for chiming in.

It is a new quintet being put together so I'm in on the ground floor. I know the 1st Trumpet player he and I attend the same church so he hears me play every Sunday and I have played along side him before.

I wanted to go with the "C" rather then my "Bb" becuase it is a Bach and so is the leads Bb. I thought they might match better.

Maybe what I'll do is practice the part in C and Bb and then reherse it both ways on both my Trumpets and see what the group feels is best.

Thanks again for the adivce!
John

Eclipsehornplayer · 10-11-2006, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JStrube

Is your Bb a Bach? If not, then the Bach C would match better.

No Bb is a 1964 King Silverflair
C is a 1994 Bach 229/25A

Thanks for chiming in.

10-10-2006, 02:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
Eclipsehornplayer Forte User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Flat Rock, Michigan Posts: 2,395	Quintet playing I have been asked to play in a brass quintet on the second Trumpet part and of course have accepted most graciously. Having never played in this capacity I thought I’d post this out here and see what suggestions I might be able to get from the valuable resources that are here at TM. The piece were playing is “The Maid of the Mist” by Herbert L. Clarke. Kind of reminds me of the boats by the same name that take you up under Niagara Falls. Of course I’ll be wood shedding my piece and I was given a stated tempo in the neighborhood of ¼ = 90 beats per minute. What I’m looking for are general suggestions for playing in this setting. I assume that I will need to keep a keen ear to the 1st Trumpet player and be certain to maintain proper balance with him as well as the rest of the group. I’m sure that now more then ever dynamics will be VERY important. I’ve transposed and transcribed my part from Bb to C so that I can use my Bach 229/25A on this piece as I believe it has a better sound and will complement the lead players Bach Bb. We’ll be playing just prior to a High School Band Concert in an auditorium that seats in the ballpark of 700 to 1000. I’m not nervous yet but I’m sure I will be! So; any suggestions? __________________ Eclipse MHY Bb Trumpet with interchangable leadpipes Bach 229 25A C Trumpet Getzen Capri Bb Cornet GR & Monette mouthpieces

10-10-2006, 02:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
40cal Forte User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,273	As a NON-professional who thinks quintet playing is some of the most rewarding brass playing, as well as potentially the most difficult this is my .00002 of a cent. The key is, be ready for anything. Versatility and the ability to adapt is of the utmost importance. You are correct in that keep a keen ear on the 1st trumpet, but also keep in mind due to the limited # of parts the 2nd will often have the melody and be cognizant of when that happens. Style is very important (it always is, but it is magnified in the quintet setting IMHO) Another factor for me when I was playing in a quintet is the endurance. Depending on how many charts etc... that can become huge since again, the limited # of players vs the necessary harmony etc... If you are only playing the one piece, then hopefully that won't be an issue. I know there are other much more accomplished quintet players on here so I'll leave it at that. __________________ “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day so that my child may have peace.” Thomas Paine 1737-1809 “That’s all the bullets we had, or we would have shot him more,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd

10-10-2006, 02:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
Eclipsehornplayer Forte User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Flat Rock, Michigan Posts: 2,395	Thanks Dave, Sounds like good advice; it's noted for sure. Fortunately it's just the one piece. I'm the lead 3rd player in the community band I play in so the music I'm responsible for in this piece is a nice departure from what I'm accustomed to. I look forward to the challenge and thanks again for the advice. Having never played in a quintet setting I'm sure your advice will be a big help to me. __________________ Eclipse MHY Bb Trumpet with interchangable leadpipes Bach 229 25A C Trumpet Getzen Capri Bb Cornet GR & Monette mouthpieces

10-10-2006, 03:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
tpter1 Forte User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northern New York Posts: 2,309	Have fun, John!!! Quintet playing is something I've always enjoyed, but don't get anymore due to a lack of those big huge things that look like they could heat your house. Intamacy is the big issue. Being able to converse musically with your first player. Recognizing when you are a soloist and supporter, and being able to adjust your playing within that context are key. (No pun intended...). If the first uses a Bb, you should, too. Remember always that YOU have ownership in the ensemble as much as anyone else in the group, so don't be shy to speak up in rehearsal if you need to work out something or feel something is not right. I'm happy for you! __________________ -Glenn "Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting

10-10-2006, 05:08 PM	#5 (permalink)
Dale Proctor Mezzo Piano User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Heart of Dixie Posts: 699	You're playing trumpets and not cornets?????? On a Clarke piece???? Just messing with you. Whether you have the melody line or not, each instrument in a quintet should play as if they're playing a solo. By that, I mean with style, presence, and extreme musicality. Your styles should match, of course, and this is sometimes hard to do with limited rehearsals. Intonation is also very important. If this piece is like many quintet pieces, each part is very exposed and any wrong or missed notes are very apparent. Are you nervous yet? That said, quintet playing can be very enjoyable and rewarding. YOU'RE the man - the only one responsible for that part. You can make it sing without any interference from other section players. If I had the time, I'd join another brass quintet. Ours has been corrupted by the "Civil War bug", and now we play only 3 or 4 "legit" quintet gigs a year. I miss it. __________________ "Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away." - Sir Thomas Beecham Olde Towne Brass www.otbrass.com Brass Band of Huntsville www.brassbandofhuntsville.org

10-10-2006, 05:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
Vulgano Brother Moderator Fortissimo User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Home Posts: 3,265	If it is an established quintet and you get to fill somebody else's shoes, it can be a blast -- all you have to remember is rather than just playing your part under a conductor, you'll be fitting your part into the right places. You might want to reconsider going for the "C sound" as a means of matching the other trumpet and seek a sound that fills the gap between 1st trumpet and horn. We used rotary Bbs in the Sueddeutsches Blechblaeser Quintett and it mixed real well across the ensemble. Play the piece as a group together about a zillion times, with a minimum of comments, and try to let the “music play the band.” Have fun! Quintets are an awesome way to make music! __________________ "A tool good enough to be so used and not too good" C.S. Lewis That Hideous Strength www.letsbuildhope.org

10-11-2006, 06:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
JStrube New Friend Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Milwaukee,WI Posts: 15	Is your Bb a Bach? If not, then the Bach C would match better. __________________ Jim Strube

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