September 2018 Music Thread

I should have added horsey that you could get your music service to talk to East Renfrewshire’s one. Our music trust appears to have links with another one and loan between them. Otherwise, I think our music trust has some kind of sponsorship arrangement with Howarth.

Romany, DD2 started on a mini bassoon aged 8 and then moved onto the tenoroon as she grew taller before playing a full sized bassoon with short reach keyword. The mini plays a fifth above a regular bassoon and the tenoroon a fourth with the same fingering.

horsey, DD2’s tutor at NCO this summer teaches bassoon for East Renfrewshire Council music service and at The conservatoire . You could try contacting her to see if she could help?

Alexandra your trip sounds fascinating - do report back as I'd love to hear more about it.
Well, on the topic of multi instruments - just try living in a house with three guitar enthusiasts. Surely one electric guitar is enough? Oh no. You have to have an acoustic one for milder rock/jazz/folk moments and a classical one. (There are two - one cost £10 from the borough music service and sounds surprisingly nice!)
I'm sitting on the sofa in the front room. Directly in front of me is a bass guitar. Next to the armchair is an acoustic. Its case is across the armchair - because obviously that's what chairs are for - and propped next to the footstool is an electric guitar. There are other guitars lurking around the rest of the house. They are supposed to live in posh shed...
Oh, and then there are the amps...

Finally joining again! My 3 all do piano, with DD 2 oboe and recorders and dd2 keen to start bassoon if we can source a mini one. Our council apparently has one ( and a cor anglais) but they seem to have been 'mislaid'. Hue currently doing an instrument audit so will see what comes of that. We do have many many recorders though, they are a bit cheaper to collect!
Alexandra, that conference sounds great, I work with disabled people but rarely see anyone playing an instrument, I think it is just seen as too problematic.

Glad everyone is settling into school . It's all going well here and at least Ds hasn't got tons of homework this weekend ( he measures the success of a day in terms of how much homework he gets so all is well so far- that won't last!!)
For the trumpet and associated other instruments all of the instruments have the same fingerings etc but you have to learn to play them differently to achieve the sound that you want . So a cornet shouldn't be played to sound like a trumpet and the transposing trumpets play in a different key so you follow the music as normal but have to find where the note 'sits' when you are producing the sound .

Wow cant - your DS is living DD2’s dream! The lobbying for different types of clarinet/ her first saxophone is ongoing...

Fab news Melting! Glad to see all the DC on this thread are settling in well to changes.

On multiple instruments - DS currently has 3 clarinets (his own B flat, and loan instruments from the music service so he can play bass clarinet and A clarinet with the county youth orchestra - luckily this is free).

He only has an alto sax - and will upgrade to a better alto sax. He would love a bari, but the two county ones are out with bari specialists, and there is no other cost-effective method of having a 'very part time' bari at the moment. He can, and does, pick up the bari if he needs to deputise in a specific concert.

First week at secondary school completed for DD without too much stress. Phew. Although she was quite miffed today as they missed their music lesson for an 'end of the first week celebration assembly'...

I love this thread, it's brilliant reading about all the varieties of interests and discussion of strings!
I think the grade three thing might actually work. I've suddenly remembered how to go in to second and fourth position and do harmonics. And because the cello I've borrowed is much nicer than the cello I used to rent, it sounds lovely.
My partner is a violinist and we are egging each other on with practice which is great for motivation. For some reason I feel like I have more of a plan with cello, so practice is more structured and I see more progress. I can't think of how I want to do piano. I think the dip might be too hard or that I need something in between to motivate me? I don't know. I have thought about doing the ARSM, but I really want to conquer the dip. That's just me being bloody minded though. (and I really should improve my sight reading).

Patricks.

If they are playing in a big band, or ensemble they are sitting down and only stand if able for solo's.
Mine likes the bass and can manage it fine, but saying that she hasn't done a full gig on one.

Saxes are quite easy honestly, unlike the clarinet it has fewer notes, can't remember how many as I'm terrible with different keys (signatures) but also the notes stay the same in the upper octave, not like clarinets.
If somebody starts on a clari they usually, not always find sax easy to pick up. You can't really say the same the opposite way round.

Romany, seriously how much the beast weigh?? And surely you can't practise long with the size...

to recorder, and other woodwind... Suddenly piano and violin seem to be easy-peasy... Though DS did/does clarinet, harmonica, recorder and toy trumpet. He also did (very dodgy) guitar at NCO.

I was told all the violinists would learn viola at DS's new school so he will have some varieties soon too.

Just a warning for those with multiple instruments.
maybe not a problem whilst still young but if they start playing far and wide don't be tempted by the cases that hold multiple instruments, far better to have one stolen than the whole lot.
You are better getting one of those trolley carts to carry from the car than have just one case.

Patrick - there are bass clarinet specialists; dd is one by default in some settings. For auditions she will usually use two so the Bflat and A or Bass.

Waffle - I don’t think dd used hers for u10s but has done ever since; they asked for an e e flat this year but I skipped over that (think everyone did!)

Take a look at this, you'll all want one

Patrick

It's just first study sax in my dd case, but one of her friends has joint sax and clari as first study.
Depending on what type of music they want to play there's most likely a time when they need other instruments. e.g my dh bought a picallo to go with flute when he was depping for a tour so had a run of dates.
it was either Strictly or Guys and Dolls, can't quite remember.
So often saxes are expected to double on other instruments, the main being Flute and/or Clarinet.
hence, why dh and dd seem to have a lot of instruments.

You're expected to just do it all. Slightly different techniques for all. Playing all the recorders involves 2 completely different sets of notes/ fingerings, and also bass clef later on. But it's still just 1st study recorder. For nationals, you (at least used to ) have to play descant, treble and bass pieces at audition. For most clarinet auditions, you can play whichever you like, but Bb is by far the most common. I borrowed an A for Rara to take to the NCO, and she didn't need it. Nobody else took one!

So, those who play, let's say various types of sax or clarinet, do you still have 'first study/instrument' within the family (for instance, alto is first study, baritone is second and so on)? Or if you say sax is your first study, then that mean you treat all sorts of sizes and types of sax as your 'first study/instrument'? It sounds like a percussionist - expected to be proficient at all sorts of percussion! When you audition, how do you choose which instrument to pick? Your favourite changes time to time or depending on which piece you (want to) play?? The skills and techniques can be transferred within multiple woodwinds?

Double

My dd best friend started on a tenoroon? I'd never heard of one.
The instruments that dd plays, don't all belong to her, they are dads or she borrows from the business sometimes.

This term it's soprano Alto and Baritone, different ensembles and exams/concerts. Next term she could need a different combination depending on what she chooses or is asked to play.

String
Vocal flute sounds erm nice used a lot in Jazz, I have a favourite piece

String

Yes def multiple instruments - dd used her Bflat, A and bass weekly; sax more occasionally. She would love a Basset but that’s not going to happen! When she goes jazz they suggest she has flute too but also not going to happen 🙄

With regard to multiple woodwind instruments,DD1 is asking about getting a cor anglais. She hasn’t yet tried to grow her saxophone family, although that may come. As for getting a contra bassoon - no, just no!

Patricks when does your DS start his new school?

Such good news about the smooth secondary school transitions!

DD1 enjoyed her first music GCSE lesson yesterday - it’s a small class, only 19 of them, which is nice. Other than that not a lot of music going on here yet - Act 1 of the musical is ready for “read through” though so I’ve wound up with 14 9-16 year olds coming round tomorrow... that should be fun. I don’t know how they’ve managed to rope in so many kids - I think DD2 must be quite the saleswoman.

Multiple brass instruments must be super expensive!! However, you can end up with multiple violins and bows also if you seek for perfection to cater certain style and period!! I saw someone who had a case to carry four violins and multiple bows (and it was surprisingly light and neat)...