Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Pope
That was great that you made up a DB book for them. I like your ideas of selectively combining tuba and bassoon parts for an actual "part" that supports the various voicings of the band. Occasionally, when I've played in a band that was sparse, I've had to take bassoon or contra clarinet parts and add some missing texture if it wasn't cued in the tuba parts.
The best year I had in a community band was completely different, however. That particular year I played conventional tuba parts, but we had a guy who recognized it was about his last, as Parkinson's was getting him. He couldn't hold his trombone anymore, but he could balance a bass guitar in his lap. So we took the entire book and made parts for him to be able to play that last couple of years before he had to give it up completely. Some were transposed tuba parts, others were DB parts, a couple of contemporary pieces had actual bass guitar parts, etc. Just like low woodwinds add so much needed texture to tubas, his musicianship was of the highest caliber and really broadened the foundation of the band.
Have fun at your gig!
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There was only one piece that I had to make up from scratch with the bassoon and tuba that I recall. Maybe half the book or less possibly were Tuba parts. The band had 3 tubas and they could really play. The two baritone horn players were smokin' as well. One night I borrowed a part to make a copy as it was something I would love to be able to play and these guys read the stuff like the morning paper! One rehearsal when I came in early to set up they were re-auditioning one of the F.Horn players that had been there for years. The conductor told her she just wasn't cutting it anymore and let her go. This was the Quakertown Band founded in 1877, 2 years after the Batchelder bass I was using was made, no joke. I used an amp as well so wrong notes had no where to go. They played a few numbers of classical, big band jazz and the majority was band music with some um-pa stuff in there. I hadn't played in 15 years so I was just getting my chops back. Then I realized from playing the classical where I stood chops-wise and realized I needed to play in an orchestra to really get my hands and eyes back up to snuff and then some.
I called a local Orchestra and was informed they did have openings in D.Bass but an audition was required. I gave my resume from memory in an email and offered to just come and sight-read the rehearsal as I didn't have any of the required music for an audition having packed it all up 15 years ago. They agreed and the rest is history.
Last night I worked on the piece and I think I can pull it off with the written-over part I've doctored up. Like I said, until I play the first rehearsal I wont know if I can read that muddy scribble part at tempo and see my notes thru all of the other mumble-jumble on the page. If not, I buy and download the part on-line when I get back from rehearsal that night and be done with it.
