Woodwind players, keyboard and Percussionists

I only wish I had learned to play piano. My sisters had lessons in late 50s and wouldn't practice much. So mom stopped them and when we moved the upright piano was sold. I really liked that little indian song they learned, you really could have turned that into a boogie beat and had fun with it. I don't know why i didn't try to play it on my own, I guess it was too imposing looking.

Many of my friends were bored to tears with Bach and the formal scales. I think something like big band boogie woogie would be the way to entice a child to play. I still love that music.

quote:

Originally posted by mudwolf:
I think something like big band boogie woogie would be the way to entice a child to play. I still love that music.

When I was just starting trumpet, the first thing I heard that pierced my heart was the Loyola University Stage Band playing some Stan Kenton and Buddy Rich big band charts.

That music went through me like x-rays. I was transformed.

About a year later, I heard the New Orleans Philharmonic, and that set me on the path I still walk today. One of the trombone players let me sit in the section and turn pages for a performance of Bach's B Minor Mass at a local church. That did it for me :-)

One for the string players to chuckle at!

What is an oboe?

It is the ill-wind that blows no good!

ATB from George

quote:

Originally posted by GFFJ:
One for the string players to chuckle at!

What is an oboe?

It is the ill-wind that blows no good!

ATB from George

It's also the principle wind instrument in an orchestra.

There is a lovely story about the great oboe player [for his own sake nameless here] who Beecham had engaged as Principal wind player in his LPO in the '30s.

The player had a distinctive and very cultured vibrato, which was rare for oboe players in the English style at that time - English oboe players tended to play with absolutely no vibrato at all, which nowadays sounds very odd actually.

But for the tuning A then vibrato is no help at all!

Beecham quipped:

"Gentlemen, take your pick!"

ATB from George

I am really fascinated by most instruments. Mainly I love fine keyboards and stringed instruments. In addition to learning how to play them it has always been a dream of mine to be able to learn how to make a violin and bow, for instance, or how to service and tune my piano etc.

Percussion somehow also interests me but I know very little about the instruments and would love to read something here from a percussionist's point of view. Furthermore, perhaps someone here could enlighten me on a question I wondered about over the past week since watching a real good drummer just mesmerize me.

Are drums / cymbals etc tuned just like other instruments to play only in certain keys (or bought this way)? Why do they seem to fit with any tune / key played in bands?

Hope this isn't a really dumb question but I am genuinely interested in an explanation.

Regards,
Doug

quote:

Originally posted by Florestan:
I am really fascinated by most instruments...

Percussion somehow also interests me but I know very little about the instruments and would love to read something here from a percussionist's point of view. Furthermore, perhaps someone here could enlighten me on a question I wondered about over the past week since watching a real good drummer just mesmerize me.

Are drums / cymbals etc tuned just like other instruments to play only in certain keys (or bought this way)? Why do they seem to fit with any tune / key played in bands?

Regards,
Doug

Doug-

Most instruments in the percussion family fall within the non pitched category. They Can be tuned, just not to any specific key. Exceptions being western orchestral percussion such as timpani (typically are tuned to the I-V-IV chord of any given key. Often have to be tuned by the timpanist during the course of the musical performance because of key changes, etc.) the other being keyboard instruments (xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, bells, etc.)

Being non pitched, and because of the many harmonics (e.g. turkish cymbal) most percussion instruments (if used wisely ) will "fit", and enhance the sound of any keyed instrument.

The drummer who you saw may have tuned his kit (to approximate) intervals of 3rds or 5ths! Even though the drum kit is comprised of four/five drums plus cymbals, most drummers like to approach the kit as One instrument.

James Blades "Percussion Instruments and their history" is an excellent reference book on the subject.

Hope this helps.

Best,
Max

Disclaimer: cymbals can NOT be tuned . . . so don't try it!

A variation from jazz. A clarinet: an ill woodwind that no-one blows good...

so no woodwind players are naimees?????