bigmamabadger
Active Member
bagpuss said:
Me, scary? Tough? I'm a kitten.
:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
BMB
Brass Players and Conductors views on Percussionist
- Thread starter timps
- Start date
Me, scary? Tough? I'm a kitten.
:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
BMB
Vickitorious
Active Member
Percussionists are essential. They keep the rhythm going!! And when they give it some they're wicked! Where would we be without them?? :? :lol:
Percussionists
We are pretty darn essential if people are prepared to admit it. I get the old gags 25 musicians and 3 drummers. you lot only play pots and pans, anyone can band a drum etc etc. The members in my band get the response they deserve and I just smile and ignore them all.
The amount of times basses are delighted that I have a cymbal roll that crescendos whilst they are trying to play semi quavers!!!!!
Take the roll away and what do you get? A noise that sounds like a sack of spuds rolling down a galvanise roof!!
Bring it on.........
Derek Thomas
JAG Mount Charles
We are pretty darn essential if people are prepared to admit it. I get the old gags 25 musicians and 3 drummers. you lot only play pots and pans, anyone can band a drum etc etc. The members in my band get the response they deserve and I just smile and ignore them all.
The amount of times basses are delighted that I have a cymbal roll that crescendos whilst they are trying to play semi quavers!!!!!
Take the roll away and what do you get? A noise that sounds like a sack of spuds rolling down a galvanise roof!!
Bring it on.........
Derek Thomas
JAG Mount Charles
bagpuss
Active Member
I reckon percussionists are an 'aid' to a conductor/md. When was the last time you heard a band follow the conductor if the percusionist was at a different speed???? The band will 99% of the time listen to the drummer, rightly or wrongly. So, if a conductor wants the band to speed up a little or slow down, provided he/she can communicate that to a percussionist (preferably a decent one), the chances are, he/she'll have much more success in getting the band to speed up/slow down.
Bagpuss
Bagpuss
Vickitorious
Active Member
I was listening to my brothers bands christmas concert the other night, and they play things like.-- Rocking around the christmas tree, Merry xmas everyone etc. and with the percussion and especially kit in it, it sounds amazing with all of the little fills (*wow*) 
but if you took them out the music would just sound empty and thats why they're essential! Lol! :lol:
but if you took them out the music would just sound empty and thats why they're essential! Lol! :lol: Percussion is very important in the modern band.As a player I have heard
some brilliant playing behind me from Cloughie,Gav&Will( Aubade at Bergen for example).
As a conductor I appreciate good percussion playing even more,and I'm convinced that my percussion team where the main factor for Llanrugs victory ( on Oceans) at Pontins.
Big Gav
some brilliant playing behind me from Cloughie,Gav&Will( Aubade at Bergen for example).
As a conductor I appreciate good percussion playing even more,and I'm convinced that my percussion team where the main factor for Llanrugs victory ( on Oceans) at Pontins.
Big Gav
Having played and dept with a fair few bands now I have had chance to see what kind of gear is around, I have noticed that bands who have perhaps a sponsorship deal and can often have new gear as and when dont look after there gear.
The bands who are perhaps self supportig often take far more care in carting there stuff around as there stuff needs to last.
When I joined my band I took it upon myself to go to the bandroom one day and spend time serching frew old stands and putting odds and ends together I managed to buld 2 new cymbal stands and about 4 snare stands! one of the keys is to be organised clear your section of clutter and have everything organised, for example if you now you are not going to be using bells or vibes put them to one side, but have them to hand just in case needed suddenly.
Also make friends with the band tresuare! on a seriouse not bands must be willing to folk out every now and then for skins or little odds and ends ect dont expect instruments to maintain themselfs.
I tried to adopt this method at my last band (music man might remember!!) I dont know if you thought it maid a differance or not
Rember DONT CARRY TIMPS BY THE RIMS sorry that really anoyes me!!
The bands who are perhaps self supportig often take far more care in carting there stuff around as there stuff needs to last.
When I joined my band I took it upon myself to go to the bandroom one day and spend time serching frew old stands and putting odds and ends together I managed to buld 2 new cymbal stands and about 4 snare stands! one of the keys is to be organised clear your section of clutter and have everything organised, for example if you now you are not going to be using bells or vibes put them to one side, but have them to hand just in case needed suddenly.
Also make friends with the band tresuare! on a seriouse not bands must be willing to folk out every now and then for skins or little odds and ends ect dont expect instruments to maintain themselfs.
I tried to adopt this method at my last band (music man might remember!!) I dont know if you thought it maid a differance or not
Rember DONT CARRY TIMPS BY THE RIMS sorry that really anoyes me!!
bagpuss
Active Member
jim said:
Carrying timps by the rim is the ONLY safe and effective way of carrying them. Carriying them by the legs risks personal injury to the people carrying them and also carries a greater risk of the timps being dropped. Carrying by the rim means that the timps will detune slightly, but if they were properly tuned in the first place, they will at least detune evenly. Therefore making it very easy to put them back intune using the pedal.
Bagpuss
Wonky_Baton
Active Member
I hate a band without percussion and love loads of upbeat numbers where they are essential. I just feel a bit sorry for them when it comes to rehearsing for contests as there normally isn't much for them to do in most 4th section pieces, although Lydian Pictures was a refreshing change.
Must admit I neglect them a little bit for contests cos I think that in the main adjudicators ignore them. However I am on a conducting course taken by ray Farr and he is right into percussion so I might change!
Must admit I neglect them a little bit for contests cos I think that in the main adjudicators ignore them. However I am on a conducting course taken by ray Farr and he is right into percussion so I might change!
ian perks
Active Member
Yes we need percussion.But what gets on my goat,is the time it takes to get set up for a contest.
You could save at least 1 hour if the percussion got ORGANISED instaed of messing about all the time,i.e get help from the band to get set up and be READY to play instead of moving cymbals arund by about half a foot closer etc.
:x
You could save at least 1 hour if the percussion got ORGANISED instaed of messing about all the time,i.e get help from the band to get set up and be READY to play instead of moving cymbals arund by about half a foot closer etc.
:x
Roger Thorne
Active Member
Stands back and waits for the barrage of comments from irrate percussionists! :shock:ian perks said:
Ian, it might be worth mentioning that there are left and right handed percussionists, consequently drum kits etc sometimes have to be swopped around to accommodate. Try playing your baritone left handed! It makes me laugh when people think percussionists 'mess about' for the hell of it. Just think if the brass instruments were supplied for contests, wouldn't you be pulling out tuning slides and valves and generally 'messing about' to make sure the equipment supplied was in good working order!
Here's to Percussionists the world over!
:guiness
drummerboy
Member
ian perks said:
Believe me, in some test pieces half a foot can make a lot of difference, especially in test pieces where you have to run around a lot. (St Magnus is a fantastic example) So yes, it might take a long time sometimes, but you'd notice if we weren't there.
drummerboy
Member
Roger Thorne said:
Amen Mr Thorne! Here speaks the voice of experience and knowledge.
Dave Payn
Active Member
Percussion DOES take a long time to set up at times, yes, but it's worth it in the end. Some people knock some percussionists for lacking rhythmic accuracy but certainly in the lower sections, so do quite a few of the brass players, but that's all right, I suppose.
I'm an inexperienced part time percussionist (I'm sorry, I'll rephrase that, I've attempted areas of percussion but wouldn't be so arrogant as to class myself as a 'percussionist') but involving myself in that area made me appreicate what needs to be done (not least, sitting around doing **** all in a lot of rehearsals - rather like being a trumpeter in some orchestras...)
The sooner ALL brass bands accept that percussion is as vital an element in bands these days as the brass themselves, the better, in my view.
I'm an inexperienced part time percussionist (I'm sorry, I'll rephrase that, I've attempted areas of percussion but wouldn't be so arrogant as to class myself as a 'percussionist') but involving myself in that area made me appreicate what needs to be done (not least, sitting around doing **** all in a lot of rehearsals - rather like being a trumpeter in some orchestras...)
The sooner ALL brass bands accept that percussion is as vital an element in bands these days as the brass themselves, the better, in my view.
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mikelyons
Supporting Member
Although I hate sitting in front of them I think our percussionists do a great job. Even Paul Sudworth
The band sounds much better, the effects they can produce when sober and with the right equipment can really enhance a performance. What a lot of brass players forget is that it's not just about building sheds. There's an awful lot of 'colouration' going on in some of the better pieces.
The only problem is, give them an inch and they'll take over the bandroom!
The band sounds much better, the effects they can produce when sober and with the right equipment can really enhance a performance. What a lot of brass players forget is that it's not just about building sheds. There's an awful lot of 'colouration' going on in some of the better pieces.
The only problem is, give them an inch and they'll take over the bandroom!
paulspud
Member
Why Mike, that must be the first complimentary thing you've said about the shedbuilders at Old Hall Brass, are you going senile??
Remind me not to roll the cymbal so close to your ears next time we play!
You are correct, we don't just build sheds, we ARE there for a reason. Take us away and you miss us. We do need more room though.....
BTW what does sober mean???
Remind me not to roll the cymbal so close to your ears next time we play!
You are correct, we don't just build sheds, we ARE there for a reason. Take us away and you miss us. We do need more room though.....
BTW what does sober mean???
brasscrest
Active Member
Essential for modern brass music. Sometimes overused in modern brass music.
Set-up time should not be a problem if things are properly organised. Most of the time when our percussionists have trouble setting up it's because the other players won't get out of the way and let them go
Set-up time should not be a problem if things are properly organised. Most of the time when our percussionists have trouble setting up it's because the other players won't get out of the way and let them go
