Anyone play any instruments?

What excerpts are you playing? As much of a pain in the ass it is the best practise you can ever do is scales, scales and more scales. In a week I'll run through around 10 scales in various patterns and arpeggios and other strange applications. It does help, gets your fingers used to the setting your brain needs to be in. And take an active role in the pieces you are playing if you have an accidental ask why? (to yourself not your conductor, lol) Find out what key you are in when the accidental occurs and the fingerings will be built into your brain for that particular key if you have been donig your scales. Also pay attention to key changes/ modulations and feel comfortable starting scales on degrees other than do or so (ending on ti, or starting on re is rather challenging)

One of the best exercises for a horn player is harmonics, I will grab a copy from my practise stuff sometime soon if you are interested. It details all of the notes that can possibly be played on a particular fingering and demonstrates how close together they get as you go up in degree, it's very difficult to find some of the notes, and ultimately master, but a great application in awareness of your own sound.

If you haven't read it pick up the Philip Farkas book "Art of French Horn Playing" it's contents are very rewarding and considered standard knowledge among horn players. http://www.amazon.com/French-Horn-Playing-...s/dp/0874870216

Best of luck with your auditions! Too bad in Canada no one takes marching band seriously and we all get drunk and have a great time making music... heehee.
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I hate scales, even thought I know they're very important, and nonetheless, I practice them all the time. In our district, we play etudes from various books, so its possible to have played the audition before you get the actual sheet music, if that makes sense. So it's not titled anything, just numbers like 309 or 412. For the auditions, it's not that bad at all when you think about it. You're only up there for all of maybe 5 minutes or so. you play part of the fast piece and your chromatic for round one. For round two, you play the slow piece and a scale of the judge's choice. The judges can't see you mainly because if they could, they might know you and judge you unfairly. (they are behind a curtain) You're in a room with everyone who plays your instrument, so the only people that can see you are your fellow players...and monitors who make sure that you're playing from memory.

I'll take any advice you're willing to give me and thanks!

Well, I used to play the flute, but I haven't in a while. But I'm pretty sure if I look at the lecture book and get my hands on another flute I'll pick it up again exactly where I left off.

Besides that, I pretty much stick to my vocals too. I'm a pretty good singer, so I can range from most rock to even some operatic (like Phantom of the Opera songs).

Oh, I also have an electric guitar...but I've never learned to play it. That reminds me, I have to ask my Dad where he stashed that....

Well, I used to play the flute, but I haven't in a while. But I'm pretty sure if I look at the lecture book and get my hands on another flute I'll pick it up again exactly where I left off.

Besides that, I pretty much stick to my vocals too. I'm a pretty good singer, so I can range from most rock to even some operatic (like Phantom of the Opera songs).

Oh, I also have an electric guitar...but I've never learned to play it. That reminds me, I have to ask my Dad where he stashed that....
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I've been playing the bagpipes for 7 years

I've been playing the bagpipes for 7 years
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That is hot. I plan to get an authetnic set of northumbrian pipes one day.

I hate scales, even thought I know they're very important, and nonetheless, I practice them all the time. In our district, we play etudes from various books, so its possible to have played the audition before you get the actual sheet music, if that makes sense. So it's not titled anything, just numbers like 309 or 412. For the auditions, it's not that bad at all when you think about it. You're only up there for all of maybe 5 minutes or so. you play part of the fast piece and your chromatic for round one. For round two, you play the slow piece and a scale of the judge's choice. The judges can't see you mainly because if they could, they might know you and judge you unfairly. (they are behind a curtain) You're in a room with everyone who plays your instrument, so the only people that can see you are your fellow players...and monitors who make sure that you're playing from memory.

I'll take any advice you're willing to give me and thanks!
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You seem to have your exceprts under control, the most important thing is to practise slowly. If you can't go up to speed yet, don't. And be sure to play held notes for their full value, a lot of horn players have a habit of ending early. Make sure you aren't 'twa-ing'. That is a bad habit of younger horn players who start every single note small and do a crescendo decrecendo on every note, it's a way to make up for not understanding how to correctly express on the horn yet. (I was suprirised the day I learned I had been using that crutch.) Pay careful attention to dynamic levels, if it calls for a sustained forte, play just that.

Memorising is impressive, we rarely have to memorise exceprts, although I may try to for my jury this year. It's good that they are training you with the curtains now because that is what you'll be subject to later in your career, the funny thing is here I am in University and I've never once played an audition behind a curtain, I'm always face to face with my jurers.

Oh! And get your body on your side! That is probably the worst part of being a horn player, that any little flaw going on in your body could effect your playing at your audition. Don't drink any dairy from the night before to the audition, get a good sleep. Eat bland and light foods the day of the audition, bananas are actually an excellent snack an hour or so before your audition. They have happy endorphines that calm you down.

The best practise you can ever, ever, ever do though, is to spend some quality time with just you and your mouth piece, buzzing arpegios, scales, the melody of a particular piece. Holding a piece of paper infront of the mouthpiece to see that you are blowing lots of air, and making a full sound. Creating the best vibration you possibly can in the bowl of your mouthpiece is the key to becoming a noticable horn player.

That is hot. I plan to get an authetnic set of northumbrian pipes one day.
You seem to have your exceprts under control, the most important thing is to practise slowly. If you can't go up to speed yet, don't. And be sure to play held notes for their full value, a lot of horn players have a habit of ending early. Make sure you aren't 'twa-ing'. That is a bad habit of younger horn players who start every single note small and do a crescendo decrecendo on every note, it's a way to make up for not understanding how to correctly express on the horn yet. (I was suprirised the day I learned I had been using that crutch.) Pay careful attention to dynamic levels, if it calls for a sustained forte, play just that.

Memorising is impressive, we rarely have to memorise exceprts, although I may try to for my jury this year. It's good that they are training you with the curtains now because that is what you'll be subject to later in your career, the funny thing is here I am in University and I've never once played an audition behind a curtain, I'm always face to face with my jurers.

Oh! And get your body on your side! That is probably the worst part of being a horn player, that any little flaw going on in your body could effect your playing at your audition. Don't drink any dairy from the night before to the audition, get a good sleep. Eat bland and light foods the day of the audition, bananas are actually an excellent snack an hour or so before your audition. They have happy endorphines that calm you down.

The best practise you can ever, ever, ever do though, is to spend some quality time with just you and your mouth piece, buzzing arpegios, scales, the melody of a particular piece. Holding a piece of paper infront of the mouthpiece to see that you are blowing lots of air, and making a full sound. Creating the best vibration you possibly can in the bowl of your mouthpiece is the key to becoming a noticable horn player.
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Thanks for the food tip, I'll make sure to eat a banana lol. Cause I know I'll be nervous like last year. I didn't know about the dairy thing either, thanks. =) But tomorrow in class we get a chance to play our mock audition voluntarily. I think its funny because my band director said "I won't make anyone audition who doesn't want to...except for Shannon," but he was kidding. Everyone wants me to play, so I guess I will. It'll be a good way to work off some nerves.
Also thanks for the dynamic stuff as well =)

Well, here's how the audition went for anyone who cares.

I went in and played my first scale (Concert D, my A) absolutely perfect. Like, I don't know how I could've done any better. I played the part of my slow piece like they said just as well as I've ever played it. For the second round, I played my chromatic scale. I missed the top note alone and had to tongue it (and break my slurring pattern) in order to get it. That's the only mistake I made. I then played my fast piece better than I had ever played it at home, surprising myself.

Then I found out I didn't make it. I was all "WTF?!" in my thoughts, and I honestly cried all the way home. I had worked my butt off every freakin' night for nothing. What ticked me off even more was the fact that kids that messed up the rythms made it, and good chairs too. I had no idea why I didn't get in. I had practiced pretty much an hour to an hour and a half the entire week before each night on that music alone. So you know that when I didn't make it, I was to say the least, furious. I didn't expect to make first or second chair. I don't think I'm that good yet. I just expected to make it.

Then I hide from my band directors all day because I'm so embarrassed because I was "supposed to make it" like they had hinted to me since December of last year. Needless to say, I was pretty much ashamed at this point. I'd moved on to the stage where I was mad at myself and asking myself what I did wrong. I was blaming myself. My band director told me that I got 7th chair. They took 6. ONE FREAKING CHAIR AWAY. There was this one guy though, that did absolutely amazing. I don't think a pro could've played it any better, thats how awesome this guy was. The first thing I did was make sure that he got first chair. He did, so there is some hope for the judging. I also found out that I really should've made it.

There was a flood watch allll monday, the same time zone A was supposed to go to Honor band (I'm in Zone B) But, they canceled all after school activities, including that tryout. This one school couldn't go because the day they rescheduled that tryout was their band concert night. So, they moved in with us. One guy from that school made it. They didn't add on any extra chairs because of the extra school joining us. I would've made it if it weren't for the flood.

Then, I got home and recieved a call from my private lesson teacher. He told me that he had asked his students about me today and how I did and they all said i was a definite shoo in for 2nd or 3rd chair. They said that when they found out I didn't make it, they were completely shocked. They could've sworn I was 2nd or 3rd chair. The monitors in the room (students from Zone A) thought I was a definite for making honor band, one girl that I was performing in with region band last year.

I don't wanna make excuses and blame the judging. 9.9999/10 I am NOT that kind of person. I usually take responsibility, but last night I didn't know what else I could've owned up to. I made one little mistake and i didn't make it, whereas 2-6th chairs made more than that in the words of my teacher's students.

So, I'm proud of how I played down to the last note. I just wished the judging would've been more fair.

[JohnnyFalls]

I played Trumpet for a few months, I know the basics of it... but then my teacher said my mouth was too big so I was switched to Baritone, and I played Trebel Clef (much easier for me) for a few more months. Then I played flute the next year.

:] I got around. x3

I play piano and vibraphone


o and also miramba.... lol..

I play Drums, i've been playing for almost 3 years, im a metal drummer for my band Calling The Public, and i have a side band, The Snare Pops.

I'm in Drumline!! My coach last year was in the madison scouts or soemthing lol.