Musical

wsFltePicmb09 · Post by **wsFltePicmb09** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:22 am

I'm a sophomore in HS and I was picked to play flute/pic in the musical (Mame)... this is my first time doing anything like this and the music is [i]hard[/i]... what creates most of the problem is the key signatures (and the frequent changes) and the fact it's all hand written... It's hard to read and it's driving me nuts... any suggestions on how to learn the music? and read it?? I hav to learn the whole thing in less than 2 meeks... we are actually playing with the actors this thursday and we havnt read the whole show yet!

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 3:31 pm

That's always a challenge with musicals....The more you read manuscript, the easier it becomes to understand what the composer wanted. For now, read it slowly, and if anything seems particularly difficult to read, mark it in the part. Key changes are just a part of playing in musicals that you'll have to get used to. If you learn the music slowly and correctly, they won't cause you too much trouble. Also be sure that you're familiar with your scales and arpeggios (in all their various versions), as this will help you go back and forth from key to key with less trouble, as well as improving your sightreading.

musical_Kat · Post by **musical_Kat** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:37 pm

I have done some musical theatre pit work myself...you just have to get used to the style of writing it's done in....if you work on it long enough it will become old hat...like reading your own writing. I think the hardest thing i've had to read is the score for Into the Woods by Stephan Sondheim...plus a couple of the lead roles had to some of their songs taken down so I had to transpose a very large section of the score. Too bad they couldn't just work on improving their range (although I guess that's besides the point)

wsFltePicmb09 · Post by **wsFltePicmb09** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:57 pm

lol... thanks... I've gotten much better at reading it now that Ive gotten to know the music better... now I've just gotta get used to playing loud enough that people can hear me... the first time we played with the singers andin the pit i was terrified and ended up freezing up on the part that were really exposed...

haha... I'll get better though... thanks for your advice

FLflutist · Post by **FLflutist** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:17 am

Be lucky you even HAVE to a part to play!

I'm in the musical for my high school too, we're doing "Anything Goes" and there are THREE LINES of music for flute, so I play the oboe parts as well (which isn't very much at all either.)

The thing that's even worse is that my friend, who is also a flute player, wanted to be in the pit orchestra as well, so we share some parts.

I play in 4 of the 30 peices of music there is...>.<

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:26 am

FLflutist wrote:Be lucky you even HAVE to a part to play!

I'm in the musical for my high school too, we're doing "Anything Goes" and there are THREE LINES of music for flute, so I play the oboe parts as well (which isn't very much at all either.)

The thing that's even worse is that my friend, who is also a flute player, wanted to be in the pit orchestra as well, so we share some parts.

I play in 4 of the 30 peices of music there is...>.<

We did Anything Goes my freshman year of high school. I'd suggest getting a hold of the clarinet parts and transposing them for flute.

FLflutist · Post by **FLflutist** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:40 am

There's already two Clarinet players playing the clarinet parts.

Besides, tonight is the last performance. Maybe next year I'll have something to play

wsFltePicmb09 · Post by **wsFltePicmb09** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:50 pm

thats gotta suck!! Musicals are interesting haha... a very different experience... with CRAZY key signatures!!

FLflutist · Post by **FLflutist** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:15 pm

wsFltePicmb09 wrote:thats gotta suck!! Musicals are interesting haha... a very different experience... with CRAZY key signatures!!

Yeah no kidding. I don't understand the point of seven sharps -.-;;

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:33 pm

FLflutist wrote:
wsFltePicmb09 wrote:thats gotta suck!! Musicals are interesting haha... a very different experience... with CRAZY key signatures!!
Yeah no kidding. I don't understand the point of seven sharps -.-;;

Oftentimes the key signatures are there to accomdate the singers. Just as there are certain keys that are easier for us, there are keys that are easier for them. Not to mention that changing the key a piece is in can help limit to the range to something reasonable. Before equal temperament, each key was believed to have a special quality (some people still believe this about keys), and music would be written in a key that complimented the ideas the composer was trying to get across . There's usually a perfectly logical reason for a given key signature.

musical_Kat · Post by **musical_Kat** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:48 pm

flutepicc06 wrote:
FLflutist wrote:
wsFltePicmb09 wrote:thats gotta suck!! Musicals are interesting haha... a very different experience... with CRAZY key signatures!!
Yeah no kidding. I don't understand the point of seven sharps -.-;;
Oftentimes the key signatures are there to accomdate the singers. Just as there are certain keys that are easier for us, there are keys that are easier for them. Not to mention that changing the key a piece is in can help limit to the range to something reasonable. Before equal temperament, each key was believed to have a special quality (some people still believe this about keys), and music would be written in a key that complimented the ideas the composer was trying to get across . There's usually a perfectly logical reason for a given key signature.

Also when someone is composing for musical theatre they are thinking in acting and storyline terms. To make something believable in song you sometimes have to make it sound like the singing is actually speaking...you're telling a story with the music much more so than if you were playing in an orchestra or symphany. To make singing believable as a storytelling devise you have to move around...change keys....A LOT....so that it sounds like a natural progression from speaking. You don't just burst into song in the middle of a monologue....it works it's way in as a part of the monologue. You don't speak in one key....you change keys when you are changing topics or getting worked up about something, or talking to someone you are falling in love with. There is an ebb and flow....thus....CRAZY key signatures that change every 10 bars!

TheScarecrow · Post by **TheScarecrow** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:42 pm

You have to keep in mind that a composer for a musical doesn't consider the pit at all. Singers aren't effected by key signature, so if it helps make the song build or sound different then they do it. A big thing in most musicals is to go up or down a half step, which will change the key drastically each time you do it. It might be nice to start in B flat, but when you go up to B it is suddenly a lot more difficult. If you get the part down, it can sound really cool though!

atoriphile · Post by **atoriphile** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:00 pm

I don't think that playing in B is any more difficult than playing in B flat. As long as you know your scales and arpeggios, you'll be all set!

musical_Kat · Post by **musical_Kat** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:06 pm

atoriphile wrote:I don't think that playing in B is any more difficult than playing in B flat. As long as you know your scales and arpeggios, you'll be all set!

But for most flute players jumping from Bb to B suddenly is an oh sh*t moment. Especially since you don't typically get the music until you show up for the first full dress rehearsal. It's not like you've gone home with the music and had the time to look it all over to see what you're up against. The fun little sight reading nightmares!

atoriphile · Post by **atoriphile** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:09 pm

musical_Kat wrote: But for most flute players jumping from Bb to B suddenly is an oh sh*t moment. Especially since you don't typically get the music until you show up for the first full dress rehearsal. It's not like you've gone home with the music and had the time to look it all over to see what you're up against. The fun little sight reading nightmares!

Very true! Another thing I hate is when they don't write the key signature at the beginning of each line.