Re: Contra-Octave in band playing


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Posted by Winton on May 03, 2001 at 19:07:52:

In Reply to: Contra-Octave in band playing posted by Austin H. on May 03, 2001 at 17:31:29:

Ok, you know how highschool trumpet player's "thing" is to play high notes and see who can go higher and louder? For electric bassists, it's slapping that's really cool. For tuba player's, the thing is to play everything an octave lower. It does sound cool doing things an octave lower; definately adds depth and strenght in the piece. BUUUUUUUUUUUUT!!!!! BUUUUUUUUUUUT, the NUMBER ONE thing to consider before you drop it an octave or playing the fifth of the bass note (which is also cool), is musicality. You have to do it with taste and not just cuz it sounds cool or cuz you can do it.

The piece "Four Scottish Dances", the slow section I heard by this one band did the climax of the 3rd (slow) section an octave lower, doing pedal D's and C's.........but they went up to a good Fortissimo. But our winds director doesn't go that loud, and when I did it an octave lower, it didn't sound good at all. It was unnecessary. So what I'm saying is that it depends on the music: tempo, style, key, pitch (like the difference with a pedal Bb and low E), and volume. Even in some parts that would sound cool with lots of pedals, the rhythm might be too busy (8th & 16th notes) that it would sound too cumbersom.

So the main point when dropping things an octave lower, do it tastefully and mainly consider musicality.

-W


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