Dynamics, people!

[sunburstbasser]

I play in my community band, sitting first chair right now. The second chair player is about 40 years older than me, and I swear she is 100% tone deaf. We had rehearsal last night, and everything she played was either mezzo forte or fortissimo. She also played very mechanically, and didn't get the styles of the various pieces at all. Very annoying.:mad:

[quilt_top]

I hear ya!

Some people think that loud and monotonous is good music. :confused:

My son is going to be 11 this August and he plays alto saxophone. Thanks to my constant nagging about dynamics, he's first chair in the band and for the past two years, he's gotten perfect score in his recitals. :thu:

[DemiFrost]

Dynamics = EMOTION.
If everything's the same, the high points won't seem so high and it'll be just boring. I think crescendos/descrescendos are the most important, as well as fortepianos, etc.

Dynamics aren't really stressed until like high school, unfortunately, but yeah, defintely stress them to your kids if you have them.

I just got the recordings of the school's bands, might post some to show the importance of dynamics. <_<

Edit:
Yep. These are from an official bootleg, perse. Assistant director records everything with these overhead mics during the concerts, so sound balance is pretty eh, especially for low brass! :(
Can't really post them all since we had to pay for them, but there's lots more.

Not trying to hijack the topic or anything, just thought I'd give good examples. :)

Concert Band
Marriage of Figaro Overture (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17914514672.mp3) - I just really like this song.
Manhattan Beach (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17914503611.mp3) - I just really like this song.
Fantasia For Christmas (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915011455.mp3) - The essential dynamic piece.
O Holy Night (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915030446.mp3) - Another fine example. Cracking in a trumpet solo though. >_<

Wind Ensemble
Gypsy Dances (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915111026.mp3) - It alternates dynamics between each section with the obligatory slow, emotional segment in the middle.
Elegy For a Young American (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915141043.mp3) - Just imagine how it'd sound like without any dynamics. I don't really like it though.
The Hounds of Spring (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915164396.mp3) - Just...amazing.
Symphony No.40 in G minor (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915185469.mp3)
Fate of the Gods (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915210254.mp3) - Awesome epic vikingness.

Bonus: Jazz Band - Nothing really to do with dynamics, but I know jazz is pretty popular here.
La Fiesta (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915232862.mp3) - I didn't know the bass was so loud in these. o_O She plays through a 1x15 combo.
My Favorite Things (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915250536.mp3) - Trombone feature ftw?
The Check's in the Mail (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915265167.mp3)
Over and Over (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915281151.mp3) - Yay for funk.
Blue Bossa (http://uploadfile.putfile.com/videos/17915301413.mp3) - Guitar solo is almost missable. He was playing through a 6 inch Crate.

[sunburstbasser]

Man, I just LOVE Fate of the Gods! Your ensemble did that very well.

If I get some time later, I'll see if I can't find a few of my REALLY bad bootlegs from my freshman year of college. If I have some from my sophomore year, you'll easily be able to hear how much the band improved with our new director!

I've got a concert later with Ms. Tone-deaf. I agree, teach your musical kids about dynamics, but by the time you hit 50 if you can't play P and F in the same song you might as well play for your own enjoyment.:rolleyes:

Harsh, but it really bothers me when I've been playing seriously for, oh, 9 months and I've got a better ear than someone who was playing before I was out of my mama's belly.

[DemiFrost]

Originally posted by sunburstbasser
Man, I just LOVE Fate of the Gods! Your ensemble did that very well.

If I get some time later, I'll see if I can't find a few of my REALLY bad bootlegs from my freshman year of college. If I have some from my sophomore year, you'll easily be able to hear how much the band improved with our new director!

I've got a concert later with Ms. Tone-deaf. I agree, teach your musical kids about dynamics, but by the time you hit 50 if you can't play P and F in the same song you might as well play for your own enjoyment.:rolleyes:

Harsh, but it really bothers me when I've been playing seriously for, oh, 9 months and I've got a better ear than someone who was playing before I was out of my mama's belly.

Haha, thanks. My only problems with our rendition is some of the tempos are questionable and the horn is a little buried. D:

Maybe she is actually hard of hearing, like how higher frequencies disappear from older people's hearing. How she got second chair playing how you described bothers me though :p

[sunburstbasser]

Originally posted by DemiFrost


Haha, thanks. My only problems with our rendition is some of the tempos are questionable and the horn is a little buried. D:

Maybe she is actually hard of hearing, like how higher frequencies disappear from older people's hearing. How she got second chair playing how you described bothers me though :p

Well, she got second chair because she CAN play the notes and rhythms, the other guy plays second, and 4th and 5th are being covered by middle schoolers. See, my community is so small, you don't have to be able to play, just hold the horn!:D

Though in reality, her "style" is VERY prevalent in this area-one dynamic, stopping notes with the tongue, reading notes without reading the rest of the music, etc. It took me about two months to quit using my tongue to cut off notes!