Whats it like in band? I play in an orchestra, but im going to be in a band next week.

I`m assuming you play flute, since you posted in this forum.

There are few differences between an orchestra and a concert band (also called orchestre d`harmonie, wind ensemble, and symphonic band).

In an orchestra, you have strings - in a concert band, you don`t (except for the occasional double bass part).

In a concert band, you have a full saxophone section - bari, tenor, and alto. Percy Grainger often added the soprano saxophone to the instrumentation. For example, his six movement suite, Lincolnshire Posy, has a soprano sax part. There usually aren`t saxophones in orchestras, but operas such as Porgy and Bess have saxophones included in the instrumentation. There are also several orchestral pieces with saxophone accompaniments.

Another thing I have noticed about orchestras and concert bands is the conducting style. In concert bands, conductors makes an downward motion with their hands to signify the downbeats. In orchestras, the conductor makes an UPward motion to signify the DOWNbeats. This doesn`t make much sense to me, but that`s apparently how it`s been done for hundreds of years.

Those are the main points. Having never played in an orchestra, I don`t know what it`s like, so maybe you could tell me more about it, and about that conducting style that I still don`t understand.

Cheers,

Thomas

you have to make yourself heard, or in my band you do coz of the brass and sax

There are often- in youth bands at least- many more flutes in a section than there would be in an orchestra, so issues of tuning become very obvious- imagine 12 out of tune flutes screeching away at each other. I`ve been there and it`s horrendous.

So your flute part will be covered by other people, it`s a little less scary than being one to a part as is usual in orchestra, but sometimes you can feel overlooked slightly.

play sax man, and the saxes don`t overpower brass does

and if ur a guy i`d recomend learing how to play flute later not now or at least not in public for your sake. it doesn`t bother me but the other ppl won`t think that

God almight, what kind of life would you live if you stopped doing things just cos OTHER PEOPLE didn`r really like it?

In my orchestra, basically all of the flutes play the same part. Is it like that in band?

Well in my band section leaders/principal plaayers play first flute then it goes on ability we have 4 different flute parts but that might just be my band, we do things weird sometimes! Good luck in your new band

in my band about 50percent or more of the time we have 2nd parts also.. but sometimes we all just play first. but in our band we`ve only ever had 1st and 2nd parts

also... a lot of the songs we play have a piccolo part... so one person plays those. if you want to count that as a differen`t part for flute..

hey I never said I was against guy flute players. I`m just saying it`s a risky choice; if you care about what other people think. While by all means you don`t want to try to be the super jock to "be cool" you should try to be casuel, and try not to not be normal.

Davy, do you even play flute or are you just being a troll?

Oh my god at my school band is so boreing sometimes, and like last friday he told us to set up when we come in and to warm are self up. well the band did that, and he comes in saying that if we don`t fallow his rules that we are never going to get a supirior at aboda.blah blah blahhh thats all he cares about is the worlds greats band, By giving us High school level music.

Band is aswome!