guys is it bad if during a band audition you play 3 different scales and on each of the scales you miss the "D" note, up and down?? i just did that for my high school band audition. could you guys just give me a few hints on how to improve on auditions? the thing that made me mad was that i was playing the whole piece perfect and then the director came in and told me to play for him. once i knew he was listening my piece was terrible!

hi, i used to have the same problem...OK i still do LOL. its really just nerves, kind of like speaking in public. but once you get worked up, its hard to calm down enough to just concentrate on your playing.

i never had the problem when i auditioned for anything, but when i was competing. ugh, it was awful, i`d get so nervous i`d practically vomit. i could play the peice flawlessly anytime except when it counted.

i don`t know what to tell you, but maybe the more you do it, the easier it will get. or if you can somehow immerse yourself in what you`re playing you might forget whats going on around you...i do think that for ausitions, the peple might be a little more forgiving then in a competition, but i wouldn`t bet on it for sure....

I use to do the same thing over and over again for my band director.

As a band director myself I take in effect that auditions are hard and stressful on my students to I usually make decisions more by how you act in band, if you are playing correctly in band and how much you`ve practiced.

thanks for re-asuring me that i`m not the only one who gets nervous. but i wasn`t really nervous until i practiced with a girl who is behind me in chairs. do u think that my band director will let me play for him more often so that next year when auditions come around i won`t be as nervous? for some reason i don`t get as nervous for the assistant director as i do for the main director. why do you think that is??

You`re right when you say that everyone gets nervous. If you don`t there is something seriously wrong with you. Get this, at my band auditions, I was the only one that started at the wrong spot! But, you can help your nerves by just remembering that, like I said before, everyone is just (if not more) nervous than you. Or, you can play for groups of people as much as possible. And each time you play for someone act like it is the audition. That when the audition comes, you are more prepared for the nerves.

ok well today was the big day. i found out my results from the audition. i went from 4th to 10th chair. but this year the band director doesn`t have a choice but to let us challenge. how can somebody go from 4th to 10th??? nerves are one thing, but having all of the sophmores and over half of the freshmen beat you that`s another. what are the fingerings for low d flat??

All fingers but the left pinkie, and the right pinkie on the paddle (key) below the roller (assuming a C foot).

ok thanks. that will definitely help in the near future when it is time to challenge for my seat back. man that`s a lot of girls to challenge. with the challenge and all my dad wants me to play for the Christmas program at his church. any suggestions for some music to play?? last year i played "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" but i don`t know what to play this year or if i even am going to play.

The Tullian in me say try "Once in Royal David`s City", the flute solo that opens "A Christmas Song".

thanks do you know where i can get that piece before tuesday???

Here give this a try, found it on a Google search.
http://www.mfiles.co.uk/Scores/once-in-royal.htm

There will be a free download for the reader.

It is my recommendation to up the notes an octave, to sound correct.

thanks for the link. i think i might do that piece. how many octaves can you play a scale??? i thought it was only possible to play 2 octaves. right??

On a flute you can play 4 Cs, starting with middle C as the lowest note (on a C foot flute). You effectively have 3 octaves of notes you can play on a flute. I you know how to transpose, you can rewrite the notes up an octave. Also when you have a score with notes stacked, you play the highest notes of the stack, although you can make an instant duet, by having another person play the other notes in the stack.

Hope this helps.

I am presently comfortable playing up to the high G (3 left hand middle fingers only) mostly working with the G major scale and chords. Have not come across any music that requires me to go that high.

how long have you been playing the flute?? i`ve been playing for about 7 years and i had no idea you could play four c`s on the flute. thanks it does help quite a bit. i have come across a piece that requires me to go up to high G and A. the piece is called "in all it`s glory" that was my audition piece.