Comments

I agree Buri. It is a real issue for adult beginners who want to move into the mainstream of music. Large cities will have options for adult learners in amateur orchestras but for the rest of us, it's jump in with both feet.

Thanks for the advice.

"Third, inner voices be aware of when you are accompanying and when being a leading voice. "

This is easy for violists. 99% of the time we are accompanying, not leading with few exceptions. Those exceptions are well known in the viola world, and eagerly anticipated :)

Greetings,
the world of music has lied to you. Its the other way round. Go forth with vim,
Cheer,s
Buri Sorry, couldn't translate that one....Vim????

Seriously, there are some really fun orchestral pieces for the violas. Beethoven's 5th 2nd movement, almost anything Dvorak, and a few others. Still, the "important parts" are few enough that we all collectively know what those are. In my CO, it is a sectional joke when the conductor tells us we have the important part. We all feign shock over the viola section getting something "interesting".

However our definition of interesting includes anything that is not the same note repeated for 20 measures, which might not match the conductor's definition of "interesting" :)

Vim: Ebullient vitality and energy. (American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed.)

"Ebullient" is such a nifty word. It sums up how I feel about Tchaikovsky 5, although 'Manfred' is my favorite...

There is no training orchestra for adult amateurs around here. What a shame. I have found that teaching duets in lessons is a good way to learn basic ensemble skills.

I know there is a movement afoot, called "New Horizons" that is about forming orchestras or bands of adult amateur, beginner or 're-beginners'. In our area, we have formed a group we lovingly refer to as the 'rusty-dusties'. Rusty players whose instrument cases are covered in dust from being shoved under a bed for decades. :) Anyway, we live in a very small area and still have enough players for this group to exist. Check out New Horizons...you might find it worth while to form a group of your own, either coaching it yourself, or collectively hiring someone else to come in a do so. It's incredibly rewarding. http://www.newhorizonsmusic.org/ Great post Buri!

I'm fortunate to play in a CO where we welcome beginners, and in our flexible seating for the different sections often times a beginner will be paired up with a much more experienced player and that seems to help them get a feel for ensemble work.

But you said something I'm not getting...in octave playing between violins why should the "lower" voice be stronger? Is this a general rule or only applied in certain pieces or types of music?

I am lucky to be sitting in the back of a student orchestra...and it is just fabulous experience. (Plus my daughter is occasionally persuaded to play the first violin part with me to practice...very cute and she's a good teacher too!) Thanks Buri,
Also everyone should have a score. Recently I worked on the Mozart Viola Quintet with my students.I didn't have the parts ready,only the score,so I copied that and gave it out.Everyone read and practiced from the score adding bowings and fingerings for the first weeks. When the parts arrived it was good to see everyone knew their parts plus the other parts too.
Cheers,
Craig Greetings
>But you said something I'm not getting...in octave playing between violins why should the "lower" voice be stronger? Is this a general rule or only applied in certain pieces or types of music?

Interesitng question. I cannot remember an instance when it wan`t true. It smooths out the sound, stabilizes theintonation and stops those screechy first violins from pressing too hard in their excitement.
Is there a
parallel with the need to focus on the lower string in solo octave playing?
Cheers,
Buri

Buri, great post!!! In regards to Tess comments, I find it quite opposite that in large cities, most community orchestras already has fairly high standard, I find it difficult to find something that will take beginners (I got really lucky).

Ensemble playing is so important, when I used to play piano, I never get to play with others, so I lack this skill, orchestra playing really help!!

I'm so glad I stick with it even though I was completely lost for a good month!

I just started playing with a wonderful community orchestra. Unfortunately, our first concert is with a choir that dictates the music we have to learn. So my first orchestra experience in 20 years is Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass. Talk about feeling like I've been thrown off the deep end! Some of those fast passages are just beyond me. But I'm having fun and learning a lot, including how to "fake it until I make it." :) Greetinga,
Haydn is a real pig. But its the bets posisble trainign for a stirng section. the problem I find with bigger amateur orchestras is they work on the principle thta all the players need to be emploed at all times. This means all music is mor eor less post Beethoven (trombones) with ambitious and somtimes painful attempts at Mahler or Bruckne ror whatever.
As a result stringas never develop a true sound and then the wind moan about them....;)
Cheers,
Buri