I've Found An Orchestra, ...and now I'm getting cold feet! Options

[2childmum]

I've been wanting to play with other people for a while but all the orchestras I've found ask for grade 8 and as I'm only about grade 3 it's going to be a while!

Now I've found a string orchestra who say I can come to a rehearsal and give it a go (although the music may prove a bit tricky for me) I was so excited when i discovered it - but now the first rehearsal is looming (Friday) and I'm beginning to think it wasn't such a good idea.

I shall still go and give it my best shot, but suspect i shall be shaking so hard I will have problems playing!

Wish me luck!

[barry-clari]

Have fun, and the very best of luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[anacrusis]

Terrifying as the idea is - and I can see that it would be - remember that we all have to start somewhere. I waited until I had grade 8 before starting to play regularly with others, and was scared stiff on joining other recorder players for ensemble work even later than that, and all for the simple reason that I was used to learning and playing music by myself, or with my sympathetic husband, accompanist or teacher to chum me - all of whom were well used to covering up my mistakes. I don't count well, and it is a completely different skill, learning to play in a group, hold one's place in the music, come in on time, adjust tuning to others. and come off on time. Technically, I'm probably one of the more advanced players in the group I've joined, but as far as those skills go, I'm waaay down the list. Starting now, early on in the learning process, means that you will be getting up to speed at the same time as the rest of your playing is developing: you'll learn the skills side by side, and not have a huge and mortifyingly embarrassing gap in your musical education at a later stage. You'll have the benefit too of being a little protected by numbers: I noticed at our last recorder rehearsal that one very new lady chose to sit and follow the music as we played to begin with, just to learn how to come in and keep up with what's happening - once we were playing small chunks of the music, she joined in. I really wish I'd had the chance of ensemble playing much much earlier on - I'd be at least four times the musician I am now if I had not let that gap in my knowledge widen like that.

So - go for it, have some fun! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).

[Arundodonuts]

I've been wanting to play with other people for a while but all the orchestras I've found ask for grade 8 and as I'm only about grade 3 it's going to be a while!

Now I've found a string orchestra who say I can come to a rehearsal and give it a go (although the music may prove a bit tricky for me) I was so excited when i discovered it - but now the first rehearsal is looming (Friday) and I'm beginning to think it wasn't such a good idea.

I shall still go and give it my best shot, but suspect i shall be shaking so hard I will have problems playing!

Wish me luck!

Well I've just got in from my first experience in an orchestra and I enjoyed it enormously. I actually played a few notes and managed to finish at the same time as most other players. So I say go for it.

Good luck.

[echelon]

Just give it a go. I went to an orchestra rehersal a few months ago and managed okay. Even if you can't play all of the notes, it doesn't matter. I helps with your sightreading and it's great being with other musicians.

Give it a go, you never know how much fun you might end up having (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Grade 3 standard is good - nothing to be ashamed of at all.

[Violin Hero]

I say go for it. You may be at the back for quite a while but if you don't go then you won't get better and will never end up at the front of your section someday.

In one of my orchetsras some quite young, 13-15 yr olds have joined and are not really good enough but they will gain experiance and be as good as everyone else in a year's time. Same will happen with you.

[jojo]

I say go for it. You may be at the back for quite a while but if you don't go then you won't get better and will never end up at the front of your section someday.

In one of my orchetsras some quite young, 13-15 yr olds have joined and are not really good enough but they will gain experiance and be as good as everyone else in a year's time. Same will happen with you.

Totally agree,
I joined an orchestra back in April/May this year, at grade 4 and a half standard.
my experience was MORTIFYING, I felt I wanted to chuck the violin in the fire as I was total rubbish, sat there like a lemon throughout rehearsal (2 and a half hours of it), played 5 notes at the most in that time, 99% of the times I didn't know what key we were in or at what time signature and at least a dozen times lost my place.

Now, 4 months on (well, 2 and a bit as they had 6 weeks break for the summer), where am I???
am still TOTAL rubbish! I still only play maybe 5 or 6 bars in the whole 2 and a half hours, we are playing stuff with LOTS of accidentals and if I go out of 1st position I can't sight read (well I can read but don't know immediately where the notes are on the violin, I have to think about it, by the time I though about it they are a page in front of me!!!)

Is it that bad? YES! Although the others in the orchestra are very friendly and don't mind me being there and even look surprised when I say I won't play in the next concert, I sit right at the back of the string section by myself.

So, after this story you may think: OK, you have put me off, I WON'T GO NOW

NOOOOOOOOOOO, I urge you to go and keep going every week as it will only help.

for example: I now always know which key signature and time signature we are in, I may not play but I KNOW what I am supposed to play, whereas before I didn't even know what I was supposed to play.

I now play 5 or 6 bars in reahersal whereas before I used to play 5 notes.

So even though minor, I can see an improvement and like others say: you've got to start from somewhere!!

I'll stick with it and one day when I can play throughout the whole rehearsal if someone new joins I'll ask them to sit next to me as I want to encourage them to stick with it and keep going 'like I did!' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

[2childmum]

Thank you all for your words of much needed encouragement, although having looked at a map I'm now more worried about finding my way there than I am about playing!

I'm hoping to sit at the back but as I have no idea how big the orchestra is it may not be as far back as i would like!

My daughter (age 7) has just joined a string orchestra - she only has to play open strings. They only have two violas and I would love to join in but I think I'm a bit big! I hope I'm as 'buzzy' after my attempt as she has been after her 2 rehearsals. She was showing me what a conductor does today!

I did play a bit in the school orchestra (cello) and briefly on the viola in another orchestra, but it was a very long time ago. I'm hoping that some of the 'how to play in an orchestra' type knowledge comes back to me, leaving me with the 'how the heck do i play that note/key/rhythm' bit to worry about!

[Arundodonuts]

I did play a bit in the school orchestra (cello) and briefly on the viola in another orchestra, but it was a very long time ago. I'm hoping that some of the 'how to play in an orchestra' type knowledge comes back to me, leaving me with the 'how the heck do i play that note/key/rhythm' bit to worry about!

If it's any encouragement I was once told by a violist with the Halle that when she joined she spent the first few rehearsals bowing above the strings. Then progressed to open strings and eventually a few actual phrases!!

[Violin Hero]

Just remember all the basics about orchestral playing. Inside players turn pages and mark up parts as well as playing the bottom line when it divides. Also try and make sure your bowing is the same as the principal's.

If you make sure of all these things you will have a great time.

[jojo]

Just remember all the basics about orchestral playing. Inside players turn pages and mark up parts as well as playing the bottom line when it divides. Also try and make sure your bowing is the same as the principal's.

If you make sure of all these things you will have a great time.

that's right,


BUT on the only occasion I sat on the inside I DID NOT turn pages (as lost altogether where we were supposed to be), nor did any markings nor could play the bottom line (could not play at all!) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
thankfully I was sitting next to a very experienced and understanding woman who is also a violin teacher so she knows too well what 'adult beginners' can be like (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)

[Violin Hero]

becuase of all the things inside players have to do I always try and sit on the outside, even if it means dropping back a desk or 2.
For example recently i could have sat inside 2nd desk but opted for outside 4th desk.

[2childmum]

At the risk of sounding really stupid - which is the inside and which the outside (ie which is on the right, as you are sitting in it?)

[Miss Ross]

The inside is on the left as you're sitting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Good luck! x

[Flossie]

The inside is on the left as you're sitting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Good luck! x

For violins.

It varies between instruments. I think violas, celli and double basses it's the opposite, and it's the opposite for flutes/claris even though they sit on the same half of the orchestra as violins. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)