Jazz Band Instruments...

pohl_56 · 10-24-2005, 10:25 PM

Aright. I am in a jazz band after school on certain days and at the moment we have a piano player, baritone saxophone player, and me (tuba player). WE get a few others that come in but has anyone else been in a band with these instruments? especially the Tuba (you dont here much about that usually).

Seafroggys · 10-25-2005, 12:42 AM

Holy crap. IN high school i was all used to 6 saxes, 4 bones, 6-7 trumpets, bass, drums, piano, guitar, and maybe more than one of each of those. My college jazz band seems small because there's 3 saxes, 3 bones, 2 trumpets, and a full rhythm section.

dj_ando · 10-25-2005, 02:52 AM

pretty small turnout :\ you gotta have a decent rhythm section! i've been doing an ensemble class at a local uni (sydney conservatorium) for a year now, and right now we've got bass drums (me) keys and 2 bones. pretty wierd group, but you can make anything work as long as you've got a rhythm section. i've never been in a band with that particular arrangement, but you guys really need to get a rhythm section together. it's just so vital to a jazz ensemble in my opinion! then again, being a drummer i may have a bit of bias on the subject

~~AmericanWeiner~~ · 10-25-2005, 10:19 AM

/Me wonders about the potential of traditional world instruments in the context of jazz...Steel drum, didgerido..

/Me also wonders about other instruments in the context of jazz...theremin, turntables, synth....

halfdeadhippo · 10-25-2005, 05:57 PM

I wish my jazz band was smaller.

We get all the good players (who would sound godlike if they were the only members) and a whole bunch of people who never practice. The real trouble is that the instructor/teacher/leaderdude (he doesn't really "teach" jazz band, because it's an extracurricular thing, but he's the teacher for the main band class) doesn't get on people about skills. He harasses them somewhat during the rehearsals, but doesn't want to hurt any feelings, so it doesn't do much.

Translation: I don't like big bands.

CabbageStabbage · 10-25-2005, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmericanWeiner

/Me wonders about the potential of traditional world instruments in the context of jazz...Steel drum, didgerido..

/Me also wonders about other instruments in the context of jazz...theremin, turntables, synth....

Theremin! Oh yeah!

My school has an r&b band, we play motown and stuff.
we have:
A lot of female singers
3 male singers
about 4 guitars
bass (me)
drums
piano
2 trumpets
alto sax
valve trombone (cool instrument)

pohl_56 · 10-25-2005, 07:28 PM

I too like smaller groups for stuff like that. I am debating if I should switch back over to trumpet (what I used to play) since my friend whats to join who also plays tuba. We have some kickin' things going too so it's coming along slowly. The teacher is awesome so that makes it all the much better. We are gonna be playing at a gig later in November. I guess he has some sorta club he plays at and is gonna take us to perform so we will hope we can get things together. Not to mention the fact that it pays. I think this week I am gonna learn to solo on the tuba so that's cool.

In your bands did you go through all the theory and such or did you jump right into playing? Also, do you write your own stuff or just play something on a page and mix it up a bit?

halfdeadhippo · 10-25-2005, 07:50 PM

Quote:

In your bands did you go through all the theory and such or did you jump right into playing? Also, do you write your own stuff or just play something on a page and mix it up a bit?

We just went right into the playing, which was a major part of the problem. Also, we neither wrote our own stuff nor mixed it up unless I (or our former tenor saxist) was given the chance to solo, in which case the solo was made up (as opposed to playing the written solo).

However, I'm a senior this year, and one of maybe five people in the band who know what they're doing, so perhaps I'll get a bigger say in how it's run this time. Hell, I'd be willing to put up with the cheesy, by-the-book jazz standards, if I could do just one song at one of our performances (the other two are tight for time as we share the stage with the various vocal groups and the concert band) with several soloists and the rhythm section jamming out a chord progression and a simple melody.

Woodstock · 10-25-2005, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seafroggys

Holy crap. IN high school i was all used to 6 saxes, 4 bones, 6-7 trumpets, bass, drums, piano, guitar, and maybe more than one of each of those. My college jazz band seems small because there's 3 saxes, 3 bones, 2 trumpets, and a full rhythm section.

That's very similar to my school's Jazz Band.

/trumpet

metBANS · 10-26-2005, 05:58 PM

Valve Trombone = Cool Instrument? I think not... They have no low tones below an f (4th line in bass clef) they are too choppy, have massive amounts of resistance and are too conical to be considered a trombone but not conical enough to be considered a euphonium. They are a waste of time, and aren't worth anything in jazz, except for ****s and giggles in somthing... maybe.

[/rant]

Anywho, I don't really like my school jazz band. I love my teacher and most of the kids in it, but its not a class where you are selected. Its a, "I'll just show up and get my schedule changed so I can be in it and bung it up for everyone else" class.

I've played in a bunch of workshops and made Honors jazz the past two years, (3rd and 2nd chair respectivally) and it definately pwns any school band, ever. Because anyone can feel like joining, we usually have 2 basses, 3 drummers, hopefully only one pianist, and countless guitars. Then we get an overloaded sax section of 4 altos, 4 tenors, and a bari. When we should only have 2 altos, 2 tenors and a bari. 5 trombones, when we should only have 3 and a bass trombone player, but alas, most highschool jazz music is crap and has a 4th rather than bass part. And way too many trumpets when we should only have 4-5.

Call me an eilitest, but... well... I am.

pohl_56 · 10-26-2005, 07:36 PM

That's very interesting. Sounds like your class is kinda like mine was last year. We had about 10 percussionists that sat around doing nothing and when they did play it was all crap. We also had a ton of people that didn't know the first thing about instruments. We are called an Advanced Concert Band but didn't really sound like it last year.

This year however is a little bit different. We are smaller with more dedicated, intelligent people. Jazz band is just starting out and we have a few people that show up whenever but we all want to do it which is always important. It seems that this post has been rather useless now doesnt it? Practice tomorrow (gonna learn to solo on the tuba)...

jake plays guitar · 10-27-2005, 08:27 PM

your going to need a complete rythm section

pohl_56 · 10-29-2005, 07:19 PM

Yea-quite true. We need a lot of work but it is slowly coming together.

~~something vague~~ · 10-29-2005, 08:04 PM

The jazz band I'm in has 5 saxes, a trombone, trumpet, a woodwind that I forgot the name of, bass, guitar, and drums.

10-24-2005, 10:25 PM	#1
pohl_56 Rock'N Roller Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 961	Jazz Band Instruments... Aright. I am in a jazz band after school on certain days and at the moment we have a piano player, baritone saxophone player, and me (tuba player). WE get a few others that come in but has anyone else been in a band with these instruments? especially the Tuba (you dont here much about that usually).

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10-25-2005, 12:42 AM	#2
Seafroggys Truffula Hugger Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Edge of Nowhere Posts: 15,038	Holy crap. IN high school i was all used to 6 saxes, 4 bones, 6-7 trumpets, bass, drums, piano, guitar, and maybe more than one of each of those. My college jazz band seems small because there's 3 saxes, 3 bones, 2 trumpets, and a full rhythm section.

10-25-2005, 02:52 AM	#3
dj_ando spizzichino for president Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: sydney, australia Posts: 349	pretty small turnout :\ you gotta have a decent rhythm section! i've been doing an ensemble class at a local uni (sydney conservatorium) for a year now, and right now we've got bass drums (me) keys and 2 bones. pretty wierd group, but you can make anything work as long as you've got a rhythm section. i've never been in a band with that particular arrangement, but you guys really need to get a rhythm section together. it's just so vital to a jazz ensemble in my opinion! then again, being a drummer i may have a bit of bias on the subject

10-25-2005, 10:19 AM	#4
~~AmericanWeiner~~ Banned Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: (619)-717-2000 Posts: 8,201	/Me wonders about the potential of traditional world instruments in the context of jazz...Steel drum, didgerido.. /Me also wonders about other instruments in the context of jazz...theremin, turntables, synth....

10-25-2005, 05:57 PM	#5
halfdeadhippo Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,741	I wish my jazz band was smaller. We get all the good players (who would sound godlike if they were the only members) and a whole bunch of people who never practice. The real trouble is that the instructor/teacher/leaderdude (he doesn't really "teach" jazz band, because it's an extracurricular thing, but he's the teacher for the main band class) doesn't get on people about skills. He harasses them somewhat during the rehearsals, but doesn't want to hurt any feelings, so it doesn't do much. Translation: I don't like big bands.

10-25-2005, 07:28 PM	#7
pohl_56 Rock'N Roller Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 961	I too like smaller groups for stuff like that. I am debating if I should switch back over to trumpet (what I used to play) since my friend whats to join who also plays tuba. We have some kickin' things going too so it's coming along slowly. The teacher is awesome so that makes it all the much better. We are gonna be playing at a gig later in November. I guess he has some sorta club he plays at and is gonna take us to perform so we will hope we can get things together. Not to mention the fact that it pays. I think this week I am gonna learn to solo on the tuba so that's cool. In your bands did you go through all the theory and such or did you jump right into playing? Also, do you write your own stuff or just play something on a page and mix it up a bit?

10-26-2005, 05:58 PM	#10
metBANS Super Rad!!! Join Date: May 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 101	Valve Trombone = Cool Instrument? I think not... They have no low tones below an f (4th line in bass clef) they are too choppy, have massive amounts of resistance and are too conical to be considered a trombone but not conical enough to be considered a euphonium. They are a waste of time, and aren't worth anything in jazz, except for ****s and giggles in somthing... maybe. [/rant] Anywho, I don't really like my school jazz band. I love my teacher and most of the kids in it, but its not a class where you are selected. Its a, "I'll just show up and get my schedule changed so I can be in it and bung it up for everyone else" class. I've played in a bunch of workshops and made Honors jazz the past two years, (3rd and 2nd chair respectivally) and it definately pwns any school band, ever. Because anyone can feel like joining, we usually have 2 basses, 3 drummers, hopefully only one pianist, and countless guitars. Then we get an overloaded sax section of 4 altos, 4 tenors, and a bari. When we should only have 2 altos, 2 tenors and a bari. 5 trombones, when we should only have 3 and a bass trombone player, but alas, most highschool jazz music is crap and has a 4th rather than bass part. And way too many trumpets when we should only have 4-5. Call me an eilitest, but... well... I am.

10-26-2005, 07:36 PM	#11
pohl_56 Rock'N Roller Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 961	That's very interesting. Sounds like your class is kinda like mine was last year. We had about 10 percussionists that sat around doing nothing and when they did play it was all crap. We also had a ton of people that didn't know the first thing about instruments. We are called an Advanced Concert Band but didn't really sound like it last year. This year however is a little bit different. We are smaller with more dedicated, intelligent people. Jazz band is just starting out and we have a few people that show up whenever but we all want to do it which is always important. It seems that this post has been rather useless now doesnt it? Practice tomorrow (gonna learn to solo on the tuba)...

10-27-2005, 08:27 PM	#12
jake plays guitar Dig Jazz Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,429	your going to need a complete rythm section

10-29-2005, 07:19 PM	#13
pohl_56 Rock'N Roller Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 961	Yea-quite true. We need a lot of work but it is slowly coming together.

10-29-2005, 08:04 PM	#14
~~something vague~~ Banned Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 599	The jazz band I'm in has 5 saxes, a trombone, trumpet, a woodwind that I forgot the name of, bass, guitar, and drums.