What is the Most Boring song you have had to play?

Topics centered more on music performance

Moderator: Hostrauser

User avatar
LoyalTubist
Section Leader
Section Leader
Posts: 1238
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:11 am
Location: Needles, California
Contact:

Post by LoyalTubist » Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:10 pm

Here is a secret about playing in any school or professional group:

You don't play for yourself or your own amusement. You play what you are told to play, not necessarily what you want to play. We play for other people. While we may enjoy the music we play, that is not our goal as school and professional musicians. The goal is to give people what (they think) they want.

We usually have no choice but to play that awful shortened version of Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (there are five of them and if you played all five of them together, they would total 28 minutes!) No. 1 has a lot of good stuff that is not in the shortened version, but that's not what people (think they) want to hear.

Besides that, when it comes to graduations, the band is not the center of attention. It is the graduates.

:roll:

mightyhorn
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 371
Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2002 2:46 pm
Location: Caldwell, ID.

Boring Music

Post by mightyhorn » Thu Mar 30, 2006 7:57 pm

I don't remember how many times we repeated it in high school, my senior class was about 900.
Our director got so bored with it that we played Procession of the Nobles one year. Boy did he get in hot water. :zzz:

coolkingofkyle
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 02, 2006 9:18 pm

Post by coolkingofkyle » Sun Apr 02, 2006 9:29 pm

Balladair

User avatar
LoyalTubist
Section Leader
Section Leader
Posts: 1238
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:11 am
Location: Needles, California
Contact:

Post by LoyalTubist » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:54 pm

Sometimes what bores you now will be your favorite piece later on...

I remember a piece by Percy Grainger, Irish Tune from County Derry (aka "Danny Boy" or "Londonderry Air"). In high school, I thought that was the most boring thing in the world to play. It was mostly whole notes. And when the tuba part had a moving line, it had some strange articulation markings (which I later understood)--a long slurred phrase with dots underneath each note. In college and grad school we worked that piece to death and I loved it.

People know and love the song that this piece came from. As I said before, we don't play for ourselves--we play for others. If you put your heart into it, you might end up liking something new.

:D

phatbob2007
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 232
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:19 pm
Location: Stockton, Ca
Contact:

Post by phatbob2007 » Fri Apr 21, 2006 12:20 am

i actually like an irish tune from county derry, we played it at our county honor band this year, has some neat horn parts, not to challenging though, but it comes together really well in my opinion

press.enter
Section Leader
Section Leader
Posts: 883
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 5:47 pm
Location: California
Contact:

Re: gar.

Post by press.enter » Sun Apr 23, 2006 3:49 pm

PertyInPank13 wrote: kentucky 1800
Thats the most boring piece in the universe.
... and boom.

thaiguy20fromla
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 146
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:29 am
Location: El Monte, CA

Post by thaiguy20fromla » Sun May 14, 2006 6:43 pm

pomp and circumstance, hands down.

the common part only. we played it for graduation, and we just looped it and kept repeating like 9-10 times.
Director of Instrumental Music, South El Monte High School
Mountain View High School Viking Regiment Alum (2005-2009)

User avatar
LoyalTubist
Section Leader
Section Leader
Posts: 1238
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:11 am
Location: Needles, California
Contact:

Post by LoyalTubist » Sun May 14, 2006 6:56 pm

If you ever get a chance to play the entire Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 by Sir Edward Elgar, you will be shocked that it is such an interesting piece.

http://pcdon.com/LSlatkin-StLouisSymOrc ... nceNo1.mp3

:grin2:

thaiguy20fromla
Rookie
Rookie
Posts: 146
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:29 am
Location: El Monte, CA

Post by thaiguy20fromla » Sun May 14, 2006 9:52 pm

i know.
it's just that the march, over an over again when all you have are straight staccato quarter notes.
Director of Instrumental Music, South El Monte High School
Mountain View High School Viking Regiment Alum (2005-2009)

User avatar
LoyalTubist
Section Leader
Section Leader
Posts: 1238
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:11 am
Location: Needles, California
Contact:

Post by LoyalTubist » Sun May 14, 2006 10:03 pm

Don't judge a piece by your own part.

:wink:

User avatar
wind-drummer
New Recruit
New Recruit
Posts: 91
Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:05 pm
Location: California
Contact:

Post by wind-drummer » Mon May 15, 2006 6:10 pm

LoyalTubist wrote:
I remember a piece by Percy Grainger, Irish Tune from County Derry (aka "Danny Boy" or "Londonderry Air").
We were playin that song for our orchestra but when we sight read it for the first time, our teacher told us to pass it in. It was really boring. Pomp and Circumstance hands down needs to be thrown away or burned, thats why they made CD's

User avatar
swuster
Section Leader
Section Leader
Posts: 970
Joined: Thu May 12, 2005 6:54 pm
Location: San Diego, CA
Contact:

Post by swuster » Mon May 15, 2006 6:23 pm

LoyalTubist wrote:Don't judge a piece by your own part.

:wink:
This IS the thread for the most boring song you have ever played though, not necessarily others
****
WoP Champion!
2005 SD Alternative
MCHS Marching Sundevils
Image
DON'T GO HERE

User avatar
LoyalTubist
Section Leader
Section Leader
Posts: 1238
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:11 am
Location: Needles, California
Contact:

Post by LoyalTubist » Tue May 16, 2006 1:57 am

I guess not everyone is interested in helping a musical ensemble achieve a good sound. I enjoy listening to the other parts when my part is not so interesting. Boring is when no one has an interesting part to play.

User avatar
LoyalTubist
Section Leader
Section Leader
Posts: 1238
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:11 am
Location: Needles, California
Contact:

Post by LoyalTubist » Tue May 16, 2006 1:59 am

wind-drummer wrote:
LoyalTubist wrote:
I remember a piece by Percy Grainger, Irish Tune from County Derry (aka "Danny Boy" or "Londonderry Air").
We were playin that song for our orchestra but when we sight read it for the first time, our teacher told us to pass it in. It was really boring. Pomp and Circumstance hands down needs to be thrown away or burned, thats why they made CD's
Did you listen to this?

http://pcdon.com/LSlatkin-StLouisSymOrc ... nceNo1.mp3

It's definitely not boring. That arrangement of Pomp and Circumstance for graduations is purposely boring, so the graduates get all the accolades, not the band.

:D

User avatar
Shamgar
New Recruit
New Recruit
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2005 7:54 am

Post by Shamgar » Thu May 18, 2006 8:15 pm

There are some songs that seem quite boring for french horn, but the music going on around me sounds awesome. However, since this thread is simply about what I have had to play, and not what I think of certain songs as a whole, that will be what my opinion is based on.

I have a strong dislike for the french horn parts in almost every Sousa march. Pretty much all we ever get in every song is upbeats. Though I usually really like the piece when the whole band plays. I just really don't find it very un-boring (yes, un-boring) to play his marches.

Post Reply