So you’ve decided to venture out from your private practice space and into the world of sharing music with others.
By joining a community band, you can expect your musicianship to really improve as you rehearse and perform with other players. As you build your skills, you will also be building new friendships. Plus, you’ll enjoy a sense of accomplishment, camaraderie and increased self esteem.
There are loads of benefits to joining a community band.
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Listening skills
When you start to play in a group, you have to learn to listen to the other players around you. You will start to figure out how all the different parts fit together, and how to match your playing with those playing the same part as you.
Intonation
Playing by yourself, you may not notice that certain notes come out rather sharp or flat. However, when you play with others this will become more apparent and together, you will learn how to play more in tune.
Time-keeping
An improved focus on timing and tempo will improve the accuracy of your own playing. Plus, you’ll learn to follow a conductor and keep your place in a piece of music.
(You will also learn how early you need to arrive to be set up and ready to play when the rehearsal starts!).
Accountability and motivation
With regularly scheduled rehearsal and performances as part of a group, you will be more likely to practice and learn your part. You won’t want to let your bandmates down.
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Breathing and articulation
Paying attention to how other players around you breathe and articulate, will make you more aware of the way you are doing these things yourself. Your band director will probably give guidance too.
Dynamics
Sometimes the part you are playing will need to stand out. And sometimes your sound should be more in the background. Some sections of the music will be loud or soft for most of the band, and you’ll soon learn how to read and control your dynamics.
Tips from more experienced players
Your director or a more experienced player can introduce you to new musical ideas. They can help with technicalities on your instrument such as alternate fingerings. They could show you how to simplify difficult passages, so that you can still contribute to sections that are beyond your current skill level. And you’ll learn how two or more players can divide up a tricky line into easier chunks, to get the same overall sound to the listener.
Blending with other players
Playing in a band will give you lots of opportunity to learn to blend with other instruments. You’ll hear how different combinations of instruments change the overall timbre of the music.
As an alto player you will often play with the rest of the saxes, with the trumpets, or with the french horns. Each combination will have a unique sound. There are also opportunities for the lead alto to play a solo part, when you will need to project your sound rather than blend. Some community bands encourage two or more players to play the solo together for moral support.
As a tenor sax player in a community band, as well as playing with the sax section, you will often fill out the middle harmonies, or carry a low melody with the euphoniums or trombones.
Bari sax players may find themselves doubling with the tubas, bassoons or bass clarinets (if your community band has these instruments), playing with the rest of the sax section or holding a unique line. There are some interesting and challenging parts to play in more advanced concert band music, or big band style charts, but the bari sax parts are usually less challenging than the alto and tenor parts in easy concert band music.
Teamwork
Whatever part you play, it has something important to contribute. You are all learning how to support each other with your playing, to make the band the best it can be.
Tips for your first rehearsal
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Once you have decided to take the plunge and join a band, a little preparation can help things go more smoothly for your first rehearsal. Here’s some top tips.
- If you know the pieces you will be playing ahead of time, listen to them on YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to music. It really helps to build confidence to know what the pieces are supposed to sound like.
- Take a pencil and eraser so that you can mark your music with the director’s instructions or notes to help you.
- Ask beforehand if music stands are provided, or if you need to take your own.
- Bands often tune to “concert Bb” at the start of the rehearsal – for an alto or a bari sax you would play your G to tune and for tenor (or soprano or bass) that is your C.
- Try to be familiar with where your mouthpiece needs to sit on the neck to usually be in tune. Practice with a tuner at home. If you are too sharp (high) pull the mouthpiece out a little further, if you are too flat (low) push the mouthpiece on a little.
- Unless the music is very easy (or you are very accomplished), you are unlikely to be able to play everything to start with. Don’t let that discourage you. Just play what you can and listen and follow along. If you get lost, people near you will likely help you to find your place again.
- Remember you are there to share your love of music, have fun and learn. Everyone in the band has been through their first rehearsal too and should understand how to help you succeed and feel welcome.
The magic of sharing music making
Joining a community band, you will make new friends and learn so much about music, your instrument and yourself. When the whole band has worked on a piece of music, fitting all the parts together and creating the dynamic rise and fall as the composer intended, that is when the magic happens.
One day you will find yourself performing a piece of music you love with your band, the music will be like a living thing all around you. The goose bumps may come to you, as you share the joy of making music with your bandmates for your community, friends and family to enjoy.
If you’re ready to super-charge your saxophone playing, take a look at Sax School. We’re got hundreds of lessons and mini courses to help you develop your playing in loads of different styles, plus support from our pro tutor team and our amazing worldwide Community. Get started with Sax School