Post 028: Jealousy, yes jealousy, will drive you mad! Or maybe incessant music will.
Okay, if you've never had an entire orchestra playing in your head, and you know for a fact that this is your brain telling you to write that music down, the following will make no fucking sense.
I have a bizarre idea for a symphony, or composition, or whatever.
A single flute begins with what will become the theme. A single violin sings it back. Not to be outdone, a trumpet pipes up and adds to it. The flute flutters about trying to regain control but the rest of the orchestra starts up. Throughout, single instruments try to take the theme and give it their own interpretation. I have a wonderful idea for the trombone section. The trombone(s?) will stomp in with their (figurative) size thirteen combat boots, then steal the show by transforming from obnoxious to endearing. I'm not a fan of mutes in instruments, but maybe I'll toss in a sort of faraway trumpet thing. French horns are so versatile that there'll have to be at least two, possibly three different parts for them. I'm really bad with the reeds; I love the bassoon but I don't know how to write for it. Something with a mm-pah-mm-pah or possibly mm-pah-pah. Er, sort of an octave or fifth jumping bit. It sounds neat when bassoons do it -when I try on trombone it just sounds forced and unnatural. Gotta flow, man! Hmm.
First and second violins, need a soloist of course, but that'll be a separate part.
Just one viola part, even though they're kickass. I'm not really sure how to write for them though, and I've known just one person who has played one. (And oh boy, he was handsome and talented and all these nice things)
Two cellos -ooh I have the best idea for the cellos, oh man.
The upright bass has a decent part, but won't be particularly showcased as I think it'll end up making sure we keep the beat in the strings. Things may get a bit messy, but the bass stays strong!
One flute part, but the soloist kind of counts as one as I'll have to write it separately.
An oboe part, just because they're cool. Actually, I think the flute part I have going that isn't the solo would be kind of neat on oboe instead. Okay, nix the non-solo flute.
I don't like clarinets. If I could just get that nagging little bit that would be perfect on a nice clarinet to not fit in, I'd be happy as a clam, but I guess I have to keep it and thus keep one clarinet part.
Bassoon for sure. Just one, but it'll be wonderful. And none of this writing in tenor clef for bass instruments, that's just mean.
French horns are pretty, so two parts for them.
One regular trumpet part, and one soloist.
Ahhh trombones. My wondrous fellow players. There shall be two parts, but both get their moment to shine.
I love tubas. Not really sure if I can fit one in though, or if it's worth it to write a whole different part for them, so maybe just have the tuba double the upright bass' part if necessary. Kind of, if you've got tuba great, if you've got bass that's also great, use whichever one is the better player?
Almost forgot percussion. I've never participated in an orchestra that fully utilized the potential of an excellent percussionist, so I'm going to write the most interesting part that they'll actually want to come to practice to play. Timpani are boring though. (Or is that timpanis?) There definitely will be cymbal rolls, and snare drum fun, and possibly a gong. Wait, scratch the gong. That's too much even for me.
I don't know if it's harp or some rare pianist who doesn't want to steal the show from the rest that I'm hearing for that other part, but I'll figure it out. I'm not sure how to write for harp so it might end up being piano.
I don't know why I'm going to so much effort when I know no one will ever play this, but it's fun. Now where did my pencil go, and where's my staff paper?
Bee
[edit at 8:10pm]
Why the fuck do I bother with MSN? When I don't go on, people are mad at me. When I do go on, people have the opportunity to tell me how much they're disappointed that I'm never on. What the fuck do you want from me man?