If you can't perform the work because the composer asks you to play something literally impossible sure it's the composers fault, but if they ask you to switch instruments or play a line that you aren't willing to practice enough to play correctly then you're the problem.
Now imagine those mallets you’re hurriedly switching between or the cymbals you’re less-than-ideally setting down would cost $40K to replace. Not discounting the enormous skill involved in managing a professional percussion part, but quick switches on large, fragile woodwinds is a rather more high-stakes game.
As an oboist who also plays english horn frequently, I feel your pain. I hate fast switches, especially since EH gives me tendonitis in my wrist if I don't use a neckstrap and fast switches cant be done with the neckstrap :( (also i have guinea pigs and they started squealing when the contra played lol)
Ok I confused myself, while I was reading I stopped at english and I was wondering "how do you play english?" Then I noticed that ita was "english horn", now I feel dumb
It's so stretched out, lol! I played Romeo and Juliet on eh when I was in hs and remember how awkward it felt. And the difference in lung capacity was quite different. If I only could afford one.....I probably would have majored in music. I rented a really beautiful loree but the owner didn't want to sell
I don't play any reed instruments but I know you have to be careful in quick switches. I had a friend who busted her oboe reed when she brought it up too fast. I don't envy reed instruments.
Try keeping the strap around your neck and just hooking the horn on and off it :) if you have a good strap (and practice switching a bit) it won't really affect the switching time
I did auxiliary percussion for a Danny Elfman compilation piece. Bell tree, temple blocks, flex-a-tone, pull whistle, etc. The time needed to switch instruments seems like years compared to the itty bitty 6/4 "whole" rest here. 6 counts, let's go through them: 1. Remove instrument from mouth 2. Place instrument on stand 3. Rotate Body 4. Pick up larger instrument 5. Place reed in mouth 6. Take a deep breath, proper embouchure, fingers on the right note, and prepare for accented tied whole notes... (Don't forget about the time signature change 😉) Break a leg? More like break a bassoon! ThAnK yOu JoHn WiLlIaMs! But seriously thank you, your music is awesome and some time you gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette.
IKR! I’m playing John Williams’ 1941 and I have to go from bassoon to contra in 2 measures (but that’s jus absurd). Will definitely be using this kinda switching
That’s not what was written, even if it were practical. But in this case, playing a super-high A on contrabassoon would cause more problems than just leaving out the entire bassoon passage would.
Might I suggest Velcro-ING your contra to a Hamilton Bass stand(it might work on your current stand). That means playing in the stand is easy and safe as the instrument and stand become one. I makes doubling very quick. It allows you to have your instruments closer and avoid a broken reed by not being so athletic. It also prevents carpal tunnel injuries as all you need to do to play is wiggle your fingers. Not hold the instrument and wiggle.
There is a part in my sheet music that is so low it is impossible to play. Today my director informed our section that in the master copy it is marked to be played an octave higher. It's not on our copies. We've had this piece for a few weeks.
It's partly my own fault that I have to switch instruments. I arranged the theme of Schindler's list for recorder. Originally I planed playing it on alto, but had to realize that the high part is only possible to play with some special tricks, so I switch to soprano for this part and go back to alto for the second theme
I thought switching from soprano to bass clarinet and back without a stand to hold the bass was bad (my lap is not a good bass clarinet shelf!), but at least if I broke a reed, I'd only be out a few bucks. I can't imagine the pain of breaking a double reed!
@@CRT.v I played oboe in highschool and then quit. As a treat, I bought an oboe several years later and shocked at how many reeds I've broken. I've lost the touch!
To your credit, you did it quite well. I have a great deal of respect for anyone who can play any instrument (never mind more than one as shown here) where your breath is the main source of power.
I sure hope the joy the audience experiences getting to watch Sirius fly off into the night on the back of Buckbeak is worth the pain suffered by the third bassoonist!
Writing a piece filled with switches like that, and with awkward time signatures like 15/16 or 7/4 would get you expelled from the class. Not that I have personal experience with that.
@@stevenstice6683 Actually, to be fair if I'd done that as an undergrad I'd have been credited for the creativity. For my masters, which was much more about craft and practicality, I would have been failed.
Once I tried it by putting fart pillows on his chair but I had to acknowledge one has to become a composer to fulfill that challenge. Bassoonists are highly annoyance-resistant.
I played concert percussion in high school, and while this isn't the composer's fault at all, this is still funny and absurd. I forget the name of the piece, and the composer, becuase it was like, 5 years ago. But, we only have 3 percussionists in band class. One of them played snare for the song, on of them played Marimba/Xylophone/Glockenspiel (those were really important), and I got left with covering as much of the 5 or 6 auxiliary parts as I could. So, here's a list of every instrument I had to get out, set up, and play for that song. Bass Drum, Crash Cymbal, Ride Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal, Tempo Blocks, Mark Tree, Chimes (Tubular Bells, whatever, lol), a set of 3 concert toms, Triangle, Tambourine, Maracas, Gong, and Cabasa. There might have been another cymbal, or aux instrument, but it has been so long. These are the ones that I remember I played, and I'm pretty sure this was it. There was a point in the song, where I held the tambourine and a single maraca in my left hand, and a drum stick to hit the Ride cymbal, and a small hard mallet (it was a glove mallet or something) to hit the tempo blocks in my right hand. There was another point in the song where I had to play bass drum and crash cymbals at the same time, so I just flipped one crash upside down on a stand, and used another one to hit it, lol. Luckily, the rhythms were the same, but it was still weird.
I feel like this is the same for 2nd oboists as well. Sometimes you have to switch English horn. It was really annoying when you have to switch in two measures. You gotta put the oboe down, pick up the English horn, and connect the neckstrap to the English horn. The director and I would have to talk about where I would stop playing to give myself time.
Once in orchestra we were messing around with new scores and we were trying out Rite of Spring, but we didn't have enough flutes for that day so I had to switch from Piccolo to C Flute to Alto Flute and that was exhausting
That didnt even seem bad. Ive had to switch between Crash cymbals and tambourine within 3 counts and ACTUALLY dropped the cymbals during the performance lol. I dont think my body temperature has ever been higher
as a percussionist and a bassoonist I will have to say that the bassoon switch would be harder, but you do have a point considering how well Richard Bobo did it and percussionist do get ridiculous switches sometimes.
Bari sax is a surprisingly fragile instrument, so handling it in general while performing is something I have to constantly keep in mind when I’m dancing with it. But I’ve never had to switch before so I can’t even imagine what it would be like for a bassoonist. 😰😬
It's not a fragile instrument. It's made of brass and can take a beating (as much as it sucks when it does) I've also had to switch from bari, to tenor, to clarinet, and back again. The one I was most worried about was my clarinet because it's made of wood and can easily crack. The saxes can take a bit more damage.
@@stephanieaubin Yes I suppose that’s true, I does really make me flinch whenever any of my instruments take the slightest of bumps though. Maybe my past few experiences with some bari saxes haven’t been the best 😂
I play trombone and reminds me of pieces where they give you 2 beats to grab a mute and shove it in, pray it doesn't fall out, then another 2 beats after however long where you usually have to yeet it across the room to get back to playing
I know this is the melody of 'A window to the past' but I have searched through the album of HPIII multiple times and can't seem to find this specific cue. Does anyone know in which track this switch is happening?
I once had a part switch going from marimba at the back of the stage, and I had i think 2 measures maybe just 1, to run ti the front and basically jump off the stage to the chimes bc we couldnt get them on bc of size. What made it worse was I had to do that in heels and a dress bc of the ensemble dress code
I dont mean to discredit anyone else's experience with my story, I just thought it would be fun to share my most interesting instrument switch I've had
I dont really play percussion but i play a lot of instruments and can definitely relate to your struggles 😂 i always forget which clarinet i'm holding because they're basically the same size and then end up starting a solo a semitone out -_-
Then i have to rush off to play a piano concerto, stay to pack up all the percussion and chairs and stuff because everyone else is too lazy, then run halfway across town to play a gig on bass guitar with my metal band 😂
mans tone went straight from orchestra to air compressor
😂😂 so true
Lmao
i cant not hear an air compressor now
omfg bye I can hear the imaginary air compressor in my garage-
😂😂
Composers : See? This player had accurately performed the score. My writing is reasonable and possible!
If its okay for John Williams to do it, we can do it too :D
Ravel writing the 1st trombone part for Bolero be like:
If you can't perform the work because the composer asks you to play something literally impossible sure it's the composers fault, but if they ask you to switch instruments or play a line that you aren't willing to practice enough to play correctly then you're the problem.
@@gamma276 k
@@gamma276 You're no fun lol
*laughs in percussionist
*then a sudden percussive part come rightaway
Now imagine those mallets you’re hurriedly switching between or the cymbals you’re less-than-ideally setting down would cost $40K to replace. Not discounting the enormous skill involved in managing a professional percussion part, but quick switches on large, fragile woodwinds is a rather more high-stakes game.
@@Subcontrabassoon As a percussionist that’s true but sometimes it depends on the amount of rests and the music
@@Subcontrabassoon that's why percussionists have even less time to switch instruments XD
Poor thing with those heavy sticks to hold :((
At first we have a light, wonderful, peaceful bassoon ...
but then we have a RUMBLING NOTE OF TERROR
Like when I sing D#1.
Musicians: "Nooo Williams, you can't force bassoonists to make ridiculously stressy switches!"
John Williams: "hehe tube go *brrrrrrrrrrr*"
*plays beautiful melody*
Switch to
FAAAAAARRRRRRRRTTTTTT
you must have some elegant farts sir
That's easily the most graceful I've ever seen someone drop a basson
Me who dropped my saxophone
I don’t here anyone talking about that
We have neck straps
once dropped mine crook first with reed still on
@@amousenamedjay6638 pain. Agony even
I'm still trying to find the tutorial on how to annoy the second bassoonist
That's easy; triple-piano low notes.
@@Subcontrabassoon I had a physical reaction to that.
They are already annoyed just by nature of the fact they are playing second bassoon and not first.
@@joesensor4508 lmao as a second bassoonist, very accurate (i'll beat you next time for sure, jack!)
Ask the question "Tf is a second bassoonist" like how I did when I read the title of this video, probably works tbh
As if you couldn’t just have a tugboat standing by to cover the contra bassoon part.
(foghorn noises)
Me who doesn’t play this: *I don’t see anything wrong. Seems perfectly fine to me.*
As an oboist who also plays english horn frequently, I feel your pain. I hate fast switches, especially since EH gives me tendonitis in my wrist if I don't use a neckstrap and fast switches cant be done with the neckstrap :( (also i have guinea pigs and they started squealing when the contra played lol)
Ok I confused myself, while I was reading I stopped at english and I was wondering "how do you play english?" Then I noticed that ita was "english horn", now I feel dumb
@@julyhasnoon1874 It's understandable.
It's so stretched out, lol! I played Romeo and Juliet on eh when I was in hs and remember how awkward it felt. And the difference in lung capacity was quite different. If I only could afford one.....I probably would have majored in music. I rented a really beautiful loree but the owner didn't want to sell
I don't play any reed instruments but I know you have to be careful in quick switches. I had a friend who busted her oboe reed when she brought it up too fast. I don't envy reed instruments.
Try keeping the strap around your neck and just hooking the horn on and off it :) if you have a good strap (and practice switching a bit) it won't really affect the switching time
that melody is actually really beautiful
Nice, Prisoner of Azkaban!!!! My favorite Harry Potter soundtrack, but yeah that instrument switch is ridiculous 😆
To be fair, Williams doesn't do the orchestrations.
@@karlrovey Very true that is a mistake on the arranger, not John Williams!
Oh shii
I love your face when you're done. So done.
Well if it ain't Giant step himself
I honestly love this tune so much. "A window to the past", if I remember correctly. I had no idea it had such a funny change in it. 😅😆
I did auxiliary percussion for a Danny Elfman compilation piece. Bell tree, temple blocks, flex-a-tone, pull whistle, etc. The time needed to switch instruments seems like years compared to the itty bitty 6/4 "whole" rest here.
6 counts, let's go through them:
1. Remove instrument from mouth
2. Place instrument on stand
3. Rotate Body
4. Pick up larger instrument
5. Place reed in mouth
6. Take a deep breath, proper embouchure, fingers on the right note, and prepare for accented tied whole notes... (Don't forget about the time signature change 😉)
Break a leg? More like break a bassoon! ThAnK yOu JoHn WiLlIaMs!
But seriously thank you, your music is awesome and some time you gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette.
Probably part of the difference here being that Danny Elfman actually understands how percussion works.
Honestly, it's the way his head shakes ever so slightly when he's playing the contrabassoon that makes me laugh every time
I'm a simple man, I hear Harry Potter, I like. Btw that's one of my favourite tracks in all 9h of music. A Window to the Past.
I am the same lol
IKR! I’m playing John Williams’ 1941 and I have to go from bassoon to contra in 2 measures (but that’s jus absurd). Will definitely be using this kinda switching
Play the regular bassoon part on the contra up an octave. Mischief managed!
That’s not what was written, even if it were practical. But in this case, playing a super-high A on contrabassoon would cause more problems than just leaving out the entire bassoon passage would.
@@Subcontrabassoon I think he was joking.
@@mutex1024 anyway, neat explanation
dont worry joe, i laughed
@@Subcontrabassoon Just drill a couple more holes in it. Isn’t that basically how high notes are created on a woodwind?
Might I suggest Velcro-ING your contra to a Hamilton Bass stand(it might work on your current stand). That means playing in the stand is easy and safe as the instrument and stand become one. I makes doubling very quick. It allows you to have your instruments closer and avoid a broken reed by not being so athletic. It also prevents carpal tunnel injuries as all you need to do to play is wiggle your fingers. Not hold the instrument and wiggle.
There is a part in my sheet music that is so low it is impossible to play. Today my director informed our section that in the master copy it is marked to be played an octave higher. It's not on our copies. We've had this piece for a few weeks.
Gotta love it when mid-symphony they just bust out an episode of regular show
This is priceless. I haven't laughed out loud like that for a while. So funny... thanks so much for sharing.
“and the third group play the notes that are left over”
I love the amount your face shakes from the contrabassoon lol.
It's partly my own fault that I have to switch instruments. I arranged the theme of Schindler's list for recorder. Originally I planed playing it on alto, but had to realize that the high part is only possible to play with some special tricks, so I switch to soprano for this part and go back to alto for the second theme
Percussionist: hOld mY BeEr .
The last part is literally the sound fallout 4 makes when it crashes XD
I LOL'd hard when the contra note started. that was hilarious.
switching from oboe to english horn always makes me afraid i could accidentally break a reed!!
I thought switching from soprano to bass clarinet and back without a stand to hold the bass was bad (my lap is not a good bass clarinet shelf!), but at least if I broke a reed, I'd only be out a few bucks. I can't imagine the pain of breaking a double reed!
@@CRT.v I played oboe in highschool and then quit. As a treat, I bought an oboe several years later and shocked at how many reeds I've broken. I've lost the touch!
Don't they have plastic ones for practice?
To your credit, you did it quite well. I have a great deal of respect for anyone who can play any instrument (never mind more than one as shown here) where your breath is the main source of power.
I sure hope the joy the audience experiences getting to watch Sirius fly off into the night on the back of Buckbeak is worth the pain suffered by the third bassoonist!
Those are some big tubes. very beautiful instruments.
Maybe a bracket that ‘hangs’ both instruments together, a’multi-bassoon’ setup. I have seen that done with recorders, just a matter of sizing up. ;)
How would that fit on your body
@@icedragon9097 i'm thinking some starwars like robotic humanoid harnas with flashy metal connectors and blinking leds..... i dont know :)
Ahhh, Mr Williams, enjoying his education of Mr Stravinsky I see... 😉
that music straight looks like something straight out of sight reading factory in like seventh grade
Finally, you found the brown note
ok, but the sacrifice is worth that sound -- its a window to the past
Contrabass instruments are incredible.
Lol, the look on his face was classic
Ah yes those composers that when you play they their score and afterwards you wanna drive to their house and punch them
If I'd written a switch like that when I was a composition student I'd have been given an F.
Writing a piece filled with switches like that, and with awkward time signatures like 15/16 or 7/4 would get you expelled from the class. Not that I have personal experience with that.
@@stevenstice6683 Actually, to be fair if I'd done that as an undergrad I'd have been credited for the creativity. For my masters, which was much more about craft and practicality, I would have been failed.
@@stevenstice6683 7/4 isn’t that weird it’s actually a pretty cool time signature
I came here from 'How to annoy a Contra Bassoonist. Now I've subscribed. Pro tip: Listen to Team Fortress 2 on Contra Bassoon.
Goes from music to a fucking air raid siren real fast
them: "smoking won't affect me"
also them:
Thank God I found this! I've been searching for a way to annoy a third bassoonist for years.
Once I tried it by putting fart pillows on his chair but I had to acknowledge one has to become a composer to fulfill that challenge.
Bassoonists are highly annoyance-resistant.
I played concert percussion in high school, and while this isn't the composer's fault at all, this is still funny and absurd. I forget the name of the piece, and the composer, becuase it was like, 5 years ago. But, we only have 3 percussionists in band class. One of them played snare for the song, on of them played Marimba/Xylophone/Glockenspiel (those were really important), and I got left with covering as much of the 5 or 6 auxiliary parts as I could.
So, here's a list of every instrument I had to get out, set up, and play for that song. Bass Drum, Crash Cymbal, Ride Cymbal, Suspended Cymbal, Tempo Blocks, Mark Tree, Chimes (Tubular Bells, whatever, lol), a set of 3 concert toms, Triangle, Tambourine, Maracas, Gong, and Cabasa. There might have been another cymbal, or aux instrument, but it has been so long. These are the ones that I remember I played, and I'm pretty sure this was it.
There was a point in the song, where I held the tambourine and a single maraca in my left hand, and a drum stick to hit the Ride cymbal, and a small hard mallet (it was a glove mallet or something) to hit the tempo blocks in my right hand.
There was another point in the song where I had to play bass drum and crash cymbals at the same time, so I just flipped one crash upside down on a stand, and used another one to hit it, lol. Luckily, the rhythms were the same, but it was still weird.
That’s some serious bassoonery there.
*Laughs in trombone superiority
I’m a third bassoonist and I was told to drop out for the sorcerers apprentice soli saying that they need to “balance dynamics “
Wow
Absolutely hysterically laughing 😂
Last notes sound like that reaper noise from Mass Effect
Lol I remember having to switch between double bass and bass guitar mid-piece sometimes. That was always annoying
I feel like this is the same for 2nd oboists as well. Sometimes you have to switch English horn. It was really annoying when you have to switch in two measures. You gotta put the oboe down, pick up the English horn, and connect the neckstrap to the English horn. The director and I would have to talk about where I would stop playing to give myself time.
Well for some pieces this is also true for us bass clarinettists who need to double on 3rd Bb/A clarinet!
A fellow Bassoonist !! Yes!!
Oh thank God, I was really worried there wasn't a tutorial online for how to annoy a third basoonist
Its much easier to annoy a second bassoonist lol
*beautiful song*
*ABANDON SHIP*
That was quite enjoyable to look at
Me, a church chorister: "What are those silly instrument people complaining about *this* time?"
When you get a 15 second ad before a 30 second video
my senior switching from bari sax to alto sax in 5 bars at 130 tempo:
Me who's switching to bari sax next year-ᄒᴥᄒ-
Dick Perry? Is that you?? (Pink Floyd, Shine on you Crazy Diamond)
Once in orchestra we were messing around with new scores and we were trying out Rite of Spring, but we didn't have enough flutes for that day so I had to switch from Piccolo to C Flute to Alto Flute and that was exhausting
I love the fact that giant steps was under this video xD
Hey at least the timing is damn spot on.
It's like you work on some dystopian ore mine and you're playing a lil tune on your 1-minute break
he doesn't look that annoyed TBH
Also: how to annoy your neighbours 😅😭
his head is literally shaking while he plays those whole notes
Cruise ship at the end! Doozie!
And that's why you're paid the big bucks! Ha!
That didnt even seem bad. Ive had to switch between Crash cymbals and tambourine within 3 counts and ACTUALLY dropped the cymbals during the performance lol. I dont think my body temperature has ever been higher
I wouldn't worry about, everyone forgets about such things as the years go by...unless, of course, it's on video!
Now imagine dropping for knocking over a $30K contrabassoon during a rushed switch...
as a percussionist and a bassoonist I will have to say that the bassoon switch would be harder, but you do have a point considering how well Richard Bobo did it and percussionist do get ridiculous switches sometimes.
I wouldn't worry about it. You have given a lot of people a happy evening and a story to tell their grandchildren. ;)
Yeah, I think I stopped playing early when I did it.
Bari sax is a surprisingly fragile instrument, so handling it in general while performing is something I have to constantly keep in mind when I’m dancing with it. But I’ve never had to switch before so I can’t even imagine what it would be like for a bassoonist. 😰😬
It's not a fragile instrument. It's made of brass and can take a beating (as much as it sucks when it does) I've also had to switch from bari, to tenor, to clarinet, and back again. The one I was most worried about was my clarinet because it's made of wood and can easily crack. The saxes can take a bit more damage.
@@stephanieaubin Yes I suppose that’s true, I does really make me flinch whenever any of my instruments take the slightest of bumps though. Maybe my past few experiences with some bari saxes haven’t been the best 😂
@@ethan.tangee oh I cringe every time something happens to any of my instruments too!
@@stephanieaubin Especially when you’re in a cramped studio to record videos!
I like the specificity of this video's title. What about the First and Second Basssoonists?
It's an incredible piece though.
I play trombone and reminds me of pieces where they give you 2 beats to grab a mute and shove it in, pray it doesn't fall out, then another 2 beats after however long where you usually have to yeet it across the room to get back to playing
OMG this sound is so deep 😱
Which piece if John Williams is this !
This is a cue from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
How to Annoy a Third Bassoonist:
"You play what?"
Push him down the mountain side!
No, sorry, - that's how you make a Swiss Roll.
i will now take this information and use it to annoy a third bassoonist
it sounds like some guy was playing his instrument in front of a boat and the boat wanted him to move out of the way
*BATTLESHIP HAS ENTERED THE GAME*
I know this is the melody of 'A window to the past' but I have searched through the album of HPIII multiple times and can't seem to find this specific cue. Does anyone know in which track this switch is happening?
It doesnt happen on the recordings this is an arrangement for the live version
This is just awesome!
I feel like I heard this song before, but I can't remember the name of it
Window to the past (Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban soundtrack)
0:07 sounds like family guy
This is about to blow up
Dang it Williams 😂
so this is how they made spongebob’s alarm clock
Ah yes...the Chewbacca Bassoon.
-doesn't understand
-watched anyway
Did John Williams compose Prisoner of Azkaban?
*Cries in saxophone*
When you forget which clarinet you're holding bc they're all the same fuckin size 😂
I swear that ended with the opening from Metroid NES.
Lol yeah.....that's ridiculous.
If you can create the Subcontra you can figure out a way to dual wield Bassoons!
I once had a part switch going from marimba at the back of the stage, and I had i think 2 measures maybe just 1, to run ti the front and basically jump off the stage to the chimes bc we couldnt get them on bc of size. What made it worse was I had to do that in heels and a dress bc of the ensemble dress code
I dont mean to discredit anyone else's experience with my story, I just thought it would be fun to share my most interesting instrument switch I've had
I dont really play percussion but i play a lot of instruments and can definitely relate to your struggles 😂 i always forget which clarinet i'm holding because they're basically the same size and then end up starting a solo a semitone out -_-
Then i have to rush off to play a piano concerto, stay to pack up all the percussion and chairs and stuff because everyone else is too lazy, then run halfway across town to play a gig on bass guitar with my metal band 😂
Don't know why you're complaining, the composer gave you a whole two extra beats that bar to switch!