Gigs setting up a music group-- anyone interested

eb424 · Jun 13, 2021

Tenor Viol said:
I'll just explain a bit more about the Café Octet as it currently is.

Wind the clock back about 8 or 9 years and a group of Café members in the 'north west' loosely speaking - Liverpool / Manchester / Lancashire / Cheshire sort of area would meet sporadically to noodle and chat...

That kind of fizzled out.

Some of us decided we'd like to meet to play together. It started with just three of us (me, @trimmy, and @Jeanette). We met at my house and played some arrangements for trios (we were sop, alto, tenor). The hardest part was finding arrangements for that combination of players.

Once we started posting about it, more people became interested and we started to meet once a month on a Sunday afternoon.

The personnel have changed a bit as we've gone along. We've mostly been 5 or 6, but currently we're 8 and we can have two each on sop, alto, tenor, and baritone. We're not limited to SSAATTBB arrangements as some of us can play alternate instruments if needed.

@chadders and I do the leading / conducting.

When we started off, most of the group were not experienced 'readers' and not used to playing in a group with other players. There's a lot to learn when playing in an ensemble - you have to listen to each other, you need to keep a consistent time, you need to be aware of where you fit in the blend and adjust your volume accordingly. Got a little 'solo' - bring it out; chugging along on crotchets and quavers filling the harmony - sit more in the background, etc.

The group has improved so much in the time we've been playing and I'm very proud of them for the work they've put in.

cool sounds great hopefully we can get a southern posse together.....

JamesOxford · Jun 13, 2021

I used to travel to London quite regularly, but with work/child-care as it is, I don't see me resuming regular travel soon. Also wouldn't impose my playing on others until I have progressed a bit. But I hope a southern chapter gets going for the future. Good Luck!

eb424 · Jun 13, 2021

JamesOxford said:
I used to travel to London quite regularly, but with work/child care as it is, I don't see me resuming regular travel soon. Also wouldn't impose my playing on others until I have progressed a bit. But I hope a southern chapter gets going for the future. Good Luck!

im just outside at heathrow...as i said in my post motivation is more important than playing skills...

JamesOxford · Jun 13, 2021

Heathrow is an hour's drive from where I am in Oxfordshire, so quite doable. My problem is that Covid has knocked my business on it's arse and I have to build back up before I can commit to recreational trips, also I'm a single father, so difficult to commit to regular schedules. Spending an hour a day playing sax feels like a guilty pleasure as it is.
I can read melodies okay, but have a similar problem of reading the timings in a score, I understand what crochets, minims are etc. but I haven't internalised it. i.e. I can follow a long if I know a song, have a backing track etc. but would struggle to play in time from a score at first sight. I'm working on this though with metronome and backing tracks.

I enjoyed reading @thomsax 's story of his progression. As a relatively new player, I enjoy hearing how people got to where they are. It seems saxophonists all have pretty unique journeys, I thought a lot more would have a traditional musical education, but far from it. I am encouraged that many other people have taken it up later in life like myself.
I'd be interested in what people think about this from @thomsax: "I think there are more bad teachers than there are good." ?
The guy who I bought my sax from, said a similar thing, i.e. he had a teacher, but looking back on it, feels that teacher had sent him in the wrong direction. I have also heard a lot of 'sax' teachers are doubling on the sax with clarinet or some other instrument being their main. I am not put off getting a teacher, and have found a local one for when I am able to get back out in society. I think it is easier now to check out teachers online and have a better idea if they can help with one's own musical goals.

Vetinari · Jun 13, 2021

I only started playing at 66, 6years ago, because a mate gave me a sax. I could sort of read music because I tried playing organ/keyboards about 40 years ago then gave up after 5 yrs. Found the octet here at the Cafe and was accepted no problem. Still trying to catch up with the others. When oportunity strikes grab it by the scruff of the neck, it may not happen again.

eb424 · Jun 13, 2021

Vetinari said:
I only started playing at 66, 6years ago, because a mate gave me a sax. I could sort of read music because I tried playing organ/keyboards about 40 years ago then gave up after 5 yrs. Found the octet here at the Cafe and was accepted no problem. Still trying to catch up with the others. When oportunity strikes grab it by the scruff of the neck, it may not happen again.

True that...thats kind off what im trying to do get people of all different talents but with a common goal to get together to have some fun...easier to learn that way i think...

Tenor Viol · Jun 13, 2021

You need a mix of skills in the group ideally.

Colin the Bear · Jun 13, 2021

Pool your talents and moderate your inadequacies.

JayeNM · Jun 13, 2021

Colin the Bear said:
It's a reason to play is all. Anything else is a bonus.
I play on the pub jazz scene. Well, used to. As an experienced player all that happens is somebody names a tune, taps it in and off we go.
If we get a sit in who's a bit new, used to be me, they get to pick the tune. Only fair.
Very few read sheet. Mostly the piano players. The banjo/guitar bass have chord sheet.
Pick a simple tune every body knows count it in and off you go. No sheets. No problem.
Use a metronome or a drum machine till you get to know each other.
Transposable chord sheets here if a rhythm player turns up. Or anybody who can use one
www.jazzstudies.us
Plenty of backing tracks if you need them in BotM and SotM.
Lots of help on here if you need something special. 😉

Interesting. If I may ask...what happens (would happen) if someone called out a tune which you did not know the head/melody of ? Given you cannot read...would you just sit out ? Would you let another player take the head and you would solo ? Etc...
How many tunes did your groups/get-togethers actually 'know' ? IOW to the degree that they could be performed/played all the way thru ?

eb424 · Jun 13, 2021

JayeNM said:
Interesting. If I may ask...what happens (would happen) if someone called out a tune which you did not know the head/melody of ? Given you cannot read...would you just sit out ? Would you let another player take the head and you would solo ? Etc...
How many tunes did your groups/get-togethers actually 'know' ? IOW to the degree that they could be performed/played all the way thru ?

I guess that depends on skill set and expectancies @JayeNM..there is always a way round things... sorry nust realised you were replying to someone else..from my perspective if a hroup was formed we would have to plan sessions and what to play...

Colin the Bear · Jun 13, 2021

JayeNM said:
Interesting. If I may ask...what happens (would happen) if someone called out a tune which you did not know the head/melody of ? Given you cannot read...would you just sit out ? Would you let another player take the head and you would solo ? Etc...
How many tunes did your groups/get-togethers actually 'know' ? IOW to the degree that they could be performed/played all the way thru ?

In the groups I play with, trumpet has the "head". They often call a tune I've never heard. Twice through and you're on your own. My solos on these are sometimes quite simple. Especially if the middle eight has an unusual key change. "Once in a while" was one I had to look up when I got home. Eb to G. Caught me out but nobody died.

The band leader is reputed to know over a thousand songs from many eras and seventy plus years of playing. A goldmine of melodies.

At the open mics and jams I attend they often call obscure stuff. Harmonising and decorating on the periphery is challenging but satisfying. I enjoy riffing with a big wind section.

Jeanette · Jun 26, 2021

So @eb424 @Alexandra @Simon B have you guys managed to get together yet?

Jx

eb424 · Jun 26, 2021

Hi @Jeanette no..no replies yet..from my perspective guess if i want to move on and play ill have to go the music route...probably never happen tbf..

Alex9 · Jun 26, 2021

eb424 said:
Hi @Jeanette no..no replies yet..from my perspective guess if i want to move on and play ill have to go the music route...probably never happen tbf..

Well, to be fair, we chatted on here privately which was nice 🙂

As I said, it's a tad tricky arranging things with Covid, best location and people's other commitments. I'm still interested for sure, but I think we might have to wait a little and work out best logistics.

Keep the torch aloft for the South Posse!

Tenor Viol · Jun 26, 2021

If there's only three of you to start with, meeting at someone's house might be the simplest way to start - it's what we did. We only found a venue when numbers increased and it simplified the travel, since I live at the southern extremity of the group