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Allison Galvin

Professor Krug

EN 207

11/19/18

Behind the Curtains: Playing in the Orchestra

The curtains are closing, and the lights are dimming. The concertmaster, the first chair

violinist, enters the stage, takes a bow and turns to the orchestra. He silently motions to the oboe

to give the tuning note. We hear the instruments tune in this order: woodwinds, brass and finally

strings. Once completed, he/she takes their seat and wait for the conductor to enter. The entire

orchestra rises and faces the audience. Commented [LK1]: This is a really great
beginning! It sets the scene very well.

Musicians make playing in the orchestra look easy. Whether playing a symphony by Commented [LK2]: This seems to be very true.

Beethoven or an arrangement of a popular piece, the members of an orchestra seem to work

together effortlessly. However, each musician faces many challenges. As an orchestra member, I

have experienced them myself, as well as the fun of performing in a group. For me, orchestra is a

worthwhile and inspiring experience.

The next part of being in an orchestra is being able to listen to everyone’s parts. Below is

a diagram of how the stage looks for a concert. In figure 1, the orchestra is set up in a traditional Commented [LK3]: I love that you’ve included
these. So fun and useful.
way: 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola, cello and double bass behind the cellos. Then we have the two

rows of woodwinds, and one long row of brass, and at the back of the stage behind everyone is

the percussion. In figure 2, the string sections are located differently. Section 1and 2 are the Formatted: Strikethrough
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violins, section 3 is the cellos and section 4 is the violas. The fifth section is double bass. Then

sections 6-9 is for woodwinds, and sections 10-12 is the brass. With section 13 being for the

percussion and 14 for the harp or piano if needed. Commented [LK4]: So now that we have a
detailed understanding of how an orchestra is
situated, why is this important for us to know?
Figure 1 Formatted: Strikethrough
1111
Formatted: Strikethrough

Teamwork is one of those challenges and a very good reason for joining an orchestra.

Just look at the “playing field”: lots of people playing string, wind, and percussion instruments,

everyone must try to stay in tune, keeping up with the tempo, begin and stop playing at the

correct times, try to avoid making mistakes, and blend together rather than stick out. There is

always a chance that, with so much going on, the performance will fall apart, a big flop. Some Commented [LK5]: What are some ways that
this can happen?
ways the performances can fall apart would be: musicians losing their place in the music, they

played the wrong note, someone miscounts. Though the conductor can help keep the group

together, each musician must work hard to contribute to that effort. This skill of working as a

team is demanding but also real valuable.

Another positive part of playing in an orchestra is friendship. Playing music brings

people together. For example, when I joined the 7th grade middle school orchestra, I was one of

the three violas there. I felt scared because everyone seemed to know what they were doing, and

I was still learning the viola. Then, to my great surprise, I got second chair in the viola section! I
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was worried. Would I be able to play well enough? Would people criticize my playing? Right

away, a girl named Elizabeth congratulated me, and soon she and I became good friends. Commented [LK6]: Great specific example of a
friend. What was she like? Maybe a line of
Whenever I doubted myself, Liz would always encourage me by saying “What can I do to dialogue from her would be helpful?

help make things easier?” or “Can I suggest a way to make the bowing easier?” She was

always willing to help. We would Slowly I got to know everyone in the orchestra and

discovered that my worries were not necessary. We all enjoy one another's company. When it

comes to friendships, it can really come in hand. Since I was new to the viola, my stand partner

was more than happy to help me out.

However, being in a professional collegiate Symphony Orchestra has taught me many

things. For one thing, it has taught me that you must practice your piece, no matter how boring it

may seem. For example, look at the cello part in Pachelbel’s Canon in D. As you can clearly see,

the cello section is rather plain and simple. However, while playing the piece, they must make it

sound musical. Although this is lacking articulation (how they move their bows) markings,

dynamics (the volume level they play at) and even accents (How the notes are played), the
Figure 2
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cellists must stay on top and not rush. Attached is a picture that shows what the piece looks Commented [LK7]: What a cool example!

like. I also added a video clip of the music.

Being in the orchestra has taught me the value of practicing. Individuals must work on

their own parts on their own time, and then plan a sectional. Rehearsals are not the time to learn

your part, it’s the time to listen to the others around you. Yes, it may seem very time consuming; Commented [LK8]: This is a great piece of
advice
however, it makes the difference between a so-so performance and true excellence. I practice for

two hours almost every day. Then I attend a bi-weekly orchestra rehearsal for 75 minutes. Commented [LK9]: Wow, impressive

I found that these long hours of practicing can produce real results. First, I can

concentrate on playing them with care. Second, I can pay attention to my intonation. Third, I can

listen to the other parts at the group rehearsal and how they all come together to create one big

effect. Finally, the solid hours of practicing, can give me the confidence in playing difficult

passages. It pays off! Commented [LK10]: You are really good at

There will be times where a section has a solo some people have (the principal

instrument plays the melody alone), or a section has a soli (where everyone in that section shares

the melody). In the string section, the first violins and second violins will occasionally share the

melody, as well as the cello. There are some cases where the violas have their moments. One

good example of a solo would be figure 4. As you can see, Tchaikovsky used the term solo

(which means the principal instrumentalist plays alone) in . These examples are shown below
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Figure 3

Figure 5 shows that tutti means the violin plays along with the piano. Seitz shows how the

violin switches from playing by itself to being accompanied by the piano. He also uses the

terminologies: solo and tutti, only in the picture on the left (Figure 6) because it’s the only the

violin part. The image on the right (Figure 5A) show both the violin and piano part, but there is

NO terminology in the accompaniment book. The reason there is no terminology in the piano Commented [LK11]: For non-musicians, the
essay might want to explain why this is difficult
book is because the accompanist can see the violin part. For the violin, it helps them know

when they are playing by themselves or when to listen to the piano part.
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Figure 5A Figure 4

In conclusion, I greatly value the experience of playing in an orchestra. In my opinion,

the chance to work as a team, make friends, and practice hard to create music is meaningful and

exciting. In the orchestra, everyone works very hard, and must practice every day. The solos in

music are shifted from the strings to the woodwinds and brass. Then there’s just a duet, with one

instrument and a piano. There is important terminology to know the definitions because and

understand the articulation markings