First Time Playing in a Musical--Need Advice!!

[chaunceytoben]

So for some background:

I'm a high school student at a private school with less than 200 people. For the spring musical, the drama department has chosen "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." They're running the show on a tight budget, so instead of hiring a bassist and drummer as they normally do (our drama department head plays piano), they wanted to have students play instead so the small amount of money they have could be spent on other aspects of the show.

Me, being the only bassist at our school, was asked to play along with my good friend/jam buddy drummer. I agreed, as it seems like it could be a good experience and some fun. The dept. head told me that there was no written sheet music for bass, and that I'd have to come up with basslines myself. He also gave me a CD of the tunes from the show to listen to and to start brainstorming. After popping the CD in my car and listening through the tracks, I'm a bit worried. I come from a funk/rock/reggae background and have NO experience playing this type of music.

Some first impressions:

• Lots of interesting rhythms coming from the left hand of the pianist on the recording, It seems like it will be very difficult to come up with lines to compliment this
• Lots of start/stops and tempo changes to adjust to the vocalist, I'm worried memorizing all this will be overwhelming
• This music is like nothing I've ever played, I'm not even sure what is expected of a bassist in this genre

So basically I'm looking for any general tips or advice that you can give me to help me get through this (or at least some encouragement )

Other Random Info: I play a EBMM Sterling HS or Rev. Rumblefish JJ through GK 700RB-II and GK 2x10RBH and have a simple effect board with EHx BBM, BBE Optostomp, EHx Q-Tron, EBS BassIQ.

Thanks!!

[Hoover]

Just because the department head says there's no written sheet music for bass doesn't mean there isn't; that just means the department can't afford the rental/licensing fees to get the charts.

Call Colony Music in NYC and ask if they have the parts.

[bassandbeyond]

This makes me sad. Apparently, even private schools no longer value music education enough to properly fund it.

My advice would be that if you feel overwhelmed by what they are asking of you (and they are asking a lot), then you should talk to your band director about it and ask him to help you with the bass lines. Even getting a copy of the piano score would be better than nothing.

The only other thing I can suggest is to try to track down other recordings of the music to help you get an idea of how to approach the bass parts....maybe try searching Youtube?

[fettbass]

get ahold of the piano score and study whatever's written in the bass clef.

[Billnc]

Originally Posted by chaunceytoben

So for some background:

I'm a high school student at a private school with less than 200 people. For the spring musical, the drama department has chosen "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." They're running the show on a tight budget, so instead of hiring a bassist and drummer as they normally do (our drama department head plays piano), they wanted to have students play instead so the small amount of money they have could be spent on other aspects of the show.

Me, being the only bassist at our school, was asked to play along with my good friend/jam buddy drummer. I agreed, as it seems like it could be a good experience and some fun. The dept. head told me that there was no written sheet music for bass, and that I'd have to come up with basslines myself. He also gave me a CD of the tunes from the show to listen to and to start brainstorming. After popping the CD in my car and listening through the tracks, I'm a bit worried. I come from a funk/rock/reggae background and have NO experience playing this type of music.

Some first impressions:

• Lots of interesting rhythms coming from the left hand of the pianist on the recording, It seems like it will be very difficult to come up with lines to compliment this
• Lots of start/stops and tempo changes to adjust to the vocalist, I'm worried memorizing all this will be overwhelming
• This music is like nothing I've ever played, I'm not even sure what is expected of a bassist in this genre

So basically I'm looking for any general tips or advice that you can give me to help me get through this (or at least some encouragement )

Other Random Info: I play a EBMM Sterling HS or Rev. Rumblefish JJ through GK 700RB-II and GK 2x10RBH and have a simple effect board with EHx BBM, BBE Optostomp, EHx Q-Tron, EBS BassIQ.

Thanks!!

I wouldn't even think about effects. This is a tough gig, musicals are typically reading gigs. How is the music going to be conducted and synched to the singers and dancers without a score? Somebody must have something.

There's no bass on the cd? Many times the lines are in two, so you may well get by with half notes much of the time. This music is NOT about the bass one bit so support is key, get through and don't try to be clever, keep it as simple as possible.

[neobassman]

I've been in exactly this kind of situation (faculty member instead of student, but a volunteer bassist all the same). The above suggestions are good, but if you don't get any music to help you, here's some initial thoughts. With broadway style music, you can't go too far wrong sticking with the root of the chord (or notes in the chord triad) and picking a rhythm that's appropriate to the style of the song. In general, less is more. You want to blend in with the pit orchestra as much as possible, so special effects are out. If appropriate, some muting under the strings at the bridge might help cut down on the sustain and get you 1/2 step closer to an acoustic effect. Not close, but closer. These have worked for me.
I don't know this show. The stranger the music, the less this will work. If it's Sondheim-like, my advice won't get you far. If it's more traditional broadway stuff, this may get you through.

[fdeck]

I played a lot of musicals when I was in high school, both at my own school and for other schools in the suburbs south of Detroit. I did "guys and dolls," "oklahoma," "grease," "sound of music," "my fair lady," etc. Those were my first gigs, on cello, before I learned bass.

Personally I would have a hard time getting through a typical broadway musical without the book, or at the very least the piano score if I was playing bass. There can be a lot of odd starts and stops, key changes, segues from one song to another, and so forth. Learning that stuff by ear is going to be a massive amount of work, and there's stuff in between the tunes, such as during scene changes, that might not be on the CD.

Beg for the book. There must be some money available for it. Explain why it is vital.

Like neo says, leave the FX at home. In addition to sonic considerations, you need as few things to think about as possible. BTW pit orchestra is a great experience if you have never done it. "That which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger." I love doing musicals.

[Billnc]

You know, this circumstance makes me kind of sad. I've had to read some musicals too (just a few but Sondheim is in there), and to tell a high school kid to come up with his own parts? Where in the hell is the education? Chances are this would bust any of our chops, even just a little bit, if we had to do it by ear. The school used to hire guys to do the same gig. How many professional musicians would be asked to do the same? Rant over.

[Rudreax]

If you have the time and can eventually figure out all the bass parts, why no transcribe the parts yourself? As has been said, what effects you have won't matter at all if they aren't used in the show.

In the college I go to, there's a student-run musical group that puts put two shows a year; one is a musical, and one is a revue, which is essentially performing a bunch of songs from many musicals that follow a certain theme. Since it would be a pain to get the music for each musical and copy only certain songs, our MD (a sophomore here, not a music major, a piano player from a pop/rock background) transcribes EVERYTHING. That means guitar parts, bass parts, horns, piano, string orchestra, everything. And he does it all in about a month, as we don't have a lot of time to get through rehearsals.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that you could take this unfortunate circumstance and turn it into a great learning opportunity by learning and transcribing your parts.

Of course, if you're never read music before that could be a problem...also, as Hoover said if you can call a company to get the music that would be best.

[HaVIC5]

Originally Posted by Billnc

You know, this circumstance makes me kind of sad. I've had to read some musicals too (just a few but Sondheim is in there), and to tell a high school kid to come up with his own parts? Where in the hell is the education? Chances are this would bust any of our chops, even just a little bit, if we had to do it by ear. The school used to hire guys to do the same gig. How many professional musicians would be asked to do the same? Rant over.

This. The fact that you're not even being given music for the part is a laughable at best. Now I don't know the score to 25th annual putnam spelling bee, but if it's anything like most musicals I've done, it's a score rife with unmeasured vamps, meter changes, tempo changes, shifts in feel, short "cues" not in the cast recording, and all sorts of really complicated musical events that cannot simply be memorized and learned off a record in the normal way, especially by an inexperienced high school student. No professional would ever agree to doing something like that (I know I wouldn't). Imagine being asked to learn a Sondheim score off a record....jeez...

You should straight up demand the music. I can see where they want to cut corners and have the students play in the pit, but not even getting them the music? If they don't, at least force them to photocopy the conductor/piano score for you.

[Soverntear]

yeah that is allot to ask. id be raising a stink till they shell out for the score.

[One Bad Monkey]

Originally Posted by Hoover

Just because the department head says there's no written sheet music for bass doesn't mean there isn't; that just means the department can't afford the rental/licensing fees to get the charts.

Actually in this case, there isn't. Putnam County Spelling Bee was NOT written with a bass part; it's all in the left hand of the second keyboardist. We just had this discussion with a friend of mine who is the music director for this musical here in town, currently. The pit was scored for six people. So, in this case, when they say there's no bass part, it's literally because THERE IS NO BASS PART. If you can, try to grab the second keyboard score (or a copy of it) and use that as a springboard/guide. Like everyone said, you need at least something to read off of.

That said, keep everything as simple as possible. As a member of a musical pit, it's not your job to outshine anyone or play to the best of your abilities, it's your job to make a solid foundation for the singers onstage.

In this show, everything is really sparsely orchestrated so you keeping a solid tempo and feel is VITAL. Especially because you are in a high school production, there is going to be a lot more emphasis on keeping that beat solid and consistent, because you will be dealing with a lot of actors/actresses that aren't as comfortable following a music director while singing/dancing.

[Febs]

Originally Posted by One Bad Monkey

Actually in this case, there isn't. Putnam County Spelling Bee was NOT written with a bass part; it's all in the left hand of the second keyboardist. We just had this discussion with a friend of mine who is the music director for this musical here in town, currently. The pit was scored for six people. So, in this case, when they say there's no bass part, it's literally because THERE IS NO BASS PART.

Actually, the orchestration is for five: Piano/Conductor, Percussion, Reed 1 (alto sax, Bb clarinet, flute, oboe), Cello, and Synthesizer.

As others have noted, it is essential that you get a copy of the score. The soundtrack recording of a musical does not contain all of the music in the show, so it is absolutely unreasonable for the director to expect you to be able to learn the show from the recording.

[One Bad Monkey]

Originally Posted by Febs

Actually, the orchestration is for five: Piano/Conductor, Percussion, Reed 1 (alto sax, Bb clarinet, flute, oboe), Cello, and Synthesizer.

My mistake. That would make the synth technically the second keyboard then, which is doubling the bass (from what my buddy told me).

[Febs]

Originally Posted by One Bad Monkey

My mistake. That would make the synth technically the second keyboard then, which is doubling the bass (from what my buddy told me).

That is my understanding as well.