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Pit Band gig

Macch5

Macch5

Nov 8, 2014
84
63
50
Hudson Valley
#1
This is a question for anyone who has done pit band gigs, specifically Mama Mia. I was contacted about a last minute gig playing in the pit for this musical. I’m already booked the dates of the show but I’m curious about it. How hard woukd you rate
the music for Mama Mia. I’m familiar with some of ABBA’s music, maybe two or three of there most popular songs and there are not technically difficult. I play a wide variety of music but would only describe my reading abilities as elementary, If I was free the dates of the show I’m just wondering if I’d be up to the task. I’ve never done a pit band and am always interested in different types of gigs.
 
#2
It's a moderately difficult read.

You need to be comfortable playing in keys like Gb (6 flats) and B (5 sharps):

upload_2019-7-16_11-57-54.png


upload_2019-7-16_12-0-31.png


Reading in the lower register of a 5-string bass:

upload_2019-7-16_11-57-24.png


Reading and playing disco octaves:

upload_2019-7-16_11-59-1.png


Reading 16th note rhythms:

upload_2019-7-16_12-2-28.png


There are many parts of the book that are much more straightforward to read than the examples posted above, but if you struggle with these examples, you would struggle with the book in general. Conversely, if you're comfortable with these examples, you'd be comfortable with the book in general.

I hope this helps.
 
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#3
Febs said:
It's a moderately difficult read.

You need to be comfortable playing in keys like Gb (6 flats) and B (5 sharps):

View attachment 3478632

View attachment 3478634

Reading in the lower register of a 5-string bass:

View attachment 3478631

Reading and playing disco octaves:

View attachment 3478633

Reading 16th note rhythms:

View attachment 3478642

There are many parts of the book that are much more straightforward to read than the examples posted above, but if you struggle with these examples, you would struggle with the book in general. Conversely, if you're comfortable with these examples, you'd be comfortable with the book in general.

I hope this helps.
Click to expand...


It does, thanks.
 
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#5
I'm working on it right now. I'm playing 3 different theater productions of it this fall. It's a very popular choice for theaters.... this year. My guess is; we'll not see it again for 5 years or more, but who knows.
On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd say it's a good solid 7 or 8 in terms of difficulty. As noted above there are a few songs that aren't real pain, but most of songs are pretty much like the examples and lots of it. (shows that would rate a 1 or 2, Oklahoma, Sound of Music. 9 or 10 Rent, West Side Story).
Most musicals are not that tough, with the exception of 1 or 2 songs. Before Mama Mia, I'll be doing Newsies and that's not hard except for 2 songs, and they are as tough as most of Mama Mia.
 
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#7
BassChuck said:
I'm working on it right now. I'm playing 3 different theater productions of it this fall. It's a very popular choice for theaters.... this year. My guess is; we'll not see it again for 5 years or more, but who knows.
On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd say it's a good solid 7 or 8 in terms of difficulty. As noted above there are a few songs that aren't real pain, but most of songs are pretty much like the examples and lots of it. (shows that would rate a 1 or 2, Oklahoma, Sound of Music. 9 or 10 Rent, West Side Story).
Most musicals are not that tough, with the exception of 1 or 2 songs. Before Mama Mia, I'll be doing Newsies and that's not hard except for 2 songs, and they are as tough as most of Mama Mia.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info! I’m prepping for it now. Can you tell me what « U/S » stands for in the Name of the Game and did you slap your fretless where x note heads are?
 
#8
BassChuck said:
On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd say it's a good solid 7 or 8 in terms of difficulty. As noted above there are a few songs that aren't real pain, but most of songs are pretty much like the examples and lots of it. (shows that would rate a 1 or 2, Oklahoma, Sound of Music. 9 or 10 Rent, West Side Story).
Most musicals are not that tough, with the exception of 1 or 2 songs.
Click to expand...

I guess Sondheim would be rated 11...
 
#11
Febs said:
It's a moderately difficult read.

You need to be comfortable playing in keys like Gb (6 flats) and B (5 sharps):

View attachment 3478632

View attachment 3478634

Reading in the lower register of a 5-string bass:

View attachment 3478631

Reading and playing disco octaves:

View attachment 3478633

Reading 16th note rhythms:

View attachment 3478642

There are many parts of the book that are much more straightforward to read than the examples posted above, but if you struggle with these examples, you would struggle with the book in general. Conversely, if you're comfortable with these examples, you'd be comfortable with the book in general.

I hope this helps.
Click to expand...
What is this book? Where to buy it?
 
#12
dralionux said:
What is this book? Where to buy it?
Click to expand...
In my experience, you CANNOT buy it. The score is rented, and each copy must be returned in its original condition. It cannot be photocopied. Any such action is a copyright violation, which will be aggressively pursued.

Typically, the show’s Music Director pays a fee to stage the show, which includes the “book” for each pit orchestra part. What can be done to the book is handwritten notes for a particular production, done ONLY in pencil, all of which MUST be fully and completely erased before returning the “book” to the owner of the production rights.

This means that all the notes you will need must be hand-entered in a soft (#2 or softer) pencil, and a high-quality kneadable eraser must be a part of your equipment.
 
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#13
I consider prep time to be a bit of a novelty/luxury with this stuff. More often than not it's a case of turning up, opening the book and you are off. Elementary reading skills don't lend themselves well to that face paced thing. If you can get a copy of the part then take it just for the shed. If you are going to do it and unsure of the read, go sit in the pit a few times to get an idea of what's going on. Even if you are just interested for the future ask if you can shadow the bass player. It's a good way to get your face on the scene.

Mamma Mia isn't massively difficult read, I wouldn't say so. It's one of the more fun ones for the bass I think. Having a knowledge of the recordings helps, but make sure it's a knowledge of the show recording. Jukebox musicals often have songs completely rearranged for the stage so you can't really depend on them sounding like what you are used to. Sometimes these are better, sometimes these are not. But for doing the show you need to go with what the show has written. Not what the radio plays.

As has already been said, getting access to theatre parts isn't easy since they crack down on copyright infringements in a big way. Even returning a messy part back gets the company fined. The theatre scene, where I am, is a pretty small circle so the same faces crop up in the pit all the time. A pencil case is almost as essential as an instrument case for this stuff.
 
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#14
I have done RENT twice and both time it was the Broadway score , so I Purchased the cd use my copy to play through the entire show everyday for several weeks and did the gig without a hitch
I can read music , but do not sight read.
After several runs through the notes on the page were the notes I learned by ear
I also came up with a bass line for Santa Fa that worked for me and the production as the scores line was written for left hand piano
If you have the time to practice at home you should be able to pull it off
Good luck
Duke
 
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#19
Revisiting this zombie thread, I have 20-22 shows in a pretty massive production of Mamma Mia this summer.
Any tips?

I managed to find a copy of a version of the book on libgen, but can't find the right mp3 to match it. I'll practice to that anyway, can't be well that different from the version I'll see when practices start in June.

The setup is a bit disappointing, 6-7,000 seat outdoor theater, but we musicians aren't one stage. It will be a room in a building overlooking the stage with monitors and a TV monitor.

Also looking for tips on gear, I was thinking to use either my US Pbass wearing 760fl and Nordy pups, or a MIM P special with 760fl, MFD and Dimarzio model J pups, or a Lakland DJ4 with either flats or rounds if I have to. Maybe even a 5er Lakland with Labella flats too. For the fretless part/parts I'll use one of the two ones I have if needed.

Pics for reference
Venue, primary basses, FL basses.

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PXL_20230222_210848175.jpg
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PXL_20230129_201634230.jpg
 
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#20
I played RENT like that. We were on stage, inside the building prop in the middle of the stage. Not ideal, but it worked.
I would suggest if you can find a recording of the show in the version you are doing and play the show start to finish daily will give you the best route for success. As far as equipment for rent I play my 2006 G&L 2500 through a GenzBenz 6.0 2x10 combo. If they are running the band through FOH what you use won’t make much difference except in the pit as the sound team will control what the audience hears.
Good luck
Duke
 
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