Brass problems
Leaky water keys
Transposing
Running away from tubas
Practising all day and then waking up with a split lip
Playing piano
Being the only girl in the section
Rowdy 12 year old boys trying to take over the trumpet section
Being totally undermined by the rest of the orchestra while knowing that you’re secretly the best you just don’t want everyone else to get jealous
Anything above a top C
Forgetting your mute
Being the only one to remember a mute
Being section leader/principal and trying (and failing) to control your section
Chromatic scales
Counting anything over 4 bars of rests and drifting off because you have a terrible attention span
People calling your baritone a tuba
People calling your instrument a different brass instrument
Not being able to use vaseline. Ever.
Having that one responsible prick in the section and not having any fun
Being that one responsible prick in the section and controlling the fun
People laughing when you say your instrument is called a cornet and asking where the ice cream is
Woodwind problems
1. Reeds 2. Reeds 3. Reeds 4. Reeds 5. Reeds 6. Reeds 7. Reeds 8. Reeds 9. Reeds 10. Reeds 11. Someone calling your bassoon an oboe. 12. Having to deal with brass players. 13. Fingerings. 14. Reeds.
We win
flute problems:
1. piccolos
2. @paultaffanel-official
3. @cecilechaminade-official
no we win
String problems:
Callouses, callouses, callouses
Hahaha big violin right?
Snapping stings in your face
There are so many of you it doesn’t even matter if you’re there or not haha
Fighting to the death for front desk and not even getting a solo
Anything above 5th position (3rd for violas)
Getting stabbed in the eye by a bow
Tchaikovsky vibrato
Slipping pegs
Wtf is a viola?
YOU CAN NEVER HAVE FINGERNAILS THEY MUST BE DESTROYED
Second violins
Everyone trying to find that high note out loud before your entry
Ominous rattling string/instrument
Sweaty hands sliding right off the end of the fingerboard
I could go on….
More strings:
-Getting new strings and having to retune every 2 minutes
-New strings are soooo expensive and you’re meant to change them like 3 times a year (seriously I just bought a new set for over £80)
-When you get your bow rehaired and have to use your less good spare bow for like a week
-If you wear foundation and play violin or viola expect the foundation to end up all over your chin rest
-Taking cellos and basses on public transport
-Trying to find a good instrument and having little idea of where to start and what to expect in your budget
-With any string instrument case: “is that a guitar?”
-Rosin stains on your black concert clothes
-(for viola) When composers don’t understand how alto clef works so you either get stuff easily within your range or huge awkward shifts etc.
-(also for viola and possibly cello and bass) When composers think that shifting clef so the next notes look around the same area as the last ones on the stave means it’s fine because it doesn’t look like a huge shift when, in fact, it is (I’m looking at you @ottorinorespighi-official *ahem*Pines of Rome mvt 4*ahem*
like it or not that’s a huge shift from 1st to 6th position in nearly no time)
-When composers change clefs like every 2 bars (again, I’m looking at you @ottorinorespighi-official *ahem*Fountains of Rome mvt 3*ahem*
just why)
-Knowing there’s a definite possibility that the instrument in the back of your car is probably worth more than the car itself (definitely in my case anyway)
Musician problems: Fighting with other sections over who has it worst
