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easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by paranoid on 2/25/2021, 2:17 pm

Help need something we can put together asap!!! Looking for the shortest easiest grade for a sub non varsity band. Weak trumpets and flutes.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by MSBD on 3/2/2021, 11:01 am, in reply to "easiest grade 1 known to man"

Dance celebration has easy rhythms but perhaps more difficult than the layering others have mentioned will be TUNING. Look through the score first if you can and look at all the whole notes and unison lines in the first 16 bars or so. Could lead to a disaster.

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Same Boat on 2/26/2021, 8:17 am, in reply to "easiest grade 1 known to man"

Dorian Chant.

Plaza de Toros is also great but there is a spot where trumpets are by themselves.

Sakura is a good one if you have Clarinets. The rest of the band only really plays 18 measures if you don't count whole notes.

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Hodor on 2/26/2021, 3:37 am, in reply to "easiest grade 1 known to man"

Last year I had weak trumpets and no flutes (I hade a clarinet player and an oboe player from the varsity band play flute with my band) and I did Dance Celebration and Ghost Ship (I had strong clarinets).

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by west on 2/25/2021, 5:09 pm, in reply to "easiest grade 1 known to man"

Dorian chant?

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Scuba Steve on 2/25/2021, 4:19 pm, in reply to "easiest grade 1 known to man"

Dance Celebration by Smith is a WINNER.

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Pretty Much on 2/26/2021, 4:43 pm, in reply to "Re: easiest grade 1 known to man"

I might have fully agreed on this about ten years ago, but now I'll offer one warning: If your band doesn't grasp the rhythms and "independence" in them (as well as how the layering works) relatively soon into the learning of the piece, don't keep going with it. Change to something else.

I like Little Brazil Suite as one of the easiest grade 1's. But I believe it's out of print. However, maybe you could borrow it.

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Yes... on 2/28/2021, 11:09 am, in reply to "Re: easiest grade 1 known to man"

...I agree. Individual parts in Dance Celebration are easy...but unless the kids are confident with up to 5 different independent lines going on all at once, and getting them to all dovetail together like the are supposed to, then DC is just asking for daily migraines.

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Easy on 2/25/2021, 3:50 pm, in reply to "easiest grade 1 known to man"

Plaza de Toros is about as easy as it gets!

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Had to switch mine too! on 2/25/2021, 3:35 pm, in reply to "easiest grade 1 known to man"

Dance Celebration! I had to switch to an easier piece because of my lack of trumpet sound. I have 3 trumpets that have a hard time playing strong and loud. I have strong flutes......but the flute part is quiet easy and not super exposed.

My French horns and saxophones love it! (they have a cool rhythmic thing in the background and horns have a slur from G-C making it sound like a "rip" so they enjoy it too!)

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Me on 2/25/2021, 3:33 pm, in reply to "easiest grade 1 known to man"

Easiest grade 1 != easiest grade 1 with weak trumpets and flutes.

Assuming you have solid clarinets, trumpets, saxes, and percussion, maybe try Serengeti Dreams? There's a bit of flute-y stuff there but it's in a lowish register and can be played by weak players pretty easily.

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Hodor on 2/26/2021, 3:35 am, in reply to "Re: easiest grade 1 known to man"

There's exposed flutes and a lot of independent lines. I've heard it fall apart rhythmically because of that.

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by ragincajun on 2/25/2021, 3:25 pm, in reply to "easiest grade 1 known to man"

Theme and Variations by Boerge

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Old Dog on 2/25/2021, 3:20 pm, in reply to "easiest grade 1 known to man"

Atlantis - McGinty

The Two Minute Symphony - Margolis

Nottingham Castle - Daehn

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Another old dog on 2/26/2021, 4:55 pm, in reply to "Re: easiest grade 1 known to man"

Amen! I laughed when the state judges cringed when they opened the scores to 2&1/2 minute symphony (even without Bugs Bunny not on the score).It was very easy to clean.The kids loved it. Try it. HB '95.
Atlantis is a great piece too. McGinty's all time great!

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Warhawk on 3/1/2021, 2:24 pm, in reply to "Re: easiest grade 1 known to man"

But Atlantis in not one of her personal favorites.

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Oldster on 2/25/2021, 7:03 pm, in reply to "Re: easiest grade 1 known to man"

Atlantis is not that easy. There are some rhythmic figures and solo type spots. It is a neat piece, but not super easy to play well.

Re: easiest grade 1 known to man

Posted by Old on 2/26/2021, 1:53 pm, in reply to "Re: easiest grade 1 known to man"

I would go so far as to say that all three of those pieces shouldn't be attempted by a band with "weak flutes and trumpets" ...

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