Hello all, I was just wondering, what instruments would I need to be proficient on if I ever considered playing in a professional pit orchestra? I currently play bass trombone and euphonium, but I feel I would need more instruments under my belt for a pit. Thoughts?

Unlikely to need euphonium on most pit orchestras. Useful: Tenor trombone, trumpet, perhaps French horn. Trombonists should double on tenor and bass. I know some trombonists who double on (string) bass - upright or electric - to great advantage in terms of getting gigs.

In addition to bass, an argument could be made for tuna.

Edit:

...tuba, too, perhaps!

[quote="pompatus"]In addition to bass, an argument could be made for tuna.

Edit:

...tuba, too, perhaps![/quote]

Yes, always an advantage getting gigs if you play in tuna. :pant:

I've played 2 shows that were trombone/euphonium doubles, and I have a colleague who's playing one right now. It has become a fairly standard double on shows. Tenor/Bass doubles are pretty common, as are Bass Trombone/Tuba books. I've never seen Trumpet/Trombone, or Trombone/French Horn. Tuba/Double Bass used to be a fairly common double in the early 20th Century, but I've never seen a modern show that uses that combination.

To the OP, I'd suggest that first and foremost, being a really solid Bass Trombonist (his current instrument) is the most important qualification to work in shows. Adding Tuba to your skill set would be the next step, since that's fairly common, and adding Tenor Trombone would be next after that. With doubles, you have to play them well enough to make a good sound on them with good tuning and decent facility. Occasionally, the sections for the "double" are really difficult, but more often the primary instrument has the more exposed material, and the secondary instrument is more for color changes. It does have to sound good, though. I've played gigs where someone claimed to be a doubler, and pulled out a Flute/Clarinet (in a Sax book) or Tuba in the Bass Trombone chair, and their playing wasn't competent. That's bad for a player's career - worse than saying, I only play this instrument, not that one.

Jim Scott

Bass trombone + tuba will get you really really far, but you’ll need a bass sound that can get light or heavy depending on what’s in front of you. Often if you’re playing a reduction, you’ll be the only trombonist. Most times I see 1 trombone in a pit, it’s a bass covering the whole range of the instrument.

[quote="Kingfan"]<QUOTE author="pompatus" post_id="84031" time="1556576223" user_id="144">
In addition to bass, an argument could be made for tuna.

Edit:

...tuba, too, perhaps![/quote]

Yes, always an advantage getting gigs if you play in tuna. :pant:
</QUOTE>

Also good for capturing stuffed Tigers like Hobbes! :lol:

https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1985/11/18

--Andy in OKC

Those jobs are pretty hard to come by. You have to live someplace that has a lot of pro pits (ie NYC and a few other places) and be really good AND know someone. The touring shows are cutting way back on the number of players that they hire. I read a review online recently of a Jersey Boys show in Chicago that didn't even use any trumpets.

[url]<LINK_TEXT text="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertai ... story.html">https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/ct-ent-jersey-boys-review-0404-story.html</LINK_TEXT>

My local theater, which pays squat ($60 a show) only uses brass once once or twice a year. And the theater in the next town over, which is twice our size, has gone to all recorded music.

If you really want to play a lot of pits, learn keyboards. Most shows have 3 or more keyboard players (covering all the brass and woodwinds that didn't get hired).

[quote="afugate"]<QUOTE author="Kingfan" post_id="84048" time="1556594182" user_id="3053">

Yes, always an advantage getting gigs if you play in tuna. :pant:[/quote]

Also good for capturing stuffed Tigers like Hobbes! :lol:

https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1985/11/18

The greatest cartoon ever.

--Andy in OKC
</QUOTE>

Here in Australia, almost all the shows with trombone at all are condensed down to only 1 trombone chair, and they’re usually either just tenor (you’d need a large bore and a small bore depending on the show (I think a .508 like a 3b or MD+ is most versatile for a small horn), or tenor and bass in the same book.

I’ve done one show that also had tuba, and another with Euph so these are useful instruments to own.

Sound requirements are quite different to say playing in an orchestra in a huge hall, or playing a big band gig, as you’re always mic’d and the sound guys out front will manipulate levels based on different things they need to hear (there’s usually always a few bass bone bits that they really crank out front for maximum effect!), but this means you don’t need to necessarily play the biggest equipment. Often instruments that are versatile and can sound good playing different styles and mixing with different (often single) instruments are your best bet.

So if you’re a bass bone player, I’d buy a 3b with f att. or similar, and practice your small bore playing. You often need to switch from an orchestral style to a lead jazz/swing style to a commercial rock style in the same show.