Orchestra question, answer please!?

Question:Does anybody else have a problem where you are always in 2nd or 3rd violin? I swear, I have not moved from my seat in three months, and it was in last year too!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Does anybody else have a problem where you are always in 2nd or 3rd violin? I swear, I have not moved from my seat in three months, and it was in last year too!

i have had friends in that situation and although i have never been a 3rd violin myself, i understand your situation. first of all, in orchestra, violin is the most popular and therfore the most competitive instrument. you should practice more to attain 1st violin level and once you're confident with your skills ask your teacher for an audition or suggestion on how to move up. a good alternative is becoming section leader. 2nd and 3rd violin sections are both as important as 1st and sometimes when these sections have the melody it's even more awesome than the others. good luck!

talk to your teacher. Say you're not happy.

Well, Violin is extremely competitive... Most of the time in the orchestra at my school, the first 3 or 4 violins never move and the rest only trade up or down one seat.

Then again, I've also noticed that with other instruments as well. In percussion, I'm always 1st, Scott's 2nd, and Kevin is 3rd. The rest then follow in a random order. All the other sections seem to have these set orders as well. And if 1st chair is ever snatched away from someone who's had it for a while (as with what happened last year with the clarinets), chaos erupts throughout the band and something about the room changes entirely. It's just wrong.

Are you in the 2nd violin section are are you 2nd chair in one of the violin sections?

There is nothing wrong with playing 2nd violin section. First of all you must realize that in orchestra, it is not about the individual player, it is about what makes the entire group sound the best. An orchestra is a team, just like a basketball team. Everyone has a role.

2nd violin section is vital to an orchestra. 2nd violin sections don't take the worst violins or the poorer players. You need strong players for all sections. In an orchestra 1st violin or 2nd violin sections are not ranked on who is best. Only concert master and section leaders are.

The question for yourself is how much do you practice outside of orchestra. are you prepared for rehearsal, do you know your part?

If anything you should be humble. Orchestras are not about egos, but unfortunately many players have that mentality. Some think they are better than others, and in the end those orchestras sound bad because the individual is not thinking of the group but instead their own selfishness.

The best sounding orchestras are the ones where every players does their best at their job and is humble about what they do. Orchestras don't have room for competitive mentalities. If you had this issue with a professional orchestra they would kick you out. No one deals with that type of mentality.

If you want concert master or section leader, I suggest you practice diligently to improve your musical and technical ability. And even if you don't win those positions, it is not a shame. Every member in an orchestra has to play well for the orchestra to do well. If you work consistently and are patient you will get what you deserve. In music you have to earn the reward. Crying about and it and being frustrated solves nothing. It is important to maintain a good attitude as you are a member of a team.

You have to earn your place in the orchestra. I am concertmaster in my school orchestra but 2nd violin in my state orchestra. Just practice. When you get done practicing, practice some more!

The orchestra is a very competitive thing. You basically have to be good at what you do and you will never get better unless you practice. When I say practice I mean constructively, not just playing badly through a piece. Find something that needs work, and then play those measures over and over until the problem is fixed.