How are chairs assigned in orchestra?

Orchestra Chairs The most skilled musician sits in the first chair of each section and plays any solo parts for that instrument. The next most skilled player would sit in the second chair and the least skilled musician would sit in the last chair of his or her section.

How many violin chairs does an orchestra have?

A symphony orchestra is usually made up of (give or take) around ten first violins and ten second violins, ten violas, eight cellos and six double basses.

Who sits behind the violinist?

The concertmaster sits to the conductor’s left, closest to the audience, in what is called the “first chair,” “first [music] stand” or outside of the US “first desk.” The concertmaster makes decisions regarding bowing and other technical details of violin playing for the violins, and sometimes all of the string players …

Where do violins sit in an orchestra?

If space or numbers are limited, cellos and basses can be put in the middle, violins and violas on the left (thus facing the audience) and winds to the right; this is the usual arrangement in orchestra pits.

Is being a second violin bad?

‘You have to be able to rise to the level of the first violin and at times you must play under the others – more so than the viola and the cello, because there’s another violin in the group. The second violin can be disastrous for the tuning, because so many of the harmonies are determined by his voice in the quartet.

Where does 2nd chair violin sit?

and you’re saying that you are in number 4’s spot, that would not make you second chair because of the person in front of you. If you are saying that you are number 3 then it depends if there is a person number 2. Basically, if there is another person sitting next to the concertmaster, no you are not second chair.

How many violins are in a symphony orchestra?

They are not the biggest, but the most. Many times there are 30 violins playing together in the symphony orchestra. The violin often plays the melodies, but also rhythms and sounds. The instrument has four strings and the musician uses a bow to create the sound.

What does 3rd chair mean in orchestra?

In and of itself, third chair means you sit two chairs away from the principal player; if your band seats players in order of proficiency and you have a bunch of clarinets, this means you’re quite a good player.

How many violins are in a symphony?