Diese

Diese is the musical term for the 'sharp sign'. A sharp (or flat) when not written in the key signature, is reffered to as an 'acidental.' It's a note that crops up unexpectedly, and is noted for the player with the Diese.

My life has kind of been running into a lot of Dieses lately. Accidentals that were not written into the key signature and I had not been anticipating. Some of them, sound great. I've really been enjoying the flourish that I've been able to use while playing a sharp. Some of them, have been downright horrid. I wonder to myself "why on earth did the composer put a diese right there? Surely he didn't mean to make that note a sharp." Some of them, are truly accidents. Notes that weren't supposed to be sharp, that weren't noted with a Diese, that I accidentally played sharp anyways. Whoops.

It happens. I'm really just hoping that there aren't too many more in the near future though. I'd like to keep to the key signature and not have to remember which fingering is a G sharp as opposed to the regular G. I'd like to continue on with life without having to make all these split second decisions, and figure things out.

You know, when you have a Diese, sometimes you have to check your fingering chart because it's a weird note that you've never seen before or had to play all that regularly. Being a Trumpet Player, you'd think that I don't run into that problem very much. Well, you'd be wrong. I know there are only three valves on a Trumpet, but sometimes you hit a note and for the life of you, you can't remember which valve you're supposed to press. Is it one and two? Two? Something odd like two and three? And you  have to think about it. And sometimes, by the time you remember which valve to press, the note has come and gone and you have to figure out where everyone else is.

I used to be the only Trumpet in my band for a season, and if I missed a diese, you could tell. I clashed with the rest of the band, hardcore. You see, if there's another Trumpet, you clash with the other Trumpet, but they can kind of cover you because they sound good with the rest of the band. But if it's just you? Call it a day, because your missed sharps are going to stand out.

I think I need another player right now, to cover for me. Those Dieses have been giving me a run for my money.

Which Dieses? Well obviously my brother, French Horn, B Flat, but also some of the things I have been saying and doing have been coming up sharp. I'm just--not on my A game. Not playing the best. I'm getting a little bit overwhelmed by all the Dieses, I'm missing some, I'm botching others, I'm making up my own.

I would really like another Trumpet Player. It's a little easier when playing with someone else to handle a page full of Dieses. You can listen to them, hear how the piece is supposed to sound, watch their fingering, ask.

But I'm a solo Trumpet right now. Have been pretty much forever. Not that I don't have family and friends, I do. But they're other instruments. My sister is a Flute, a lot of my friends are Saxophones, or Bass players, my grandparents are probably Clairnet players. I don't have that truly compatible Trumpet Player.

B Flat is from another band entirely, I don't enjoy playing with her. I can't have her being my cover. She's here for a couple of songs, arguing with me over the Divisi, and that's all.

French Horn is a French Horn now, I'm pretty sure he's not a Trumpet.

I just need another Trumpet. God, you're the Conductor, can you please bring in a permanent player? A student teacher? Another First B Flat Trumpet, or Cornet, or something? I'm really just at a loss here.

I'm not asking for a page without Dieses. Those happen, they make the song cool, they clash in the best way possible sometimes. They make the music make sense. Have you ever listened to a song without any sharps or flats when there are supposed to be sharps and flats? It sounds weird, awkward, not good. I'm not requesting that the Conductor takes away this sheet music. The music is fine.

It'd just be cool to not be the only one playing it in my particular insturment group.

The thing about me is that I learn best by hearing. I have issues reading music sometimes, until I know what it sounds like. I can't just sight read, like most people, I have to know what I'm playing before I can make it sound good. So having another player is like a dream to me. I can hear exactly what I'm playing, and know what it sounds like, and play it. Once I have the sound in my head, I can read the music fine. I can get through the piece, by myself, no problem. But until then, having that other player makes it easy, enjoyable, fun to learn new music. When I'm by myself, I want to freak out. "What is this supposed to sound like, and why doesn't it sound like that?!" I ask myself.

And right now, with all these Dieses, I'd love someone else sitting beside me, blasting through those notes so I know what they sound like.

But for now, I'm the only...

-Trumpet Player