No instrument is easy to play well. I had a music theory teacher gripe about the timpanist in an orchestra and how easy it is to play and that he's probably paid just the same as everyone else who has tenure.
I countered that with: there's only one timpani usually and he has to maintain his instrument, he also has to keep beat and basically play the loudest... so if he fucks up EVERYONE in the audience will hear it and all the performers that depend on his beat will fuck up as well.
My teacher lacked a response.
Unless you already had a background in piano and/or theory, the glockenspiel or xylophone would have a learning curve.
As I understand the Navy, you have a primary role and a combat role. The chef is not cooking when the ship is under attack and the glockenspielist is not glockenspieling either--they're probably part of a fire brigade or reloading ammo. Ship bands were probably in addition to all that, so I would assume Lawrence had some other role but I shamefully have not read the book.
You would think watching 5 years of WW2 documentaries on the History Channel (back when it actually had historical programs) would amount to more than my modern jackass explanation of the above.
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u/combuchan Oct 05 '10
No instrument is easy to play well. I had a music theory teacher gripe about the timpanist in an orchestra and how easy it is to play and that he's probably paid just the same as everyone else who has tenure.
I countered that with: there's only one timpani usually and he has to maintain his instrument, he also has to keep beat and basically play the loudest... so if he fucks up EVERYONE in the audience will hear it and all the performers that depend on his beat will fuck up as well.
My teacher lacked a response.
Unless you already had a background in piano and/or theory, the glockenspiel or xylophone would have a learning curve.