It always begins with scales, Bb major to start with, then moving around the circle of fifths to F, to C, to G, and onward.

Concert key, of course.

Mariana was part of the string quartet so she came to the Bandhall to practice. She placed her violin case on the table and started to tune her instrument. She played the scales that seemed off key. She adjusted the screws and tried the scales to check the strings again.

Jonothan methodically went through a sequence of chords, warming up his hands and adjusting his guitar.

The twelve majors go through in an octave each.

Coop works his jaw around.

Two octaves, this time. Slowly building up.

Mariana pleased with the tune of her violin she started playing the Flight of the Valkeries.

After a short time, Jono joined in. The guitar served as accompaniment to the violin.

Thoughts of Elmer Fudd in mind--because how can they not be, Saturday mornings having been what they were?--the trumpet joins in.

You just can't have Wagner without brass, after all.

"Kill the wabbit... Kill the wabbit...." Jono sang quietly to himself.

Mariana frowned even though it was quite funny. As the song came to an end, the girl lowered the violin. She started to loosen her hand. The bow wasn't quite to par for the song. "I need to wax this more." She said in her monotone voice.

Coop clears his spit valve.

"It's a good warm-up," he says. "But, yeah, I might need to oil my valves."

Mariana nodded. "We should practice for the Pep rally." She frowned.

"Playing fiddle for it?" Coop asks. "What would you read for that, anyway?"

"Why not?" The girl frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Got nothing against fiddles," Coop says. "But, last time I looked, none of the pep band pieces come with parts written for them. It's like the bari sax in sight-reading contests; George keeps telling me they don't have bari parts, so he ends up reading euph or bassoon. So what're you reading?"

"It's not like guitar comes up much for pep band, either." Jono shrugged. "I'm sure something could be figured out."

"Yeah, but a lot of the charts for pep band started out as rock band pieces," Coop replies. "Them, you could pick out by ear. Fewer have fiddle."

Mariana glared at Coop and prep herself. "Maybe not but..."
She started to play a pop song.

Coop snorts.

"I can just imagine the coaches blowing up about that coming from the pep band. So many pearls getting clutched!"

Mariana didn't get it as she blinked a few times. "Um... what?" She said confused.

"Uptight jerks worried about 'That music's gonna ruin those kids!' Like usual. Like they weren't teenagers, too."