Why can bands play for hours often utilizing different instruments without ever looking at sheet music, but orchestra musicians always read from sheet music?

Question

I saw a clip where a pianist was playing and someone was turning her pages for her, but they fumbled and dropped the sheet music. The pianist kept on playing, but it got me wondering why have the sheet music if she knows the song anyway. Do they really need it? Why can’t they just learn the songs like all bands do?

In: 5311

Answer 1

Aside from what everyone else said, orchestra parts don’t often make very much sense on their own. When you play bass in a band you “understand” the bassline. If you heard only the bass guitar the notes and rhythms would still usually make sense. An orchestra musician’s part might look like “rest for 18 measures, then on the & of 3, play a tremolo for 3/4ths of a count. Then play 12 seemingly random eigth notes. Rest for 5 measures. Sustain an E flat. Pick up a slide whistle.”

Memorizing that would be a lot more of a task.