With any group, you tune to the tuning note, and then you listen as you play and play in tune with what’s happening (assuming the ensemble are all doing that). I learned the extreme example of that while playing 19th century literature with a group, all of us using 19th century brass instruments. It took a concerted group effort of knowing your instrument, lipping notes, and employing alternate fingerings to play pleasing in-tune music for the audience.
Best posts made by Dale Proctor
-
RE: In Tune. With what?
-
RE: Hello! Welcome to TB, who are you?
“Hello! Welcome to TB, who are you?“
Well, if you read this thread, you’ll know who we are. A bunch of prototypical trumpet players who have nothing better to do than argue on line... -
RE: The New Reality
I was recently asked to participate in a pops/patriotic brass band concert as part of a Monday night concert series in a local park on July 6. No rehearsal, band members seated 6’+ apart. Should be interesting if it actually happens.
That said, I haven’t been motivated to practice much during the past few months of shutdown, so now I’m playing catchup to get back into shape by then. Second cornet, so that will be a little easier...
Pic from a previous concert - that’s mine on the left.
-
RE: Do You Prefer Classical, Jazz, Rock or Other?
Riding this activates my dopamine reward system in ways music rarely can...
-
RE: In Tune. With what?
@Dr-GO said in In Tune. With what?:
@ROWUK said in In Tune. With what?:
This thread will show the "foolishness" of putting "slotting" high on the list of trumpet priorities. We need flexibility to play in tune.
There is a "bible" on intonation written by Chris Leuba - a former horn player with the Chicago Symphony. I am not sure if it is still in print, but it is certainly worth having.
https://www.hornguys.com/products/a-study-of-musical-intonation-by-christopher-leuba-pub-cherry
Maybe this is my chance to be more educated with a response but is "slotting" and playing in tune the same thing?
Slotting is the tendency of a horn to center on a certain frequency on every note, and it takes more effort to lip or bend notes on them. It’s nice to know where the horn tends to go on any given note, but can be harder to compensate if it doesn’t go where you initially need it to.
-
RE: Another Christmas gig is in the books
@Dr-GO said in Another Christmas gig is in the books:
I played a Christmas Concert at a local club 2 nights ago where one of my big bands performs every 3rd Thursday evening…
In fact, here is a close up of me "light up" after returning from the break:
Here’s a dark photo of me (the guy with some hair…lol) playing at the tree last weekend.
I’d like to hear any recordings of either of the two gigs you mentioned if you get the chance. Your playing is always great!
-
RE: First gig today
You should have followed it up with A Swingin’ Safari...
-
RE: Happy 4th of July!
Well, my initial post did have a vintage cornet in the photo, along with a few other band-related items. Where it went from there, I had no control over...
-
RE: No Name Trumpet
To me, any instrument without a serial # or a name on the bell is a TSO (trumpet shaped object). Of course, one having that identification on it doesn’t mean it isn’t a TSO, either.
-
RE: Spit Building up in MP
@adc said in Spit Building up in MP:
@Dale-Proctor said in Spit Building up in MP:
Modern long shank and modern short shank cornet mouthpieces have the same shank taper and should have the same insertion depth. I don’t know why they shouldn’t interchange with good results as well as any other mouthpieces do. Some mouthpieces work with a given cornet, while others don’t, regardless of the shank length.
Bach and Yahama have different tapers that I just noticed. Bacg goes into the shank further. Not arguing with you Dale. The short and long shank yamaha go into the shank the same distance.
The Yahama is close to an old Conn Wonder I have but not exact.
So I guess (as Fluglegirl said) that the Yahama doesn't belong into my Bach.
Yeah, I said they should have the same insertion depth. Some of them don’t, for sure. I have a newer Wick that has a really shallow insertion, a much older Wick that inserts the “normal” amount, and all the Schilkes I’ve used insert too far. So that part of the equation is a variable for sure. That’s more a function of the mouthpiece design than the horn, though.
-
Sousa Trumpet and Drum Manual
Anyone ever seen one of these? I think they’ve been out of print for many years, but there’s some cool stuff in it. Basic instruction on playing the instruments, field trumpet (bugle) and drum parts for 80+ calls, and even a few marches with multiple bugle parts.
-
RE: Saturn
I bought a fairly inexpensive telescope years ago, and looking at the rings of Saturn through it for the first time was quite a thrill. Same goes for the major features on Jupiter and its moons.
-
RE: Under the radar
The vintage Conn 22B (not the newer one with the slanted bell braces) is a really good trumpet. I prefer the ones from the 1920s because of the top-sprung valves, but the ‘30s - ‘60s ones are good, too. I sold this really nice 1929 one about a year and a half ago for $375 if I remember correctly.
-
RE: Curry Mouthpieces
Well, I took my Bach 184 cornet and new mouthpiece to a rehearsal tonight, a large church orchestra that was meeting for the first time in 14 months. We worked on a few things for this coming Sunday, and then concentrated on patriotic music for a July 4 outdoor concert.
I always say the best way to evaluate a new horn or mouthpiece is “in the heat of battle”, and not in your safe place at home. Playing with a group, under a relentless baton will really test the intonation tendencies, crispness of articulation, endurance, range (both high and low), ease of dynamics, and flexibility of tone a mouthpiece produces.
That said, this Curry 3C. cornet mouthpiece is everything I hoped it would be for this type of playing. Yes, it’s early on in the mouthpiece honeymoon phase, but so far, so good. A good first impression is a good thing for me, because a bad first impression just about always results in a mouthpiece I eventually sell, even after giving it weeks of playing - they just never come around.
Anyway, a good time was had by all, the cornet/mouthpiece combo functioned well in a section of about 8 trumpets, and I’ll update this again after I gain a bit more experience with it.
-
RE: Trumpet Board Remote Performance
I’m currently involved in recording a virtual orchestral performance of Christmas music (some of it quite complicated) that will be broadcast locally in December. Playing along with a click track/backing track in headphones is a bit tricky, especially when there are holds and ritards in the piece. You have to listen to it and play along numerous times to be able to anticipate what’s happening. We’re doing multiple takes of the pieces, so the recording folks can hopefully piece together an acceptable product.
-
RE: Differences between grades of instruments
Today, the main difference between a lot of beginner and intermediate instruments is the trim level - basically the same instrument, but with more extras. The professional model is normally a huge step up in quality and playability, but a beginner or inexperienced player will have trouble telling the difference.
When talking about vintage instruments, the beginner, intermediate, and professional models were unique instruments, different from each other and more of a step up in playing quality the higher you went up the ladder.
-
RE: Trumpet Board Remote Performance
I finished the last socially distanced recording session (that I mentioned earlier) tonight. Things were pretty tight on the last run-throughs and we got to go home a little early. It was about a 50 piece orchestra, and I’m surprised everything went as well as it did, especially on one piece that booked at 180 bpm - concentrate on the click track in the headphones and the chart, and don’t pay attention to anything else that’s going on. I’m anxious to hear the finished product.