I've been practicing some music lately that has me using my valves faster and in more varied combinations than usual, and I've finally come to a confession that has been threatening to surface for a long time.
"My name is Gabe, and I have sloppy valve technique."
And I know I'm not alone. I hate to say this this way, but we trombone players tend to be a pretty undisciplined bunch. I often hear otherwise excellent players play two notes that don't exist in the western tuning system, one somewhere between A and A-flat, and another somewhere between E and E-flat. It happens in fairly rapid scale passages, and it's because of sloppy slide technique.
I can also tell you from years answering phones and emails for a trombone manufacturer that many, many trombone players expect the valves on their instruments to work flawlessly for years without a drop of oil. And then they complain about noisy, clunky sticky valves.
Here's what I've discovered (listen for the sound of my flutist wife saying "duh"): my valve motions are better co-ordinated if I simply keep my thumb and finger in contact with them. All the time, from before I activate them to after. As a big added bonus, the linkages make no noise if I do this. None. At. All.
There. That's all. Please don't tell me if I'm the last bass trombone player in the world to figure this out.
Showing posts with label equipment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label equipment. Show all posts
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
How to choose a custom brass instrument
Are you ready folks? Here it is, everything you need to know about the different alloys used to make brass instruments, based on thousands of hours of helping players choose instruments:
Red brass sounds more brilliant than yellow brass, which sounds brighter than red brass. Gold brass and rose brass are the same thing, except when they're not, and neither is red brass, except when it is. And both sound darker than either yellow or red brass, except that they sound brighter when I play them. Or darker, depending on who's listening. I play a yellow brass bell because it's more clear, and because I can blend easier with most tuba players and most tenor trombone players. It's also darker than the red brass bell I used to play, except when I want it to be brighter.
(Actually, now I play a gold brass bell, except when I play a yellow brass bell, unless I'm playing a bell that is an alloy somewhere in between that stopped being available after WWII.)
Oh, and nickel sounds darker than any brass alloy. Also, it sounds much, much brighter than any brass alloy.
Heavier bells sound bigger and hold together better at loud dynamics than lighter bells, which sound broader and stay warmer at loud dynamics than heavier bells.
And Sterling silver bells don't really exist. If you say you've ever seen or owned one, you're wrong. (That's a joke.)
Lacquer and plating make no difference at all unless you think they do. In which case they makes all the difference in the world, and you should immediately get your instrument lacquered, de-lacquered, plated, or re-plated.
How's that? Have I cleared everything up? Any other questions?
The simple facts are these: all else being as equal as you can get it, different humans sound different playing the same equipment, and the same humans sound different playing different equipment, except when they are the kinds of humans who sound the same no matter what equipment they play. These humans include most beginners and some of the best musicians in the world.
Red brass sounds more brilliant than yellow brass, which sounds brighter than red brass. Gold brass and rose brass are the same thing, except when they're not, and neither is red brass, except when it is. And both sound darker than either yellow or red brass, except that they sound brighter when I play them. Or darker, depending on who's listening. I play a yellow brass bell because it's more clear, and because I can blend easier with most tuba players and most tenor trombone players. It's also darker than the red brass bell I used to play, except when I want it to be brighter.
(Actually, now I play a gold brass bell, except when I play a yellow brass bell, unless I'm playing a bell that is an alloy somewhere in between that stopped being available after WWII.)
Oh, and nickel sounds darker than any brass alloy. Also, it sounds much, much brighter than any brass alloy.
Heavier bells sound bigger and hold together better at loud dynamics than lighter bells, which sound broader and stay warmer at loud dynamics than heavier bells.
And Sterling silver bells don't really exist. If you say you've ever seen or owned one, you're wrong. (That's a joke.)
Lacquer and plating make no difference at all unless you think they do. In which case they makes all the difference in the world, and you should immediately get your instrument lacquered, de-lacquered, plated, or re-plated.
How's that? Have I cleared everything up? Any other questions?
The simple facts are these: all else being as equal as you can get it, different humans sound different playing the same equipment, and the same humans sound different playing different equipment, except when they are the kinds of humans who sound the same no matter what equipment they play. These humans include most beginners and some of the best musicians in the world.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Bass Trombone advice for teachers, part 2: mutes
Bass trombone mutes are tricky. You can get away with a tenor trombone mute that doesn't have a low D or a pedal G, but we need those notes too often on bass trombone for our mutes not to work. I have a little bit of a mute fetish, so I've tried or owned almost everything. Here's my list of mutes that work and don't work:
Straight Mutes
The Denis Wick metal straight is my go-to straight mute. It responds evenly for me throughout the entire range, without having to drill a hole in it. I think if a Wick straight doesn't respond for you in the double valve register, you need to practice to make your tone production better in the double valve register.
Jo-Ral straight mutes are OK, but I find it's useful to drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the bottom of the mute, and then have a small piece of gaffer's tape over the hole for when I don't need the extreme low register. If you can find an old one, they are better than the new ones.
I don't know what happened to Tom Crown mutes, but they just don't seem to work anymore. I have an old one with a hole drilled in the bottom that's really banged up and has corks that are disintegrating, and it works OK, but none of the new ones I try seem to play below about low Eb.
I have other straight mutes I like for certain things (TrumCor Lyric, Marcus Bonna, H&B Symphonic, Beversdorf), but if you're only going to have one my recommendation is Denis Wick.
Cup Mutes
Denis Wick, yes.
H&B Large Bass Trombone, yes. If yours seems stuffy, try removing the rubber ring from around the cup.
I suggest having both of these so that you have the classic H&B sound and the somewhat better response of the Wick.
Jo-Ral, no. For me it's just too heavy and the response is just not that good. And I hate the sound.
My favorite cup mute is a Peter Gane made in England, but it doesn't sound anything like the cup mutes anybody else around me plays.
Wah-wah (Harmon) Mutes
Wick, no. I've had a couple, and they always seems to fall out of the bell. The top gets dented from the fall, and then you can't get it to stick for even a few seconds.
Jo-Ral, yes. It usually stays in the bell and sounds good. And when it does fall out, the metal and cork are thick enough that it usually doesn't dent around that top.
Practice Mutes
For "therapy" practice, the Denis Wick practice mute is great, although you might need to drill one or two more holes in it. I made one myself with an old Wick straight, some sheet cork, and a hand drill.
The only one I can practice with for any other reason is the Bremner Shhh mute. Every other practice mute I've tried for bass trombone makes the upper register go flat.
Actually, that's not true. I also have a mute made by a guy named Mike McLean in England. He calls is a pianissimo mute, and it can either be used as a loud-ish practice mute or a soft straight mute. The response is terrific all over the instrument, and if you don't have the control to play very soft with a mute, you can use this one, play about mf, and have it sound pp. Every once in a while I see these for sale on eBay for about $40, which is a bargain. You can't tell from the website, but the bass trombone pianissimo mute really does exist. I'll bet his straight mute is also really good, but it won't sound like a metal mute.
Bucket Mutes
The old H&B Bucket sounds great but it's a huge pain. Don't bother.
The Jo-Ral Bucket is ridiculously heavy and doesn't sound that great to me.
Spend a little bit of extra money and get a Peter Gane Bucket. Sounds great, easy to use.
Solotone Mutes
There are a couple of shows that call for solotone mute on bass trombone. This is a dumb idea, but what are you going to do? Well...you can use an H&B tenor solotone (cleartone) and build the corks way up with sheet cork - or even duct tape - or...you can special order a beautiful handmade wooden bass trombone solotone mute from Paul Lawrence in England. How do you do that? I don't know. I got mine in England at a trombone festival.
Straight Mutes
The Denis Wick metal straight is my go-to straight mute. It responds evenly for me throughout the entire range, without having to drill a hole in it. I think if a Wick straight doesn't respond for you in the double valve register, you need to practice to make your tone production better in the double valve register.
Jo-Ral straight mutes are OK, but I find it's useful to drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the bottom of the mute, and then have a small piece of gaffer's tape over the hole for when I don't need the extreme low register. If you can find an old one, they are better than the new ones.
I don't know what happened to Tom Crown mutes, but they just don't seem to work anymore. I have an old one with a hole drilled in the bottom that's really banged up and has corks that are disintegrating, and it works OK, but none of the new ones I try seem to play below about low Eb.
I have other straight mutes I like for certain things (TrumCor Lyric, Marcus Bonna, H&B Symphonic, Beversdorf), but if you're only going to have one my recommendation is Denis Wick.
Cup Mutes
Denis Wick, yes.
H&B Large Bass Trombone, yes. If yours seems stuffy, try removing the rubber ring from around the cup.
I suggest having both of these so that you have the classic H&B sound and the somewhat better response of the Wick.
Jo-Ral, no. For me it's just too heavy and the response is just not that good. And I hate the sound.
My favorite cup mute is a Peter Gane made in England, but it doesn't sound anything like the cup mutes anybody else around me plays.
Wah-wah (Harmon) Mutes
Wick, no. I've had a couple, and they always seems to fall out of the bell. The top gets dented from the fall, and then you can't get it to stick for even a few seconds.
Jo-Ral, yes. It usually stays in the bell and sounds good. And when it does fall out, the metal and cork are thick enough that it usually doesn't dent around that top.
Practice Mutes
For "therapy" practice, the Denis Wick practice mute is great, although you might need to drill one or two more holes in it. I made one myself with an old Wick straight, some sheet cork, and a hand drill.
The only one I can practice with for any other reason is the Bremner Shhh mute. Every other practice mute I've tried for bass trombone makes the upper register go flat.
Actually, that's not true. I also have a mute made by a guy named Mike McLean in England. He calls is a pianissimo mute, and it can either be used as a loud-ish practice mute or a soft straight mute. The response is terrific all over the instrument, and if you don't have the control to play very soft with a mute, you can use this one, play about mf, and have it sound pp. Every once in a while I see these for sale on eBay for about $40, which is a bargain. You can't tell from the website, but the bass trombone pianissimo mute really does exist. I'll bet his straight mute is also really good, but it won't sound like a metal mute.
Bucket Mutes
The old H&B Bucket sounds great but it's a huge pain. Don't bother.
The Jo-Ral Bucket is ridiculously heavy and doesn't sound that great to me.
Spend a little bit of extra money and get a Peter Gane Bucket. Sounds great, easy to use.
Solotone Mutes
There are a couple of shows that call for solotone mute on bass trombone. This is a dumb idea, but what are you going to do? Well...you can use an H&B tenor solotone (cleartone) and build the corks way up with sheet cork - or even duct tape - or...you can special order a beautiful handmade wooden bass trombone solotone mute from Paul Lawrence in England. How do you do that? I don't know. I got mine in England at a trombone festival.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)