It surprises me to find that most people don't share my obsession with sound quality.
Furthermore, I'll go to a concert and simply enjoy the music while my friends and colleagues will "critique" and their enjoyment of the concert will depend on that.
Maybe I'm just wierd
You know, sometimes enjoyment for me isn't dependent on the quality and my critiqing..
In fact, I will attend a concert and 1)just enjoy for pleasure or 2) critique for pleasure...sometimes, no matter how bad/good the group I'm listening to is, it's just the fun of using my musical ears that I really enjoy.
Of course, personal situation in the performance can be a large factor in how the performance comes across. What I mean by that is even if there is no discernable difference out front as to how a different instrument sounds, if the performer is comfortable with the equipment and well rehearsed, then that will translate into a better performance than with an instrument that, though it may sound just as good out front, if the performer is not comfortable or warming up to the instrument, will be nervous and/or tense and that will show as a lesser quality performance.
I had to change tubas in the middle of spring season. For the first few rehearsals right after spring break, I was a mess, and I'm glad we didn't have any concerts right then. But by the time the late spring concerts rolled around, I had figured out the different characteristics of my Miraphone and was able to make it work for both indoor and outdoor concerts. That would not have been the case if the concerts had been a month earlier.
This reminds me of a reading session me and a couple of buddies had earlier this year. We swithed tubas after each piece we were reading, fun for us, I'm sure slooked silly to every one else.
Adjunct Tuba Professor, Christopher Newport University
Eastman Artist
Bob1062 wrote:The sad part was that even though I was playing an instrument a full octave higher than the rest of the section, I still could play lower better, louder, more in tune,..... than most of the other players (not you Wes! ). Same thing when I was on my 3 valve Eb, and they were on 4 valve Bb's ("oh, I don't use the 4th valve").
Yahbbut, even if you are a louder, more in tune, and so on, a bass trombone in the tuba register still has the harmonic characteristics of a hammer on a frying pan.
We had a guest conductor come in once who sat in to play bass trombone, and he decided to play the tuba part. I think he did so just because he could, because the tuba section was in no more need of bolstering than the trombone section. All the while he was demonstrating his prowess, I was thinking the composer surely did not that THAT sound in his head.
Rick "who wanted to give him the hand...upside his head" Denney
). Same thing when I was on my 3 valve Eb, and they were on 4 valve Bb's ("oh, I don't use the 4th valve"). 