Attention: A great player can make a bad horn sound great

[Davy]

In My trombone playing (which is limited, but nonetheless still there) I use My "pea shooter" for 2 vastly different groups: Playing 3rd in a college big band, and a brass quintet I am in. Mostly because I cant afford an "attachment" horn, but really, I think that my Olds Special pea shooter fits in both worlds pretty well. Not the greatest for the quintet work, but I think that I can make it sound decent.

All that when I cant be using my Bass trombone, of course

[windshieldbug]

These are all tools.

Each tool has it's place, common or uncommon.

A craftsman or artist will pick superior tools, given a choice.
And a craftsman or artist will have a MUCH BETTER CHANCE at making good use of a poor tool than will the average workman.

But it won't be his/her first choice.


Edit: Grammer nazis, where where you?

[ArnoldGottlieb]

Is this post part of Bloke's "why don't more people participate thread"?

[TMurphy]

Can a great player make a bad horn sound great??? Of course...they are great musicians, it's their job to sound great, no matter the situation.

If I grabbed the Amati 4 valve upright my students use at the high school where I work once a week, and handed it to Gene Pokorny, my students would get a wonderful demonstration of what a tuba should sound like, and Mr. Pokorny would get a wonderful example of a bad horn. Of course he can make it sound great, he's Gene Pokorny. He will figure out what he needs to do on that horn to make it sound great. That may require some extra effort on his part, though, something that on a better instrument, he wouldn't have to think about.

Of course, the person behind the mouthpiece is the single biggest factor in the sound coming out of the bell. This isn't an opinion, this is a fact (which, I believe was the not-so-subtle point of Bloke's post). The best players will use the best tools, because they will require less work to produce results that meet their very high standards. The less you have to fight the instrument, the more you can focus on making great music, which is what we're all really after, and the pros are paid to achieve.

[The Big Ben]

1. Buy the best tools you can. Keep them in good condition.

2. Play them as best you can.

3. If you can't afford or obtain an appropriate instrument, play the one you have as best you can.

4. Gene Pokorny playing a 3v Amati student horn will sound good within the confines of the abilities of the instrument. It will sound good because he has the ability in things like dynamics, shading and phrasing. Intonation is bound to be out a bit because, face it, even the best rider can't make a mule run like a racehorse.

[MikeMason]

that hurts ,bloke I got rid of my "real" tuba and bought this one to please you.and still....

[Rick Denney]

some bad players wil always have more money than sense, and buy expensive instruments and still sound bad when playing them...life is full of injustice!!

Not unjust. 1.) there is no shortage of good instruments. 2.) there is a shortage of good players. Ergo, 3.) some less-than-good players will own good instruments. Furthermore, those who can exploit their goodness should be grateful--those amateurs with more money than sense are making it commercially viable for the manufacturer to make good instruments.

Rick "who still remembers when Mike Sanders played his cheapie Sanders/Cerveny in a lesson" Denney

[Eric B]

*Any*one who plays *any* tuba with a smaller bore than .840" and with a bell size *any* smaller than 22" is not only *un*professional, but they are nothing more than a pitiful little pansy - if not an outright 'tuba cheat'.

Okay, Joe, enough is enough, how dare you insult all of us 186ers. You're an 8 hour drive from me. Let's meet in Little Rock and settle this like men. Bring your Fussel Book...it's on now! Man, a guy buys a Thor and all of a sudden he's an elitist! And by the way, I know of no other flower than can endure both heat and cool like the MIGHTY PANSY! So, thanks for the compliment!

[tubashaman2]

.

[Biggs]

it seemed like you judged the studio....our other current trombone major plays bass trombone

I don't know whether or not BierGeek is judging anyone anywhere, but I will judge a trombone "studio" that has a measly two players!

Please note I did not say two measly players.

[Tubman]

So if the instrument make no difference, then why don't you go get rid of your Miraphones and buy small bore chinese made tubas?

There is a difference between a bad horn and an absolute hunk of rancid, steaming crap...some horns, like those cheap chinese pieces of crap, will be almost impossible to play on with a good sound, but there are very few horns out there that are that bad (and fewer still dumb enough to actually seriously buy one). If you put the right kind of vibrations into a seemingly bad horn, you can't help but sound good. I'm not saying I'd be able to do that, myself. That's just my 2 cents.

[oldbandnerd]

Here's a good example of what a skilled musician can do with the equipment at hand :


http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=1178870&t=3635" target="_blank

Charley Brighton was given a 1933 Con Pan-American euphonium as a gift and recently played it a recital. Sounds pretty good for a 3 valved non compensated American euphonium. It was all in the wrist .

[imperialbari]

Here's a good example of what a skilled musician can do with the equipment at hand :


http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=1178870&t=3635" target="_blank" target="_blank

Charley Brighton was given a 1933 Con Pan-American euphonium as a gift and recently played it a recital. Sounds pretty good for a 3 valved non compensated American euphonium. It was all in the wrist .

Yes really well and beautifully played. And wisely! As far as I can hear, the soloists stays away from the range where the compensating loops would have made a difference.

Klaus

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Lovely playing by Mr. Brighton...

but I don't think you made your point very well. The lowest note in that pretty little piece was Eb in the staff. It wouldn't make much difference to have a 3-valved, non-compensating instrument for that work. Let's hear him play Curnow's Symphonic Variants on it, then I'll be a believer.

Very nice piece, though, and well played. Thanks for the link and the listen.

[tubashaman2]

.

[tubashaman2]

.

[Tubman]

The trombone player recently finished paying off his car (8 years old) and is going to college, and college students aren't rich for those who don't know.

I heard that! It's pretty bad when all you have to eat during the week is Ramen noodles 'cause you can't afford anything else...haha!

[Tubman]

*Any*one who plays *any* tuba with a smaller bore than .840" and with a bell size *any* smaller than 22" is not only *un*professional, but they are nothing more than a pitiful little pansy - if not an outright 'tuba cheat'.

Okay, Joe, enough is enough, how dare you insult all of us 186ers. You're an 8 hour drive from me. Let's meet in Little Rock and settle this like men. Bring your Fussel Book...it's on now! Man, a guy buys a Thor and all of a sudden he's an elitist! And by the way, I know of no other flower than can endure both heat and cool like the MIGHTY PANSY! So, thanks for the compliment!

HAHAHAHAHA! That is the funniest thing I've heard in years! That is the best comeback I've heard in a while as well. Well played and well thought out!

[Matt G]

Sadly, our stats show that the music major retention rate is low. My class kept the most majors, of a starting class of 30 (including vocalists) we are down to 15, the year before has 1 and started with 25, the year under me started with 25 and has 2 left. Many people think they want to do music and can't handle the course work

Maybe the people who drop the music program have a better idea about ROI? Considering the odds to become a pro or the hours required to be a decent band director maybe they, as Todd Rundgren would say, "Saw the light"?

[Roger Lewis]

I always bring up in my lessons that the sound coming out of just the mouthpiece is going to be more important than anything coming out of the tuba. It helps to remember that the horn, by itself, makes no sound. It is empty, hollow, contains nothing but air and does nothing. It is a resonator, an amplifier. It does nothing until YOU do something to it. If you have a good product happening at the mouthpiece, you will have a good product at the bell. Garbage in...garbage out.....and vice-versa.

Initiative without good teaching leads no-where. Without a good start it is difficult to predict a successful outcome.

Just my early morning ramblings.

Roger