Subject: Trombone-l Digest, Vol 36, Issue 8 Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2008 12:00 PM From: trombone-l-request@samford.edu Reply-To: trombone-l@samford.edu To: Conversation: Trombone-l Digest, Vol 36, Issue 8 Send Trombone-l mailing list submissions to trombone-l@samford.edu To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to trombone-l-request@samford.edu You can reach the person managing the list at trombone-l-owner@samford.edu When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Trombone-l digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: new member (Sam Louke) 2. Re: new member (Adrian Drover) 3. Assessing mouthpieces (Dave Demko) 4. Re: Assessing mouthpieces (sabutin) 5. Re: Assessing mouthpieces (Tilman Klaeger) 6. hearing aid problem (Emil Orth) 7. Re: new member (Bill Dinwiddie) 8. Re: Assessing mouthpieces (Charles DePaolo) 9. Re: Assessing mouthpieces (Daniel Pliskin) 10. Re: Assessing mouthpieces (John Burton) 11. Re: Assessing mouthpieces (Jeff Albert) 12. Ellicott City Trombone Choir (DAVID FETTER) 13. Re: new member (Bob Koester) 14. Hi Jasper! (mcclurefamily@srt.com) 15. Re: Assessing mouthpieces (Wayne Dyess) 16. Re: Assessing mouthpieces (Ray Horton) 17. Re: Assessing mouthpieces (Al MacDonald) 18. [DERBYSHIRE, United Kingdom] Newhall Band Vacancy (Nigel Horne) 19. Thank's (Jasper Franklin) 20. Re: Assessing mouthpieces (Steve Gamble) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 10:24:38 -0800 From: "Sam Louke" Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] new member To: Message-ID: <000401c8515a$90627fe0$0200a8c0@SamsNotebook> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Jasper, welcome to the list. I know you will have lots of experience to impart to us youngsters. Sam Louke Have played for about 40 yrs Portland, Oregon, USA Getzen Custom Bass -----Original Message----- From: Jasper Franklin [mailto:lawrence.franklin@ntlworld.com] Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 9:52 AM To: trombone-l@samford.edu Subject: [Trombone-l] new member Hi! My name is Jasper Franklin I would like to wish you all to a very good New Year, I have played Trombone for about 60yr's.And I hope I will be a good member,Jasper Franklin ( England ) ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 21:23:00 -0000 From: "Adrian Drover" Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] new member To: "'Jasper Franklin'" , Message-ID: <000c01c85173$87922550$0400a8c0@Adrian> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > From: Jasper Franklin > > Hi! My name is Jasper Franklin I would like to wish you all to a very good > New Year, I have played Trombone for about 60yr's.And I hope I will be a > good member,Jasper Franklin ( England ) Hi Jasper. Welcome to the list. How's things in Brighton? Cheers, Adrian. ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 16:26:21 -0500 From: "Dave Demko" Subject: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: trombone-l Message-ID: <6e4c5d5c0801071326o682e94adqa37b105d1a2863a9@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Listers, I have a question related to the discussion, a little while back, about moving students up from a 12C to something larger, even a 5G. Thanks to Newell Sheridan, who travels with more and better trombones and gear than some stores have in stock, I was able to try some mouthpieces with my horn (and some very nice horns with my mouthpiece). The experience reinforced for me the importance of verifying by ear and feel whatever differences size, shape, weight, and so on are supposed to make according to the spec sheet. For example, I tried a Griego 4.5 and 3.5, both a bit larger than my 5G, expecting them to help my tone quality at the expense of my high range. But they didn't make much difference in either. A 6 1/2 AL does help my high range while making my tone thinner. I'm not asking for specific mouthpiece recommendations so much as advice on an approach to evaluating mouthpieces. I'm not even sure I want to change, but I'd like to explore the possibilities in a systematic and sane way. Any suggestions? I'm planning to spring for some lessons for the sake of "course correction," and I'm thinking that a teacher's ears and guidance will be very useful in evaluating mouthpieces. Thanks, Dave D. ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 17:12:23 -0500 From: sabutin Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: "Dave Demko" Cc: trombone-l@samford.edu Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" >Listers, > I have a question related to the discussion, a little while back, >about moving students up from a 12C to something larger, even a 5G. > ---snip--- > I'm not asking for specific mouthpiece recommendations so much as >advice on an approach to evaluating mouthpieces. I'm not even sure I >want to change, but I'd like to explore the possibilities in a >systematic and sane way. Any suggestions? Blindfold tests. Line up several m'pces of roughly the same size and rim type; shuffle them with your eyes closed (Or have a helper do the blind parts for you...MUCH better but usually rather wearing on the helper after a while. Ask my son for more on THAT matter. >:-o ), and try them. Look first for general comfort and sound. Mark down which one seems best. Shuffle, reset, and try other parameters. High range, low range, dynamic, articulations, flexibility, etc. Eventually one will recommend itself. Then...PLAY THAT M'PCE AND THAT M'PCE ONLY FOR AT LEAST THREE WEEKS OF GOOD HARD WORK. Play through the inevitable 'Now it sounds/feels terrible!!!" stage, which is simply the time during which your old way of playing is in flux as you adjust to the requirements of the new m'pce. Then...if it does NOT get better after several weeks...return to your original m'pce and keep looking. This is process that I I have used for almost 30 years of serious equipment search, and it has worked through at least 4 stages of musical necessity in my professional development, on ...oh, on 4 or 5 really good .500 to .509-ish jazz horns, maybe 4 really good .525-ish instruments and 2 or 3 great basses. Plus a couple of tubas, a couple of .547 horns and the occasional valve trombone and euphonium as well. Have fun. I am... S. > I'm planning to spring for some lessons for the sake of "course >correction," and I'm thinking that a teacher's ears and guidance will >be very useful in evaluating mouthpieces. > >Thanks, >Dave D. >_______________________________________________ >Trombone-l mailing list >Trombone-l@samford.edu >http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 23:25:57 +0100 From: Tilman Klaeger Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: trombone-l@server5.samford.edu Message-ID: <200801072325.58212.trombone@tilman-klaeger.de> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Am Montag, 7. Januar 2008 schrieb Dave Demko: > I'm not asking for specific mouthpiece recommendations so much as > advice on an approach to evaluating mouthpieces. I'm not even sure I > want to change, but I'd like to explore the possibilities in a > systematic and sane way. Any suggestions? > I'm planning to spring for some lessons for the sake of "course > correction," and I'm thinking that a teacher's ears and guidance will > be very useful in evaluating mouthpieces. > > Thanks, > Dave D. Imho there are to many variables in mouthpieces to find a systematic way to your perfect mouthpiece. That?s why a lot of people have drawers full with mouthpieces at home. This one way I tried: I used to play the stock Conn 5GR mouthpiece that came with my 88H, about 1 1/2 years ago I thought about getting something big, since I had more high range than I needed in the settings I was playing, and I really love low notes. So I got a Wick 3AL, and it felt comfortable, so I knew bigger was the right way to go. A couple months later I got a JK 1AK Mouthpiece (about 1G Size) I found on a show and it felt even better. So I believe I found a size that is working for me, I can play Pedals nearly like a bass, and still hit the high D. Now that I know what size I like I am going to try a heavy mouthpiece (the JK is really lightweight), I ordered a Stork 1.5, but I?m still waiting for it. I?m curious how this experiment will end! So maybe this is a way to go, it?s kind of systematic, but a lot of variables are simply left out, and will be very hard, if possible, to include. Maybe this helps a little, but it?s not THE way to go, and I believe there is none, sadly. I?d be glad, if someone could correct me on that!! Tilman ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 16:29:51 -0600 From: "Emil Orth" Subject: [Trombone-l] hearing aid problem To: Message-ID: <004a01c8517c$d1eace00$6401a8c0@EMIL> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="Windows-1252"; reply-type=original Guys, Any old geezers out there playing trombone with hearing aids in??? I can hear very well without but in a hearing test recently the audiologist announced to my wife that I had the knack of selective hearing and was able to effectively "tune her out"! Of course I grew up playing in several big bands with 4 -5 trumpets playing to the back of my head and that caused me to lose some highs. I have played 62 years now and am 79. I know, I'm old now! Anyway, here I am with the h/aids to help with the highs. The main problem is that when I play, the sound seems muddy and limited to the inside of my head. Like shoving your fingers is your ears and making a humming sound. I have no problem, however, playing without them!! Has any other lister/s had this experience??? Thanks guys, and oh yes, welcome Jasper, the list is a font of info... Emil Orth, Beale Street Jazz Band, Memphis ------------------------------ Message: 7 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 16:56:03 -0600 From: "Bill Dinwiddie" Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] new member To: "Jasper Franklin" Cc: List Trombone Message-ID: <004701c85180$7ae96900$0a00a8c0@av> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Jasper, Welcome! I hope you will enjoy being a member of the List. It's a great resource, and a great bunch of people. Bill Dinwiddie billdin@comcast.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jasper Franklin" To: Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 11:51 AM Subject: [Trombone-l] new member > Hi! My name is Jasper Franklin I would like to wish you all to a very good > New Year, I have played Trombone for about 60yr's.And I hope I will be a > good member,Jasper Franklin ( England ) > _______________________________________________ > Trombone-l mailing list > Trombone-l@samford.edu > http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l ------------------------------ Message: 8 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 17:57:25 -0500 From: "Charles DePaolo" Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: "trombone-l" Message-ID: <05ca01c85180$ab55cd90$a000a8c0@WS> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hi, I often get this question here at Hickeys. I feel the single most important thing a customer needs to know about a replacement mouthpiece is not model number, brand, cup depth, etc. Instead, I feel they need to know specifically what problem they are trying to solve in their playing. Or put another way, what are they trying to add that they currently do not have. Are they trying to improve high range? low range? articulation? fuel economy? flavor?! If the customer doesn't know exactly what they're trying to fix or improve, then they probably don't really need a new mouthpiece at this time. In such cases, usually the practice room is the solution (yes, I've actually talked folks out of buying something). Knowing specifics about construction, weight, shape, et cetera can be confusing and misleading unless you are a mouthpiece engineer. You can find yourself with a drawer full of barely used mouthpieces, the combined value of which can easily exceed that of a decent flat screen TV. Typically, one main measurement (rim diameter for instance) is accompanied by other geometric issues, such as cup depth, rim shape, bore size and more. None of these get mentioned or are estimated, loosely described or are simply unknown. All these elements combine to create a unique playing experience, often one that is unexpected given the particular number assigned to the model. You have experienced this a bit with the Griegos. Apparently, Griego has made other adjustments to his designs that either compliment, supplement or even offset the basic cup diameter number. My advice is to decide what you want to fix, and then approach mouthpiece selection with that goal in mind. Someone who really knows mouthpieces will be able to help you choose a replacement, based both on the problem you are having and the mouthpiece you are currently using. Later, when going through the trials, see if anything else is lost as a result (your experience with the 6.5AL shows a loss of tone for instance with a gain of range, not an uncommon situation). If you find that no mouthpiece gives you an additional playing asset without significant liabilities, then it's possible you don't need a new mouthpiece as much as a different approach to practice and playing. Hope this helps! ---Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: Dave Demko To: trombone-l Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 4:26 PM Subject: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces Listers, I have a question related to the discussion, a little while back, about moving students up from a 12C to something larger, even a 5G. Thanks to Newell Sheridan, who travels with more and better trombones and gear than some stores have in stock, I was able to try some mouthpieces with my horn (and some very nice horns with my mouthpiece). The experience reinforced for me the importance of verifying by ear and feel whatever differences size, shape, weight, and so on are supposed to make according to the spec sheet. For example, I tried a Griego 4.5 and 3.5, both a bit larger than my 5G, expecting them to help my tone quality at the expense of my high range. But they didn't make much difference in either. A 6 1/2 AL does help my high range while making my tone thinner. I'm not asking for specific mouthpiece recommendations so much as advice on an approach to evaluating mouthpieces. I'm not even sure I want to change, but I'd like to explore the possibilities in a systematic and sane way. Any suggestions? I'm planning to spring for some lessons for the sake of "course correction," and I'm thinking that a teacher's ears and guidance will be very useful in evaluating mouthpieces. Thanks, Dave D. _______________________________________________ Trombone-l mailing list Trombone-l@samford.edu http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l ------------------------------ Message: 9 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 23:23:05 +0000 From: Daniel Pliskin Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: trombone-l Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" I've modified lots of mouthpieces. I used to get them used, for $5 or $10, so I had little to lose. Besides the general comfort of the rim shape and size, the depth of the cup, the size and shape of the back-bore, gap between the end of the mouthpiece and beginning of the lead-pipe and the shape of the transition between the cup and back-bore, are all important variables. Early on, I decided that without a numeric-control lathe, I wasn't going to take on playing with cup geometries. And although I don't have an allergic reaction to brass, I rarely alter the rim. There's a lot of talk about drilling out mouthpieces to get then a little bit darker sounding. It works, to some extent, but the cylindrical section, produced by the drilled-out section, also introduces a slight whispery tone, which I don't like. On many occasions, I've drilled out mouthpieces, to darken the tone and then reamed out the back-bore with a tapered reamer. I make single-fluted tapered reamers (form tools) from broken scissors pieces. Tiny amounts of metal make a huge difference, when altering the transition between the cup and back-bore. If the transition is too sharp, the tone is bright. Make it too rounded and all the life in the tone vanishes. I've said this before and I'll say it again. Try an experiment. Try clocking your mouthpiece. Set it in the receiver with the logo facing out, as a reference point. Play it for a while. Then turn the mouthpiece about 45 degrees and try it again. Most mouthpieces are out of round, to the point where there is a preferred rotation of the mouthpiece, where you like the tone the best. You might want to mark your mouthpiece, so that you always insert it with that best rotation. But also, this points out how the tiniest change in a mouthpiece makes a world of difference. So if you take the next size lettered drill and take out some of the back-bore, you may well have gone past that sweet spot, you were looking for. Numbered drills are a better bet, because there are more sizes. It also convinces me that if they can't get a single mouthpiece to be uniformly symmetrical, then how are they going to get two different mouthpieces to play similarly? So, when you find a mouthpiece you like, play every mouthpiece the store has in that size. What I used to do is work on my second-favorite mouthpiece, trying to get it to the point where it became my most favorite mouthpiece. DanP _________________________________________________________________ Make distant family not so distant with Windows Vista? + Windows Live?. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/digitallife/keepintouch.mspx?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_CPC_VideoChat_distantfamily_012008 ------------------------------ Message: 10 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 18:26:10 -0500 From: "John Burton" Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: "trombone-l" Message-ID: <2C761FD6AEB2B640BF5524B1DD167C9D0A1B28@centralstorage.johnburton.local> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Y'Know... One of the neat things I've found in comparing mouthpieces IS to find out what Bill Kilborne is playing. If you like his style, snag a mouthpiece like his! But as Charles mentioned below, if you do this too ofen you'll end up with a $1000 worth of mouthpieces that don't work. If you like the sound of Bill Kilborne, sure, emulate his equipment, but keeping in mind that having the equipment won't make the player. I'm one of the few that is happy with a Schilke 59. Felt the 60 was just a hair too big (what is it, .5 mm wider?) and never liked the Bach 1. You'll find just the combo that makes the music you're looking for... --==jb==-- ~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~= john burton Bach 50B3 Bass Trombone Kanawha Valley Community Band / Slide-by-Slide South Charleston, West Virginia -----Original Message----- From: trombone-l-bounces@samford.edu [mailto:trombone-l-bounces@samford.edu] On Behalf Of Charles DePaolo Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 5:57 PM To: trombone-l Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces Hi, I often get this question here at Hickeys. I feel the single most important thing a customer needs to know about a replacement mouthpiece is not model number, brand, cup depth, etc. Instead, I feel they need to know specifically what problem they are trying to solve in their playing. Or put another way, what are they trying to add that they currently do not have. Are they trying to improve high range? low range? articulation? fuel economy? flavor?! If the customer doesn't know exactly what they're trying to fix or improve, then they probably don't really need a new mouthpiece at this time. In such cases, usually the practice room is the solution (yes, I've actually talked folks out of buying something). Knowing specifics about construction, weight, shape, et cetera can be confusing and misleading unless you are a mouthpiece engineer. You can find yourself with a drawer full of barely used mouthpieces, the combined value of which can easily exceed that of a decent flat screen TV. Typically, one main measurement (rim diameter for instance) is accompanied by other geometric issues, such as cup depth, rim shape, bore size and more. None of these get mentioned or are estimated, loosely described or are simply unknown. All these elements combine to create a unique playing experience, often one that is unexpected given the particular number assigned to the model. You have experienced this a bit with the Griegos. Apparently, Griego has made other adjustments to his designs that either compliment, supplement or even offset the basic cup diameter number. My advice is to decide what you want to fix, and then approach mouthpiece selection with that goal in mind. Someone who really knows mouthpieces will be able to help you choose a replacement, based both on the problem you are having and the mouthpiece you are currently using. Later, when going through the trials, see if anything else is lost as a result (your experience with the 6.5AL shows a loss of tone for instance with a gain of range, not an uncommon situation). If you find that no mouthpiece gives you an additional playing asset without significant liabilities, then it's possible you don't need a new mouthpiece as much as a different approach to practice and playing. Hope this helps! ---Chuck ----- Original Message ----- From: Dave Demko To: trombone-l Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 4:26 PM Subject: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces Listers, I have a question related to the discussion, a little while back, about moving students up from a 12C to something larger, even a 5G. Thanks to Newell Sheridan, who travels with more and better trombones and gear than some stores have in stock, I was able to try some mouthpieces with my horn (and some very nice horns with my mouthpiece). The experience reinforced for me the importance of verifying by ear and feel whatever differences size, shape, weight, and so on are supposed to make according to the spec sheet. For example, I tried a Griego 4.5 and 3.5, both a bit larger than my 5G, expecting them to help my tone quality at the expense of my high range. But they didn't make much difference in either. A 6 1/2 AL does help my high range while making my tone thinner. I'm not asking for specific mouthpiece recommendations so much as advice on an approach to evaluating mouthpieces. I'm not even sure I want to change, but I'd like to explore the possibilities in a systematic and sane way. Any suggestions? I'm planning to spring for some lessons for the sake of "course correction," and I'm thinking that a teacher's ears and guidance will be very useful in evaluating mouthpieces. Thanks, Dave D. _______________________________________________ Trombone-l mailing list Trombone-l@samford.edu http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l _______________________________________________ Trombone-l mailing list Trombone-l@samford.edu http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l ------------------------------ Message: 11 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 17:40:22 -0600 From: "Jeff Albert" Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: "Charles DePaolo" Cc: trombone-l Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 On Jan 7, 2008 4:57 PM, Charles DePaolo wrote: I feel they need to know specifically what problem they are trying to solve in their playing. Or put another way, what are they trying to add that they currently do not have. ======================== Well said. I can be a gear tweaker at times, and I have done a pretty good job of keeping myself out of trouble by having a specific goal in mind whenever I make a change. Jeff -- www.jeffalbert.com www.scratchmybrain.com www.openearsmusic.org ------------------------------ Message: 12 Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:51:50 -0500 From: DAVID FETTER Subject: [Trombone-l] Ellicott City Trombone Choir To: trombone-l@samford.edu Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Volunteer trombonists, especially tenors, are welcome still at rehearsals of the Ellicott City Trombone Choir, which meets typically a couple of Thursday evenings per month in the suburbs West of Baltimore, Maryland, including this Thursday, January 10 at 7:30 p.m. If you are interested, contact me or manager Tim Collins at tcollins@csos.jhu.edu DF David Fetter Conservatory Trombone Faculty Member Peabody Institute 1 East Mount Vernon Place Baltimore, MD 21202 410 659-8100, ext. 1254; fax 410 783-8562 home 410 889-2277, cell 443 691-2686 web page: www.peabody.jhu.edu/DavidFetter ------------------------------ Message: 13 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 19:31:55 -0600 From: Bob Koester Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] new member To: Bill Dinwiddie , Jasper Franklin Cc: List Trombone Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Jasper, Welcome!! Hope you find the list as much fun and as beneficial as we. Looking forward to your posts. Regards, Bob Bob Koester, President MSI Financial Notice: This e-mail message and any attachment to this email message contain confidential information that my be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not review, retransmit, convert to hard copy, copy, use or disseminate this email or any attachments to it. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify us by return email or by telephone at 913-341-7108 and delete this message. You may also notify us by surface mail to MSI Financial, 3965 West 83rd St. #114, Prairie Village, KS 66208. Forwarded messages, replies to prior messages, or all of this message or attachments may not have originated at this email address. This notice is automatically appended to all emails leaving this email address. > From: billdin@comcast.net > To: lawrence.franklin@ntlworld.com > Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 16:56:03 -0600 > CC: trombone-l@samford.edu > Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] new member > > Jasper, > > Welcome! I hope you will enjoy being a member of the List. It's a great > resource, and a great bunch of people. > > > Bill Dinwiddie > billdin@comcast.net > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jasper Franklin" > To: > Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 11:51 AM > Subject: [Trombone-l] new member > > >> Hi! My name is Jasper Franklin I would like to wish you all to a very good >> New Year, I have played Trombone for about 60yr's.And I hope I will be a >> good member,Jasper Franklin ( England ) >> _______________________________________________ >> Trombone-l mailing list >> Trombone-l@samford.edu >> http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l > > _______________________________________________ > Trombone-l mailing list > Trombone-l@samford.edu > http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l ------------------------------ Message: 14 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 21:31:56 -0600 From: "mcclurefamily@srt.com" Subject: [Trombone-l] Hi Jasper! To: Message-ID: <1199763116-18312.00010.00090-smmsdV2.1.4@mail.srt.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Welcome to you, Jasper... we're glad you're here! Chris Ann in ND ------------------------------ Message: 15 Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 22:18:41 -0600 From: Wayne Dyess Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: Daniel Pliskin Cc: trombone-l Message-ID: <93070710-4A84-45D9-83A9-CD3983393CED@gt.rr.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed On Jan 7, 2008, at 5:23 PM, Daniel Pliskin wrote: > I've said this before and I'll say it again. Try an experiment. > Try clocking your mouthpiece. Set it in the receiver with the logo > facing out, as a reference point. Play it for a while. Then turn > the mouthpiece about 45 degrees and try it again. Most mouthpieces > are out of round, to the point where there is a preferred rotation > of the mouthpiece, where you like the tone the best. You might > want to mark your mouthpiece, so that you always insert it with > that best rotation. > > But also, this points out how the tiniest change in a mouthpiece > makes a world of difference. So if you take the next size lettered > drill and take out some of the back-bore, you may well have gone > past that sweet spot, you were looking for. Numbered drills are a > better bet, because there are more sizes. This is a good idea, I agree. We all strive to get the best mouthpiece, the best instrument, even the best slide lubricant. By "clocking" your mouthpiece, you have just added that much more stability to your playing. It'll be the same every time. I've been doing this since talking to a friend of mine about what I saw him doing in his warm-up... he was turning the mouthpiece just so. Dennis Dotson (formerly with Woody Herman), who had "stolen" the idea from the principal player of the Houston Symphony. I've been "clocking" myself ever since. Or maybe I've been clogging. Whatever it is... I'm more consistent. :-) Wayne ------------------------------ Message: 16 Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:56:26 -0500 From: Ray Horton Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: Wayne Dyess Cc: trombone-l Message-ID: <4783027A.20808@insightbb.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed I used to mark mouthpieces like this. I never clocked them, I would just mark them after a session in which I felt I had played unusually well, then stick to that location. Dumb guys way, I guess. Once, when I had a hard, loud, low part on a recording session, during the break before that piece, I rotated the mouthpiece until I found a spot that worked the best for the low part. (That was back when I was using a smaller mouthpiece, anyway. Give that part to me now with my Laskey!) I haven't done any of this stuff with my Laskey. Hmm... Raymond Horton Wayne Dyess wrote: > On Jan 7, 2008, at 5:23 PM, Daniel Pliskin wrote: > > >> I've said this before and I'll say it again. Try an experiment. >> Try clocking your mouthpiece. Set it in the receiver with the logo >> facing out, as a reference point. Play it for a while. Then turn >> the mouthpiece about 45 degrees and try it again. Most mouthpieces >> are out of round, to the point where there is a preferred rotation >> of the mouthpiece, where you like the tone the best. You might >> want to mark your mouthpiece, so that you always insert it with >> that best rotation. >> >> But also, this points out how the tiniest change in a mouthpiece >> makes a world of difference. So if you take the next size lettered >> drill and take out some of the back-bore, you may well have gone >> past that sweet spot, you were looking for. Numbered drills are a >> better bet, because there are more sizes. >> > > > This is a good idea, I agree. We all strive to get the best > mouthpiece, the best instrument, even the best slide lubricant. By > "clocking" your mouthpiece, you have just added that much more > stability to your playing. It'll be the same every time. I've been > doing this since talking to a friend of mine about what I saw him > doing in his warm-up... he was turning the mouthpiece just so. > Dennis Dotson (formerly with Woody Herman), who had "stolen" the idea > from the principal player of the Houston Symphony. I've been > "clocking" myself ever since. > > Or maybe I've been clogging. > > Whatever it is... I'm more consistent. > > :-) > Wayne > > > _______________________________________________ > Trombone-l mailing list > Trombone-l@samford.edu > http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l > > > ------------------------------ Message: 17 Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 00:20:02 -0700 From: Al MacDonald Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: trombone-l Message-ID: <254421692.20080108002002@earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Ray Horton wrote: RH> I used to mark mouthpieces like this. I never clocked them, I would RH> just mark them after a session in which I felt I had played unusually RH> well, then stick to that location. Dumb guys way, I guess. Not so dumb. Ralph Sauer recommended exactly this during a clinic in Boulder a few years ago - if you're having a really good session, mark the mouthpiece and always use that orientation. Cheers, Al MacDonald ------------------------------ Message: 18 Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 08:55:40 GMT From: Nigel Horne Subject: [Trombone-l] [DERBYSHIRE, United Kingdom] Newhall Band Vacancy To: trombone-l@server5.samford.edu Message-ID: <200801080855.m088te6M003627@njh.bandsman.co.uk> Newhall Band, Burton-on-trent, DERBYSHIRE, United Kingdom (Section 4) has an immediate vacancy for a trombone player. Contact Rebecca Stonehouse at r.j.stonehouse@btinternet.com or via their website http://www.newhallband.org.uk. We are a friendly, hardworking band that is aiming to compete successfully this year at the regionals. Please contact the secretary in confidence if you would like to join us. ------------------------------ Message: 19 Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 13:47:40 -0000 From: "Jasper Franklin" Subject: [Trombone-l] Thank's To: Message-ID: <00b801c851fd$0c66f970$54ac6051@jaspersnewpc> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" I would like to thank all the members who sent a welcome to me, It was great to hear from Adrian Drover, I hope all your family are well Adrian.I would like to correct that it was the Vic Lewis Band not Sid Dean who played the Stan Kenton music Jasper Franklin ------------------------------ Message: 20 Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 09:07:30 -0700 From: "Steve Gamble" Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces To: "trombone-l" Message-ID: <0B5C87139BED1C49B4CFA3563492DD8150EE0E@srv01.tso.local> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The essential ingredient in choosing any equipment is to have a very clear idea of what you are trying to accomplish musically. Without a clear idea, it's just about impossible to make the right choice. Although most sane people don't bother with equipment searches unless they are sensing some deficiency in their playing, to me it seems like a good exercise in focusing on musical goals to try as much stuff as you can. The funny thing about that is that the better you get at zeroing in on the music in your head, the more various pieces of equipment seem good. The right mouthpiece (or mouthpieces) is the one that gets in your way the least. Steve Gamble, Librarian Tucson Symphony Orchestra 2175 N. 6th Ave. Tucson, AZ 85705 520-792-9155 x118 office 520-792-9314 fax 520-991-7056 cell sgamble@tucsonsymphony.org www.tucsonsymphony.org -----Original Message----- From: trombone-l-bounces@samford.edu [mailto:trombone-l-bounces@samford.edu] On Behalf Of Daniel Pliskin Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 4:23 PM To: trombone-l Subject: Re: [Trombone-l] Assessing mouthpieces I've modified lots of mouthpieces. I used to get them used, for $5 or $10, so I had little to lose. Besides the general comfort of the rim shape and size, the depth of the cup, the size and shape of the back-bore, gap between the end of the mouthpiece and beginning of the lead-pipe and the shape of the transition between the cup and back-bore, are all important variables. Early on, I decided that without a numeric-control lathe, I wasn't going to take on playing with cup geometries. And although I don't have an allergic reaction to brass, I rarely alter the rim. There's a lot of talk about drilling out mouthpieces to get then a little bit darker sounding. It works, to some extent, but the cylindrical section, produced by the drilled-out section, also introduces a slight whispery tone, which I don't like. On many occasions, I've drilled out mouthpieces, to darken the tone and then reamed out the back-bore with a tapered reamer. I make single-fluted tapered reamers (form tools) from broken scissors pieces. Tiny amounts of metal make a huge difference, when altering the transition between the cup and back-bore. If the transition is too sharp, the tone is bright. Make it too rounded and all the life in the tone vanishes. I've said this before and I'll say it again. Try an experiment. Try clocking your mouthpiece. Set it in the receiver with the logo facing out, as a reference point. Play it for a while. Then turn the mouthpiece about 45 degrees and try it again. Most mouthpieces are out of round, to the point where there is a preferred rotation of the mouthpiece, where you like the tone the best. You might want to mark your mouthpiece, so that you always insert it with that best rotation. But also, this points out how the tiniest change in a mouthpiece makes a world of difference. So if you take the next size lettered drill and take out some of the back-bore, you may well have gone past that sweet spot, you were looking for. Numbered drills are a better bet, because there are more sizes. It also convinces me that if they can't get a single mouthpiece to be uniformly symmetrical, then how are they going to get two different mouthpieces to play similarly? So, when you find a mouthpiece you like, play every mouthpiece the store has in that size. What I used to do is work on my second-favorite mouthpiece, trying to get it to the point where it became my most favorite mouthpiece. DanP _________________________________________________________________ Make distant family not so distant with Windows Vista(r) + Windows Live(tm). http://www.microsoft.com/windows/digitallife/keepintouch.mspx?ocid=TXT_T AGLM_CPC_VideoChat_distantfamily_012008 _______________________________________________ Trombone-l mailing list Trombone-l@samford.edu http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Trombone-l mailing list Trombone-l@samford.edu http://maillists.samford.edu/mailman/listinfo/trombone-l End of Trombone-l Digest, Vol 36, Issue 8 *****************************************