W Scott

It's some of both. No matter what, you're going to sound like you. But, it sure is easier to play a horn that works 'right' for you---the right amount of resistance; the right 'color' to the sound; the kind of response that feels right to you; the bell that allows the kind of sound coloring and projection that you want.

Why all of the custom trumpets? Well, if you can afford to have a trumpet made for you to make your playing as easy as possible---why wouldn't you?

Bill

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Gabriel is NOT a woodwind player!

trumpetmike

And having met a fair number of the TM crowd - I think we are all much safer with our trumpets than without - not sure ANYBODY would pay us as a dance company (with the possible exception of Trent Austin - that guy can get attention just by walking! Admittedly, only after a couple of whiskies )

It is all about the player, but certain equipment might allow the player to speak more easily.

Robert Rowe

Well said. My sentiments, exactly.

Robt

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" ... Ya cain't polish a turd ...!" (old Southern expression)

~~ Love animals ... don't eat them. ~~

Bear

Ok, new question: If we can argee that any certain horn will fit any certain player (I'm speaking in generalities) then why do some ensembles like to require everyone to have the equipment?

Let's try not to use the "same sound" concept.

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Of what value would it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live?! - anon.

B15M

I think it's all about sound. You can't take that away.

My opinion is that if you have all different makes that are some what moderate they will create a tone together. Kind of like adding stops to an organ.

When you get a section that says "to play here you must play this trumpet",
I think that is an extreme, but it can't hurt.

John P

The individual chops of the musician are definitely more important. But playing on equipment that is suited to your specific needs and preferences will certainly make playing more FUN, and isn't that what it's all about?

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JP

nieuwguyski

I think it could hurt, in either of two cases. If the required trumpet were something extreme, some percentage of players wouldn't be able to adapt to it. And even if the required trumpet were something vanilla, like a ML 37 bell Strad, there is likely a very small percentage of good players who need to play an instrument at the extremes to play to their potential.

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John N. Nieuwguyski

B15M

OK I put in it can't hurt to be middle of the road. I agree with you.

samdaman

About the same horn stuff too....

It also levels the playing field too a little bit. It's funny because I used to use a beat up Bach Strad on the marching field and I would always get... "Man if I had your Bach I could deffinetly outplay you during a show...". My answer would always be... "Ok, switch horns with me and we'll see what happens." %100 of the time it didn't help them much and it showed them that it really was the player, not the horn. But in defence of the horn... using good equpiment helps. If you are a sport shooter, you wouldn't use a Civil War musket to shoot at targets 300 yrds away, when the technology of the day allows for much more accurate equipment.'

My .02

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-Sam Tate

-Bach 43LR Reverse Lead
-Benge 90C Trumpet
-Gold Schilke E3L Eb/D
-Yahmaha 6310Z Bobby Shew Flugel
-Warburton 3 series and a GR67FL

When in doubt, go with the FLOW... it's all about the flow... musical line and tone production :)

www.music.psu.edu

trpt2345

Seven or eight years agp I was at the Midwest band and orchestra convention at the Hilton in Chicago as it is every year. Arturo played during a presentation one afternoon, as mind-boggling as ever. Some poor soul in the audience suggested that he played that way because of special equipment that he had. Sandoval became enraged, plucked a mediocre student horn from an eighth grade kid in the audience and played exactly what he had played on his own horn. It's not what's in there, he said, pointing to the horn, but what's in here, pointing to his chops. I do something like that every so often when a student tries to blame problems in a lesson on his or her horn. I take the horn, put my mouthpiece in (we want to be sanitary) play whatever it was they were trying to play and something more, like a three octave G scale. That usually ends all future attempts to use the excuse of bad equipment. Of course different horns sound better and work easier compared to others, but as Barbara used to say, it's what's on the other side of the mouthpiece that counts.

Michael McLaughlin

He is useless on top of the ground; he ought to be under it, inspiring the cabbages.
Mark Twain

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Chicago MM