trpt2345

I would just add that in a pop/rock/funk setting what is really different is articulation, much more accented, shorter, rhythmic. The beat is more heavily defined and your articulation has to be able to match it. Horn sections in that kind of music have the basic function of providing another layer of rhythm. You'll notice you don't play a lot of long melodies, the parts tend to be short and punchy. Same basic idea with salsa and latin music.

Michael McLaughlin

"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens.
Woody Allen

W Scott

Find somebody who is really good at mixing the sound. I've played in mixed bands like these and what's hard for me is to get used to relying on the sound coming from the monitors. We used ear plugs which are plugged into a monitor and that's a great setup because it really cuts the 'on-stage' noise down to a level that won't hurt your hearing. But, I'm used to hearing a trumpet played that isn't miced! So, in a mixed band you play and you're in sync with everybody else and it sounds good in the monitor---but what does it sound like out in the audience? That dilemna drove me nuts until we found somebody really good on mixing the sound. Then, I could finally relax and trust that it was sounding good to the audience.

MFHorn683

This question is along the same lines as the thread going on, so I figured I'd just put it on here. I take lessons from Dr. Kevin Kjos, of Kutztown University and am close friends with John Stoudt (who knows you, Mr. Kadlek). I'm starting to get my lead chops more refined and my top end is starting to get more and more zip with each passing day. My question is about vibrato. I'm trying to introduce it into my lead playing, but I can't use jaw vibrato because I can't get it to move fast enough yet. I've started to use alittle hand vibrato, but i'm still in the experimentation with it, but with some refining, I think it could prove a viable option.

My question could be directed to either of you (Mr. Gambaro, or Mr. Kadlek). How would you reccomend I go about improving my lip vibrato, or should I continue experimenting with the hand vibrato? Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

kadleck

Hi MFHorn -

I would first urge you to pick and choose the correct spots for vibrato. I like it in certain instances and don't in others. Each era of big band music kind of has it's own style of vibrato, so I don't use the same kind everywhere.

I think that lip vibrato involves much more control than hand vibrato, so maybe hand vib. is a good place to start. If I'm playing music from (I'm approximating here) 1960-1990 I might use a med. slow vibrato only at the end of a note. 1940-1960 might call for a faster vibrato. For anything before 1940 I would probably play an even faster vib., and start it as soon as I hit the note. However, listening to different big bands will teach you more than I could ever dictate to you. For instance, Cat Anderson, Snooky Young, Conrad Gozzo, and Lin Biviano are all great lead players, yet have VERY different ways of playing vibrato. My advice is to listen and imitate. Start working on vibrato SLOWLY (like anything else). It's actually somewhat like doing a shake, just without changing the pitch.

Keep us posted.

Ed Kennedy

Mouthpieces in your ID range (1 1/2C:
Curry 1.5M, 1.5*, 1.5Z, 70S or 70M, Reeves 43S or ES, Purviance 9 or 10, Bush WX3 or 3D, Schilke or Yamaha 14A4a, Marcinkowicz Findley (Bob or Chuck) Stork SM4 series, etc, etc. .668 to .670 ID The GR's were already mentioned.

Jim Clark

I agree a shallower mouthpiece might be in order for this type of gig. I love my Bach 1 1/2 C in certain situations. I tried using it once in a 4 piece pop horn section on lead trumpet for an entire evening - big mistake (Hey! I was new- what did I know?!)

Vulgano Brother

It's been (gulp) 29 years since I did serious lead playing in a pop/rock setting, so styles might have changed, but it is possible to get a really exciting vibrato-like zip and shimmer to the sound in the upper register by using the tip of the tongue rather than the jaw, the action like lip trills but more subtle, so that the color changes but not the pitch. Even if it doesn't prove useful for you, it is fun to practice!

Bay Area Brass

I would advise than instead of changing your mouthpiece or you horn, it would be much easier to adjust the eq on you mic. Having the sound man add some brightness to your channel is much simpler than making basic changes to your setup, which can create a whole new set of issues. I also have found that being able to deal with loud gigs is a whole different skill set. Playing a jazz gig or a pop gig means shifting gears and mindset-it's an expierence thing that gets easy the more you do it. Best of luck!