dcstep

I suspect it's a problem of blowing your load in the soundcheck and, perhaps, nerves during the performance. Be sure to pace yourself during check and save the best licks for the gig. If anything gets played down, do it at the check and focus on being very efficient with your playing during the check. Be aware of any pressure you're using and try to keep it controlled. If the monitor needs to be a little louder don't be shy about asking for more of yourself in the monitor. Make sure you warm up properly for the check, otherwise you may use extra pressure to get the sound you need.

If anything, play a little on the low side of your gig dynamic. I've found that the band almost always tends to be a little louder in the gig than in check. If you've saved yourself a little headroom, then you can cruise thru the gig. If you don't use clip-on mics, then you can do the check a few inches further away from the mic and use that space cushion as a headroom cushion, should you need it during the gig.

Dave

Nordic Trumpet

Eric, I think you are spot on. What you describe matches with what I feel when this happens. I'm just surprised by how little it takes for me to get stiff after a soundcheck. For an amateur I thought I was in decent shape. Well, obviously I'm wrong about that.

Nordic Trumpet

I'll share a little story with you guys. This business with my "finicky chops" (as Eric calls them) woke up a memory I've been trying to forget. 13 years ago I went to audition for a college in Norway. That day I wanted to just practise a little bit on my piece (Haydn). I didn't want to tire myself out so I was careful. It was still a few hours before the audition.

Going to the audition I was nervous but quite confident and my confidence grew stronger as I heard the guys who auditioned before me. No match for me I thought. As soon as I started my warmup I knew I was in trouble. My chops were stiff and unresponsive and I struggled to even get a sound out of the trumpet. Due to this the anxiety increased dramatically and I was sweating bullets going into the auditioning room.

The audition went as bad as you've probably imagined by now. I could barely get a sound out of the trumpet. And two of those guys before me got in, which was a bit painful since I knew I could play better than them. I just couldn't on the audition. So that's how I ended up as an IT consultant. (And really shouldn't complain )

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Geir

kadleck

Obviously, the trumpet is a very physical instrument. We all (amateur & pro alike) have "finicky chops"/good and bad days. Even when in shape, the chops sometimes just throw us a curveball. I guess as a pro, one has the "advantage" of encountering this often and figuring out what to do about it (if you can call that an advantage). I do know that relaxation (chops, mind, body) is a good place to start. The less tense we are (physically and mentally), the better chance we have of getting to the bottom of the problem.

Good luck with this.
Tony

Nordic Trumpet

Thanks Tony,

Somehow it's comforting to hear that professionals, even one as experienced and solid as yourself, struggle with bad days.

I'm only an amateur, but I put a lot of heart into my playing.

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Geir

PH

I'm going to suggest something that is nearly opposite to this.

On a soundcheck or rehearsal the day of a gig many people try to save their chops for the gig. In so doing they play with very low energy and create bad habits and tensions that actually cut into their effectiveness on the gig. Never try to "save your chops" if that means playing with less physical or mental focus.

gzent

I'm tending to agree with PH. Also, I wonder what Manny thinks?

I guess I have found that if I always try to play the same way physically, being neither careful, nor aggressive, but just playing like I know how, that differences between good and bad days are less.

For me, making sure my body mechanics and alignment and the first big breath are there at the start of my warmup are key. I credit this to listening to Manny's advice on breathing and body alignment.

Greg

dcstep

Very good point. The focus should be very high, with attention paid to mechanics, resonance and what I call "operations" (are you breathing correctly, are the chops supple, do you have your normal ease in the upper register, etc.). Hopefully you started with a warm up that included working towards these things. You don't save yourself by playing without making the horn resonate. You still make it resonate while simply lowering your level, not playing up as much and taking the horn off your lips if you notice yourself doing something wrong.

Between the check and the gig, be sure to address any problem without wearing yourself out. Really focus in the first live song to make sure you don't blow it all at once.

When the drummer is suddenly 10-dB louder than in the check, don't adjust by playing louder, but signal the soundman that you need to year more of yourself in your monitor. Always let the soundman worry about the sound out front. There's no way you can overcome an imbalance by playing louder or softer when there's several thousand watts pumping out front. You just have to give it up and let the soundman do his job.

It's really easy to blow your chops when playing in a strong band thru a "big rig" sound system. The single most important thing for me is to make sure I can hear myself thru my monitor. When I can't, I've learned that I should not play louder, instead I move right onto the mic and if I still can't hear myself I put up with it until I can speak to the soundman at break.

Dave

Dave

Khora

I've had very similar problems on those occasions when I don't get a chance to play between the check (or rehearsal) and the performance.

I agree about not "saving for the gig". I used to do that, and crashed more often than not. The real secret for me has been to keep everything running - like putting the computer on screen saver, rather than shutting it down - it is a lot quicker to get back up to speed. That also eliminates that feeling that the gig is something bigger than it is.

For me, the solution has been to be sure I have a practice mute of some sort with me, and play some easy things (a few Clarke studies or Gekker tonguing studies or easy lip slurs), generally mid-register, not too loud, for maybe 5-10 minutes every half hour until showtime. Of course it is better if I can play without the mute, but that doesn't always happen. Sometimes means I have to eat dinner in snatches, and not hang out talking with everyone the whole time, but they still call me back!

Nordic Trumpet

Khora, your suggestion makes sense to me. I will try that the next time around.