| You see, I knew that Larry was just messing with my mind. I read the question earlier today and its been niggling away at me for hours. So when I finally get to sit down and write a reply, what do i find? Larry's gone and answered his own question and stolen my thunder. :)
I would agree with you Larry and Dave, there has to be some resistance in the total set up - which I think we agree consists of mouthpiece cup/throat/backbore, leadpipe, shape of front bow, bore through the valves, bell flare, weight and density of metal etc.
The other important variable in the equation is the player - his apperture control, the fleshiness of his lips, amount of pressure used, toungue placement, throat, lung capacity and so forth (my maths is not up to the task of working this equation out by the way). So that for one player a certain horn/mouthpiece combination feels perfect and yet another player using the same equipment complains that the horn is tight, stuffy, baggy, draining, too open, too closed, sucks the air out of him, makes him see stars.... etc.
As so often with Larrys posts, he raises more questions than answers in my mind. What do I mean when I say a horn is free-blowing? I have to admit that I have fallen into a lazy habit of using that phrase as shorthand for - "I like the balance of the resistance in the horn". What I mean is that the horn speaks or responds very easily at quiet volumes, has a taut, focused feeling to the sound which retains its proportions at all volumes and across the full range and which doesn't back up on me, get distorted or fight back when I use large volume and high velocity of air to play extremely loud.
I am aware that I seem to prefer a slightly tighter feeling horn than many of my colleagues. But I take into account the fact that I use a wider cup and a larger backbore than many of them and probably play with a quite open throat. On the other hand the sound I like to make is more compact, intense and directional, rather than expansive, broad and diffused and maybe the resisitance balance that I am drawn to helps me to achieve the sound I am after.
One thought which occured to me is that a flugelhorn, inspite of its large bell and wide conical bore (although much smaller through the valves) always feels more resistant or tight to me than a trumpet. I guess in a flugelhorn I wouldn't really want a free-blowing, large bore kind of horn. Rather a sweet compact core to the tone with a hazy fluffy halo surrounding it. Perhaps to counter balance the much deeper cup and larger throat I need to feel something in the horn to work against. Any thoughts on this anybody?
Anyway, that's enough rambling. Nice post Larry and by the way there are people who can allegedly stop their heart from beating using the power of their minds - some Yogis in India I believe - but as you said, that's for another post.
All the best. Noel.
__________________ Noel Langley - Eclipse Artist noel@eclipsetrumpets.com
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