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Originally Posted by trickg When you get right down to it, in my opinion, there really are only a few things to consider about a trumpet for playing characteristics:
1.) Blow
2.) resonance
3.) response
4.) Timbre
5.) Inotonation (not necessarily in this order)
You can mysitique it all you want, but if it doesn't perform well in all of those areas, I don't care who made it or how much it costs, I don't want it. |
While I agree on the characteristics, we all have different opinions about said characteristics.
Blow: Some like very open horns. Some like some resistance ... some prefer quite a bit.
Resonance: Goes with Timbre usually. Call it color if you like. Some like bright sounding horns, some want a more mellow tone. Big difference between a Bach 37 and a Callet for example.
Intonation: Has to do a lot with blow, resonance and setup. Well slotting horns can be a drawback when playing high a doing shakes, for example. Some open horns suffer from intonation problems because there is too much "room." Reverse leadpipes can help, but they make the horn less free blowing.
Trade offs, trade offs.
The mystique usually comes in the timbre and resonance part of the above criteria. You do not want a horn that is hard to play, or is difficult to play in tune. BUT ....
sound characteristics are very different. I have demoed many horns and have listened to players play various horns. I know Bach players that will not play anything else. They love the Bach sound. Terrific!
I knew one guy who played a horn I had who sounded great on the horn. Great! Compared to his horn, it was night and day. He didn't like having a ring on the first valve slide instead of a U saddle so he moved on to another horn. I have heard some great playing by some people on various horns, but they wanted a different sound. The blow was good, the intonation was great, the response is what they wanted ... but not the sound. At that is a very subjective thing!
I guess I like being a little different, a little mystique in my sound. Will I play a crappy horn to get it. No. But I wish to be a little different. And if the truth be known, I want a horn that blends well with an ensemble. A dark sound -- rich timbre if you like. I play mostly in a concert band and small brass ensembles. I don't want a bright, cutting sound for jazz. I rarely get called for jazz gigs, and when I do I play 3rd or 4th book.
So I agree with you as much as I can ... but personal differences make a difference. It also makes the trumpet world a great place. A plethora of top horns to choose from. Your choice. Grand isn't it?
M&C