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Alex Yates · 08-16-2005, 11:39 PM

and I can make it sound any way I choose. Once I played the musical "Steel Pier" for three months straight on my C trumpet and no one noticed. This show was definitely a jazz book and was great fun. At the end of the tour I informed the conductor that I had been playing C trumpet the entire time and he was stunned. There are times when my work or studies require I play more Bb than C and vice versa. No matter what the situation, I play both horns everyday. If necessary, I can get away with a couple of weeks playing ONLY C trumpet or ONLY Bb, but any longer and the horn getting no playing time gets "stiff". Once one learns to play a C trumpet though, you never forget the feeling. This helps when switching between horns because you know what to expect and the adjustment time gets shorter with that familiarity. Too many folks get a C trumpet and try to play it like a Bb. Of course they immediately find it "stiff, bright, restrictive". And when you try to play a Bb like a C...well.....it's noodle city. LOL. The two instruments slot very differently.

Another personal note from my experience. I happen to have Jim Thompson's old C trumpet. This was the first generation Yamaha that he played during his time with the ASO. (it still has his name engraved on the leadpipe. ) It plays like "buttuh" since Bob Malone did so much work on it with Jim's input. You would think that I would use this on every audition and job, but that is not the case. It is by far the most incredible horn I own, but that is also its curse. If I have to switch horns a lot in a situation, switching between my stock Bach 37 Bb made in a factory and the Yamaha poses a problem (since they are worlds apart in craftsmanship and temperament). I have a Bach C/L 25A that I also play often and especially in situations where I have to switch often, as it is closer in temperament to my Bach Bb. I also use my Bach C trumpet when I am playing in a section using Bachs. I use the Yamaha for solo work or for situations where most or all of the literature is doable on C. If I have not been practicing on the Yamaha, I do need an adjustment time of about a week before it feels right. The difference between it and the Bach C are just crazy. It is a matter of learning to blow differently for the Yamaha and not impose the intonation shortcomings of the Bach C (for which my embouchure is so used to compensating). The same works in reverse. I have to remember that the Bach has many intonation idiosyncrasies that don't exist on the Yamaha. I also want to note that this is in no way related to the topic of switching between horns of different keys. (that's an entirely different subject) I have no problem jumping from C to Eb to piccolo to Bb. (well, yeah....of course it doesn't feel great those first few measures playing a big horn after playing piccolo....but going from the big horns to the smaller is not a problem for me.)

After a certain amount of education and experience, I think horn choice is based more on the person (in this country) than most people realize. A good example is Susan Slaughter. I believe she plays most, if not all, of the orchestral repertoire on a Blackburn 4 valve Eb. These horns have big bells and can hold their own against a C in sound if necessary. That would not be my choice, but for her it feels like "home" where she can do what she needs to do to get the job done. There are still plenty of orchestral players around using their Bbs too. I even pull out my Bb in the middle of "American in Paris" to play the slow, smokey solo even though I can play it on C, just because it feels right. As soon as that solo is done, I switch right back to C trumpet....just because I want to.

08-16-2005, 11:39 PM	#33 (permalink)
Alex Yates Forte User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 2,405	C trumpet is my axe of choice and I can make it sound any way I choose. Once I played the musical "Steel Pier" for three months straight on my C trumpet and no one noticed. This show was definitely a jazz book and was great fun. At the end of the tour I informed the conductor that I had been playing C trumpet the entire time and he was stunned. There are times when my work or studies require I play more Bb than C and vice versa. No matter what the situation, I play both horns everyday. If necessary, I can get away with a couple of weeks playing ONLY C trumpet or ONLY Bb, but any longer and the horn getting no playing time gets "stiff". Once one learns to play a C trumpet though, you never forget the feeling. This helps when switching between horns because you know what to expect and the adjustment time gets shorter with that familiarity. Too many folks get a C trumpet and try to play it like a Bb. Of course they immediately find it "stiff, bright, restrictive". And when you try to play a Bb like a C...well.....it's noodle city. LOL. The two instruments slot very differently. Another personal note from my experience. I happen to have Jim Thompson's old C trumpet. This was the first generation Yamaha that he played during his time with the ASO. (it still has his name engraved on the leadpipe. ) It plays like "buttuh" since Bob Malone did so much work on it with Jim's input. You would think that I would use this on every audition and job, but that is not the case. It is by far the most incredible horn I own, but that is also its curse. If I have to switch horns a lot in a situation, switching between my stock Bach 37 Bb made in a factory and the Yamaha poses a problem (since they are worlds apart in craftsmanship and temperament). I have a Bach C/L 25A that I also play often and especially in situations where I have to switch often, as it is closer in temperament to my Bach Bb. I also use my Bach C trumpet when I am playing in a section using Bachs. I use the Yamaha for solo work or for situations where most or all of the literature is doable on C. If I have not been practicing on the Yamaha, I do need an adjustment time of about a week before it feels right. The difference between it and the Bach C are just crazy. It is a matter of learning to blow differently for the Yamaha and not impose the intonation shortcomings of the Bach C (for which my embouchure is so used to compensating). The same works in reverse. I have to remember that the Bach has many intonation idiosyncrasies that don't exist on the Yamaha. I also want to note that this is in no way related to the topic of switching between horns of different keys. (that's an entirely different subject) I have no problem jumping from C to Eb to piccolo to Bb. (well, yeah....of course it doesn't feel great those first few measures playing a big horn after playing piccolo....but going from the big horns to the smaller is not a problem for me.) After a certain amount of education and experience, I think horn choice is based more on the person (in this country) than most people realize. A good example is Susan Slaughter. I believe she plays most, if not all, of the orchestral repertoire on a Blackburn 4 valve Eb. These horns have big bells and can hold their own against a C in sound if necessary. That would not be my choice, but for her it feels like "home" where she can do what she needs to do to get the job done. There are still plenty of orchestral players around using their Bbs too. I even pull out my Bb in the middle of "American in Paris" to play the slow, smokey solo even though I can play it on C, just because it feels right. As soon as that solo is done, I switch right back to C trumpet....just because I want to.