Venturion

The recent mute stories remind me of other common or potential calamities.

What is your story or technique of recovery or remedy when your tone suddenly features sounds of internal splattering spit, er sorry, "condensation", particularly during an quiet, long-line solo or exposed passage comprised of, say, lots half and whole notes? What to do? Stop the soaring melody to empty, or continue with the line and suffer the gurgles?

Obviously the remedy is to constantly empty the horn to prevent it from happening to begin with, but if it DOES happen in the above situation, what would you do?

Here's another cautionary: Always check (i.e., put air through) your horn immediately after oiling the valves if you take them up and out at the top (rather than oiling from the bottom of the valve).

Duh, this *should* be a no-brainer, but once in the heat of the moment on a high profile brass quartet gig in a big church, I forgot this very fundamental thing: Before our first unaccompanied selection, I had oiled my valves, but then got involved in making sure the parts were in order, coordinating our entrance and establishing the tempo. We get the signal, the downbeat is given and the tightly-timed service has begun. Then the horror: The first half minute or so of Haines "Toccata" was performed as a trio whilst I scrambled to figure out which valve got turned around. It was a LONNGG half minute, and very difficult to appear nonchalant while fussing with the horn and blowing into it without success a number of times. Meanwhile the now trio is playing music that sounds even more stark and modern than plausible. Moral: get and keep the equipment in readiness AT HOME before getting to the gig. I need to remember this more.

__________________
"Moderation in all things . . . including moderation."

Manny Laureano

Venturion,

Like the good book says, "When the water comes there ain't nothin' you can do to stop it."

All you can do is as you said. Empty often and if you get a little gurgle you deal with it until you get a long open note and release it while it sounds. It should sound okay. I've done that but not during a major solo.

ML

Alex Yates

I was going to say the same thing as ML. Wait for a sustained note and empty while playing. I get water in every slide all of the time. It is like I am a horn player with how often I have to empty them.