Spleeyah!

Manny,

I'm working on some audition lists for some summer festivals. I've been recording myself periodically to check my progress and I notice something. While my excerpts are overall pretty accurate, in tune, etc. And I'm happy with my progress in those aspects but at the sametime all the excerpts sound 'labored'. What do you suggest to improve playing/sounding more 'finessed', making it sound effortless, so to speak? Drop some knowledge on me.

Thanks,
Brad

__________________
"Take care of your fundamentals and your fundamentals will take care of you"

"Don't practice for 'something', practice 'everything' and you'll be ready for ANYTHING"

Bb-Bach Strad 43
C- Bach Strad 229 25H
Picc - Schilke P54 Gold Plated

Manny Laureano

It's a hard question to answer and here's why:

When someone hears a recording of themself and recognizes that there's a flaw or improvement and its able to clearly identify what that deficiency is, I have trouble understanding why they just don't correct the deficiency. It's not like you're providing me with a CD of your playing and saying "I just dn't know what's wrong!" Clearly, you know what's wrong; it's labored and lacks finesse.

So, play with finese and lighten up. Past that, I'm not sure what I can tell you that will make a difference in your playing. It sounds like you already know what to do, so, do it.

It's like writing and telling me you hear that you're playing out of tune. Well, if you can hear that you're out of tune, play in tune.

What I'm saying, if I'm not clear, is that I'm giving you enough credit for being a capable enough trumpeter to fix this since you know what the problem is.

ML

B15M

Manny,

I record myself all the time and the problem that I have is, I hear it one way when I play and a different way when I play it back and listen.

You would think that it's easy to fix because you heard the things that are wrong but, when you go and try to fix it you hear it the way you played it the first time. It's hard to explain if you haven't experienced it.

What I do is listen to the recording and make notes in the music and then when I record it again I force the changes into my playing even though my ears tell me not to. Then I listen to the new recording and see if I have over done things or need more. After a while of forcing things over and over they start to sound correct while I'm playing.

PH

........

Manny Laureano

Use adjectives to describe what you want. Use adjectives to describe what you currently sound like. In a semi-mathematical approach, find the difference between the two. Sound rough on purpose. Now sound more polished.

Use your imagination.

ML

Spleeyah!

Manny,

You've got a really good point. I guess I really didn't offer specifics in my initial post. My bad haha! I suppose I am doin the 'paralysis by analysis' thing. Instead of looking for some deep, profound solution, I should just fix it. ('Product, not process' as Arnold Jacobs used to say). Thanks, Manny!


PH,

Good call.


-Brad

__________________
"Take care of your fundamentals and your fundamentals will take care of you"

"Don't practice for 'something', practice 'everything' and you'll be ready for ANYTHING"

Bb-Bach Strad 43
C- Bach Strad 229 25H
Picc - Schilke P54 Gold Plated

jwtptboy

Brad,

One other piece of advice... slightly related:

While we all definitely have to play hundreds upon hundreds of repetitions of our excerpts to make them audition-win-worthy, I always tell people to work on being a better player and the excerpts will improve as a matter of course. (simple example: If your tonguing on the opening of the Ravel Piano Concerto is poor, don't just work on the Ravel. Work on your tonguing.)

Good luck,

Jeff Work

Spleeyah!

Jeff,

I agree with you completely. That's really what I base everything on (fundamentals, playing efficiently and reenforcing good habits).

"Take care of your fundamentals and your fundamentals will take care of you."

I live by it haha! Nice reference to Ravel, that's actually one of the excerpts I am currently working on again. Good times!

Brad

__________________
"Take care of your fundamentals and your fundamentals will take care of you"

"Don't practice for 'something', practice 'everything' and you'll be ready for ANYTHING"

Bb-Bach Strad 43
C- Bach Strad 229 25H
Picc - Schilke P54 Gold Plated