TrentAustin

Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more powerful for your practicing than recording your playing and REALLY listening.

I have spent the past week fooling around on new recording equipment in preparation for my new CD project.... and what I heard was extremely humbling:

bad time
terrible intonation
poor ideas
diffused articulation

You know, all the stuff I harp on my students just isn't happening in my own playing. I'm actually glad I am realizing all this so I can formulate a plan to correct this. It's hard to swallow sometimes and I know as a "pro" that it's the only way to grow... keep pushing myself as no-one else will do that for me.

One of my friends said recently "A tape recorder doesn't lie".

I think I will make it a habit to record much more of my daily practicing.

Thoughts?

__________________
Trent Austin
lurking around. If you want to chat PM me.
http://www.trentaustin.com
http://www.onlinejazzimprovisation.com

trumpetnick

Trent,

I think that I am on the same wave just right now, though I don't record very often...while I should. Once I had a lesson with James Watson and we were speaking about high notes and physical stuf. Than he reperted a case where had some troubles with high range and only after recording himslef on video noticed that he was lifting shoulders up and this was reason: his breathen had become mre shallow. Why don't you join my thread about multimedia courses and approach?

__________________
Spada Bach B flat 72, leadpipe 2L/DWMM1.5C
Spada Bach C 256, leadpipe 2LQ/DWMM1.5C
1956 Olds Ambassador Cornet
Spada Custom Piccolo

If you don't know where you are going, you 'll end up someplace else

tpter1

I'm with you 100%, Trent. What we think we're doing and how it actually comes out are, for most of us, different. I heard some "surprises" in something I did yesterday (along similar lines: intonation, tempo, clarity of articulation).

This has huge potential in the lesson/band rehearsal setting as well.

__________________
-Glenn
"Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting

TrentAustin

Hal Crook told me I should record EVERYTHING I played and really listened to it for progress. It took a ton of my practice time but I'm going to go back to maybe 40 percent of my day. Why not. Honest listening will be far more beneficial than false security!
-T

__________________
Trent Austin
lurking around. If you want to chat PM me.
http://www.trentaustin.com
http://www.onlinejazzimprovisation.com

HoboTrumpet

What kind of tape recorder do you guys use to record your playing? Is there such a thing as a small digital recorder (like one of those mini-cassette recorders only digital) a person can buy? I have an old Radio Shack cassette player that I use, but the mic is going haywire and I'm looking to upgrade.

The quintet I'm in started recording rehearsals (and videotaping concerts) and boy did we find a lot to work on! I guess I've never thought of admiring stage presence with quintet or solo playing before, but holy cow, after seeing a videotape of one of our recent concerts we all look like we'd been slamming down Code Red Mountain Dew for the past week*– scratching our heads, blowing spit out every other measure, fiddling with mutes on the floor in between numbers . . . My respect for pro outifts like the ABQ has increased ten fold yet again!

__________________
Bb: Yamaha 8335G
C:Yamaha 6445H

TrentAustin

I just (literally an hour ago after the gym) bought a new sony "Clear Voice Tape recorder". I had to buy it for adjudication purposes in a month but for 30 bucks this player has half speed and sounds very good for a cassette player.

It's perfect for quick practice sessions.

For gigs I'll either bring my Fostex Mr-8 hard disc recorder or my Sony mini-disc with Sony mic.

Great portable tools to transform your playing.

Listen to your articulation at half speed and you'll really begin to learn. wow.

-T

__________________
Trent Austin
lurking around. If you want to chat PM me.
http://www.trentaustin.com
http://www.onlinejazzimprovisation.com

DL TPT

As a high school band director I record rehearsals. I remember the first time I did it I asked the students how well they thought the played. The majority thought they played well. After listening to the recording they discovered many problems. On a second listening I had the students circle areas in their music they thought they needed to make better. When we recorded again they had improved so much that they did not sound like the same band. Recording works!

__________________
Bb: Bach 37 Raw Brass
C: Bach 239 Lacquer
Eb/D: Yamaha 9610 Silver
Flugelhorn: Yamaha YFH 731 Silver

11thchair

Might be worth a try. However I already know I don't have the skills. I hear them while I practice. That is why I practice, repeat things, drive my wife nuts.

I do try practicing in front of a mirror. So many things that appear wrong there too. Not sure how important these are - because I have no basis. Other than watching others and pros on TV (or concert).

Answer would probably be private lessons - but I travel a lot (got my platinum priority club card) - and I tend to PO my instructor when I cancel a bunch. (I pay but he still got upset). So I don't P him O anymore.

__________________
Play whenever you can - have fun
Stomvi 330
B&S Challenger II Cornet

Richard Oliver

Thanks for the tip Trent. I'm afraid though. Might turn out so dismal, I'll ditch the trumpet in favor of the Ka-Zoo.

Hmm . . . ML or LB Kazoo I wonder?

Richard Oliver

tpter1

Rich-
"A pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity; an optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity".

Recording yourself is quite humbling, but if you look at it in the eyes of an optimist, it's also a chance to make yourself aware of things and fix things you may not know need fixing.

I just use a plain old-fashioned Bb garden variety laptop. (And not nearly as much as I should...hmmm...better get on it!) You can use either SmartMusic or Audition or Audacity or whatever recording program you have or can get your hands on. A desktop works just as well, but is (slightly) more awkward if you are mobile. Feedback is immediate. Or not. Depending on what YOU want. With programs like Audition and Audacity, you have the advantage of being able to do some post-recording engineering and mess with things like reverb, or totally distort your sound and get all psychadelic-like just for fun. You can always return to your original.

Ok...I guess Trent has thrown down the gauntlet...let's get recording!

__________________
-Glenn
"Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting