Fudleysmith

Hey Tony,

I met you at the Westchester Trumpet Fest and in my head I can still hear your flugel solo at the evening concert (on a borrowed horn no less!).

This is not a "where do you get your improv ideas" question.

What I am wondering is how do you mentally approach the flugel? Is it just another horn, or do you think of flugel differently than trumpet?

Do you make any conscious physical adjustments when going to the flugel?

Many Thanks,

Greg

kadleck

Hi Greg -

Yes, I remember talking to you & your friend!

Thanks for the compliment. I really love playing the flugelhorn, and I've been playing that Stage One ever since that day!

I try to think of the darkest, warmest sound possible when playing it. It is certainly much different than my approach to the trumpet. (I really don't enjoy it when players play it as if it were a trumpet.) I also play an extremely large mouthpiece, and hate to play it above the staff. (It feels awful and usually the pitch is very bad up there, plus it's not where the horn sounds the best.)

It depends on the setting. I love to write unison for flug. & trombone. In that setting, I try to get "inside" the sound on the trombone, and not stick out. As a soloist, I just try not to play too loudly. That usually helps the sound.

Tony

Fudleysmith

Thanks, Tony.

I'm kinda suprised, we have a few tutti Flugel/Trombone sections in some of our charts and it feels as though we are totally "eaten up" by the 'bones. It has been the source of some discussion within the section as to whether the dynamic markings need to be "interpreted" when the whole section is using flugels.

Greg

kadleck

Greg -

A big band setting is very different. The lead voice must be heard. If the trpts. are on flug. the trombones must be sensitive to that. (Just like drummers - their "mezzo forte" is dependant on many things: are the brass players open or muted, are the reeds on flutes/clarinets, what register are the winds playing in, etc...)

I was speaking from a small horn section point of view. It's that scenario where I like to blend the flugel inside the trombone sound.

Tony

Fudleysmith

Gotcha'. Thanks for the explanation.

Greg

bachstrad72

Tony,
It was really great to meet you at the West Chester Trumpet day. I had longish hair and I was there with George Rabbai. Getting to hear and watch you play was a great lesson. Looking at your chops in action really helped me figure some stuff out about my own chops. We didn't get to stay for the concert but all of the stuff that you played in the exhibit room was straight deadly!

kadleck

Thanks Perry. Anyone who's hanging out with Rabbai must be a good dude. I hope watching me play didn't give you a good idea of what NOT to do!

Tony

trumpetnick

Tony,

I have never played the Stage 1 flugel but everytime I play the flugel I think rather of a french horn like sound. It does not necessarily disagree with your trombonish approach, but I try to get a french horn mind when playing on a flugel....Some may say that this is unbelievable decadence for a trumpeter to thinks like french horn player

bachstrad72

Oh no, quite the contrary. It really helped to see someone who doesn't play straight out, made me feel more comfortable about having a lower horn angle. I have an overbite and some sketchy bottom teeth and lowering the bell has helped me a great deal! Thanks!

reesetee1

Trombones sensitive to the trumpets?!!?!?!??....HA!!!!.....I sneeze in your general direction!!!!