I was a woodwind player first for years, then a serious singer. The hardest adjustment to make was learning to deal with how fickle the vocal folds are -- way more than reeds. Now I play horn, and that mental set from singing of "the biology of my instrument is different every day, and that's ok" has been SO helpful at preventing demotivation on horn.
There's no quick fix- you need to make yourself go through those nerves-making situations more so you can both figure out how to be less nervous, and learn how to play with the nerves you still have.
I used to shake really bad when I started playing in public during college. I realized I was just too worried about what might come out of the instrument and was overthinking. I eventually turned the shaking into sweating and was able to control my nerves a lot better.
Wise advice - I have a mantra which is “sufficient unto the day” which means provided I can play adequately the things I need to play on any given day, I don’t beat myself up about the things I can’t play.
I quit playing for 15 years, so I have to tell myself that every day. Some days I see so much progress in my comeback. Other days they're just frustrating like i'm never gonna get it back
Best thing since sliced bread. The rubber sleeve goes on the lower brace only once and left in place with a wrap of tape, so not an issue. I have modified my bass trombone case such that I can leave the support on all the time, so again not an issue for me. My frozen shoulder issue which made me stop playing is a thing of the past. Regarding a comfortable balance position for the bone, set the angle of the slide and bell sections in a V shape such that the support bar is vertical in the tube, such that it is balanced.
I really prefer the nickel slides. You don't really see as much pitying or red rot or anything like that with nickel slide, and plus nickel is harder, it's harder to dent the crook.
You're not wrong, but I like to base my preferences on how they play and sound instead! I'm actually thinking about using my LT50 slide for an upcoming performance because it seems to play great.
@AidanRitchie I would never buy a horn with a nickel bell, which is by far the most significant part of any horn when it comes to sound. Believe it or not, a nickel bell was at one time an option for the Conn 88H. I'm thinking early, maybe mid-90s
I think this trombone was designed and engineered for marching due to light weight and for big band back then when music for bass wasn’t that low with double rotors. In the common wealth countries ,such as Canada ,Australia , Jamaica and so forth where mostly get are instruments from Great Britain then , 80 years ago we used G basses for marching and concert bands.the big bass trombone was mostly used in orchestra, such as Bach, and Conn. king was mostly for jazz and marching military bands
Not quite, the 1480 was designed decades before any double valve bass trombones. It was designed as simply a full size bass trombone of the time! Quite heavy for the time as well.
I've had a trumpet/flugel case by the same brand which I've used very regularly , although not at full capacity since it is enormous which has served me perfectly well for the past half year or so. Real shame about those trombone bells though...
Train yourself to alter tone color at will ... and to sustain a given color over the entire range of the instrument. Control over intonation, dynamic, articulation, phrasing, tone color, timing, and breathing are all fundamental tools of musicianship. Shape the tone color according to what you are trying to express musically. It doesn't have to be the same every time.
I honestly can't remember... I think the tenon fit but it didn't thread the same? No idea though. Obviously well enough to get a video! The problem with Holtons is that they are just so, so inconsistent that I couldn't give you any concrete info.
this might be a silly question, but with your horn projects, do you put them together yourself? or do you take them all to a tech. i feel like it would make sense for you to do it yourself so you’re not flooding some brass techs work schedule but you never know. thank you!
Well, for something like this, no tech needed. But yes, I take my projects to local techs- I'm lucky enough to live in a very tech-dense place with some of the best in the world.
I have a Conn 83H. I love it. I am looking at buying a Holton TR181 in 3 years. Or a Conn 112H for Jazz. I mainly play swing big band tunes. I may be looking for a King 7B.
I picked up a king "tempo II 607F" trombone for $100, it's not in great condition but I still thought it was really cool. As far as I know it's the exact same as a normal 607F. It has a crack in the rotor knuckle and the tuning slide is really dented, I'm hoping I can get it fixed at a fair price
I believe thethe SSP is the electroformed where the SS non Plus predates the SSP and is hand hammered from sheet SS. that's what i could find online. lol. unless you meant there are 2 variations of the SSP which idk lmao. i was told the SSP is the thin variant but if yours is thick then maybe teh SSP has 2 variants lol. my SSP 42bo feels fairly thin and the previous owner seems to have dinged it a few times tryna put it on trombone stands a bit . tbh im kinda worried about putting it on an in the bell stand so i have it on my hercules one that holds it by the slide braces lol.
The 882O is a totally fine horn- unless it's holding you back in a really obvious way, keep playing it! A normal 42BO is not going to play as well, but it may have more color and depth to the sound.
just to piggie back off of that. own both horns. well I own a 882GO (gold brass bell) and the 42BOR (sterling silver plus bell) so I think I can weigh in. I think the 42bo will have a lot more variations on which example is better than which so it DEFINITELY is a play the example you are looking to purchase. the 882O/GO is more consistent in terms of horn to horn variation, but as with any professional hand-made instruments, id still suggest playing the example you are looking at. you will be more likely to find many duds of bachs and many excellent bachs than it will be to find an excellent yamaha or a dud yamaha. however, the other way is true as well. it will be easier yamaha off the shelf and it be the average yamaha than you will take a bach off the shelf and find a middle/average bach. bach's are all over the map. BUT i definitely recommend playing the specific example of any horn you are going to purchase if possible. In my experience the 42 vs the 882 for many people really can be affected by the air. Bach horns in many cases tend to need more or be more picky about how you are breathing/blowing air into the horn. the 882 will do fine with bach style airflow from your lungs but not necessarily vice versa. for me, I find i need to have more consistent thick supply of air to properly play my 42bor and that seems to be the case for any 42 ive played compared to any 882. the way I would describe it is kind of comparing conn vs bach. I find the 88h blows somewhat similarly to the 882 line where as the 42, like i mentioned, seems to like a fuller, better supported, more robust airstream. although all 3 are large bore tenors. I love both the 882 and 42 horns and enjoy the variety of colors and capabilities both bring. one thing to understand is the philosophy of the societies where each of these horns were born. bach's were born in america where society encourages individuality and uniqueness. people are encouraged to stand out from the crowd and be unique and be themselves. so a lot of these horns are honed more towards being capable of standing out. the Yamaha is born in japan, which is what i like to call lending itself to the "japanese sound." japan is a country where people arent encouraged to stand out as much. Where society prefers conformity over individuality. you are encouraged to fit in and blend in rather than stand out as an individual. as such, you might find that the 882 and most yamahas tends to be very good at blending in with the rest of the band/orch line or what I like to call fit in. but you'll probably see more 42's being played in lead position whereas 882's are more likely seen in the 2nd/3rd positions or in bands/orchs where trombones are more expected to blend in and fit in rather than be more prominently featured in the selected works. the 882s are very nice horns and i do think in many cases, they tend to lend themselves to 2nd and 3rd or lower positions where they can blend in and not stand out while still providing the richness and color of a excellent horn. and a good 42 will be an excellent lead horn. of course a lot of the color and how it sounds and if the horn "sounds interesting" can come down the specific example of either horn line and more importantly how the player plays the horn. both the 882 and the 42 can be wonderful lead/solo horns with the right player behind them. if you like hte 882 and want to play similar horns, id recommend looking at the 42 line of any rotor variation and the 88h line of any wrap or rotor variation. these 3 horns are kinda the 3 musketeers before id say you start looking at boutique brands but that's a whole different tax bracket.
Hi Aidan- the dealership I bought that Shires-Greenhoe valve from originally said the tuning slide was a Shires tuning slide. FWIW I have never seen a non-reversed Shires tuning slide though.
It's kind of crazy that this and 613 variations existed, and they are sort of "under the radar" horns. I know the new 835's just came out, but it'd be awesome if Yamaha started looking back on their old designs and pulled from them.
The “secret” custom series of the late 80s. Seriously good stuff. IU has a custom alto with all the same measurements as the standard 671 - but man it was incredible. When it came time to buy my own horn, I could never find one that played nearly as well. And those bad ass cases.
I had a Holton that was similar, except it didn't have the cut bell. I played on it some, but I wasn't a big fan of the rotor. It served its purpose. I bought it to flip and made a nice profit, as I recall.
0:04 stuff like that is the sole reason why I play bass bone. Also, what etude/piece were you using as examples? i want to know so i can play it myself.
I once had a 605F. It’s like a 2B with an F attachment. It’s perfect for young players that can’t reach 6th & 7th positions. Bets student horn ever, and it sound and feels like a 2B.
Nice little weight, good for when you need a little bit but not a full counterweight's worth. On the sterling horn, the bell makes it just a bit front heavy so it's a perfect amount.
