Discreetly Emptying Water Keys

[Airport Bum]

Hello,

What are some of the most difficult situations in which you had to empty your "horn" of water and how did you deal with it? Did anyone notice? Did you try not to ruin their carpet?

Douglas Moore

[oxleyk]

Just put a small towel on the floor.


Kent

[holeypants]

Old newspaper on the floor, changed daily.
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Jonathan Vieker
The Lip Rip Blues
My ongoing recovery from a torn lip muscle, updated regularly!

[chopissimo]

I always carry a piece of dark-colored kitchen towel in my pocket! Very absorbant and most useful.
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Fran�ois
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'48 Conn 22B New York Symphony
'68 Conn Director (still going strong!)

Playing "bop" is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.
-- Duke Ellington

[trumpet_player's_MOM]

My middle schooler quickly learned in band camp to be very careful where you drain your water keys when you're wearing flip-flops. We use whatever's handy (napkins, paper towels, your brother's socks he left lying on the floor) at home. A small dark wash-cloth sized towel would be more than adequate, I'd think.

[tptplayer]

Believe it or not.............. spittoons. All of my students have learned how to hit them, and my oriental rugs remain clean.

[Airport Bum]

I use a towel too but my question was one of disgression. Has any of your audience ever been grossed out by the sight of someone emptying the water keys and what do you do to minimize that? Turn around? To the side? Use a Star Trek cloaking device?

[Umyoguy]

Since spit is 99.9% water, what's the big deal? I let my kids spit wherever they choose.

It's primarily condensation (100% water) and a little saliva (itself 99% water with a couple enzymes and bacteria everyone has anyway).

FWIW,

Jon

[Nonsense Eliminator]

[JayJay]

I agree spit is SO much % water...but when I walk down the sidewalk, I'm not seeing "SO MUCH % WATER" (THE WATER SHOULD EVAPORATE/ FREEZE OR EVEN SOAK INTO THE SURFACE) But then the blobs of goo, and other colors of the rainbow...that's NOT SO MUCH % OF WATER. Our sidewalks here in America is NOT A SPITOON! Here is the genesis of all those silly laws...

"DONOT ASK WHAT YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR CLEAN SIDEWALK...BUT WHAT YOUR CLEAN SIDEWALK CAN ADD FOR YOU!"

As for the WATER KEY situation...I have practiced in private...In my home...and really no one is there when I do, do my water key...the point of the thread is what do we do to hide it or be more discreet...WOW! I will have to think about this when I go to perform.

Y'all mention the towel, on the knee or on the floor...trumpeters have to do what trumpeters have to do. But I will be conscience of this very thing...even if it is..."SO MUCH % WATER"! really!
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JAYJAY

God Bless Y'all!
=======================
-=iii=<() '71 Conn Director Trumpet
o=ciii=<O
o=ciii<O
o-ciii<O
BLESSING BCR-XLS

[duaneking]

I have found that keeping a small towel (washcloth sized) in your hand, a la Louis Armstrong, or in your pocket to empty the spit into works well. Especially, if you are in a solo performance or where you might have been asked to not do it on the floor (my first trumpet teacher had nice wood floors) You can blow it freely into the towel and it doesn't necessarily get seen by the audience...

[chopissimo]

[StevenPSparks]

Keeping the horn vertical at all times when not playing helps the water to be nearest to the exit(s), and allows emptying to be done more quickly & discreetly. Also, using the "bell in the air, tilt right, depressing valves 3-2-1, rotate the other direction, aim at the floor and blow" method prior to performance can make a big difference. Most players would be shocked to know how much residual water remains after playing, even after emptying via water keys. My horns remain vertical on the stand overnight after practicing, and I empty a fair amount of water every am to follow.
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Sparks in Daytona

"I'm older now, so don't be a blowhard"
¦\___oTTT_____
¦/ (__o¦¦¦o__)

[beel40]

I have a few carpet remnants in my practice room. They work well.

[Airport Bum]

[JayJay]

It seems no matter what and where we do this WATER KEY issue, we will run into those that will take it more offensive than the next person.

Let us study the issue out here and consult an ILLUSIONIST or David Copperfield...How do they do that slight of hand? they move things, have things in their sleeves...how do they get that dove from a hankie to the open air? How do they slice the lady in half? then produce her later whole again? HOW DO THEY DO THAT?

In all the learning get wisdom from the master ILLUSIONIST's. Whoever that might be. let's learn a trick, a magical moment, sprinkle pixy dust, and dazzle the audience, bring their focus away from the water key...
I can see it now...during a long performance I would attempt the impossible, the grand illusion, open the water key and blow the water out.
I would reach into my sleeve of tricks and "oops" instead of the towel it was the dove. Back to the drawing board...

How can we do this right?

_________________
JAYJAY

God Bless Y'all!
=======================
-=iii=<() '71 Conn Director Trumpet
o=ciii=<O
o=ciii<O
o-ciii<O
BLESSING BCR-XLS

[Airport Bum]

[Craig Swartz]

I always try to empty mine discreetly on the other guy's foot while he's busy playing...

[jhatpro]

How not to do it: Dizzy's www.jazzicons.com video of a session in Belgium in 1958 shows him vigorously shaking the water out of his horn, then methodically spreading it around the stage floor with his foot, all while Sonny Stitt is soloing.
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Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
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1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[djpearlman]

In the 60's Dizzy would sometimes prepare the audience for this issue by entering the stage, immediately removing his tuning slide and dumping about a cup of water out of it. It was a riot.