Anyone ever take two Bb trumpets to a gig?

[Brassnose]

Background: I play first (and only) trumpet in our local community orchestra since 2018 and over the years the repertoire has evolved quite a bit from classical and baroque to film scores, computer game music, Balkan and Eastern European folk music, jazz, pop, whatever. We have a wide range of players from a pro tuba player to not quite so pro strings and a lot of solid amateurs in between.

Now, in the last rehearsals the diversity of the program made me think about using two Bb for different pieces. Some pieces are quite powerful while some others are more elegant and don’t require as much “Schmackes” as we say in German.

Specifically I will explore using my (heavy-ish) Bach for the power and louder music where I need projection and a rather dense sound, while I’d use the lightweight rotary for the lighter stuff.

(Yes I KNOW I could do everything with one horn, but there is no fun in owning multiple trumpets and not using them ).

Anyone doing a thing like this?
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, (Frate or Curry)

[jkarnes0661]

I take 2 Bb's to almost every theater gig I play so I don't think there's anything wrong with that! I find most theater shows being performed today have a mix of orchestral-style writing and lead/commercial writing in them so I take my classical Bb and my medium-bore lead/commercial equipment for most shows. Playing a 1 month run of "Beautiful" in June and I'll be using both Bb's (and flugel) for that show. Did the same thing for a run of "Spongebob" and "Something Rotten" in the last year and it definitely made the shows easier for me.

Gotta credit Tim Wendt for the idea, started doing it after he made a post on TH saying that he had brought 2 Bb's from time-to-time to get the correct sound for shows. I've also found it helpful for back-to-back passages where I would normally have wanted to switch between a lead and legit mouthpiece. Much easier to switch if they're in different horns and it's just matter of throwing one on the stand and picking up the other.
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Jonathan Karnes
Grand Rapids, MI
jonathankarnes.com

[zaferis]

If you have two that have leanings toward different aspects, and you can benefit from that, why not?

I have and do on occasion..
Back when I was enlisted.. USAF Band Concert Band concerts were often heavily legit in the first half and commercial / jazz heavy after intermission; an obvious time for different Bb's.
Occasionally for musicals, it was an obvious choice.
For quintet concerts and the occasional recital I'll bring all the toys - if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with B.S.
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Freelance Performer/Educator
Adjunct Professor
Bach Trumpet Endorsing Artist
Retired Air Force Bandsman

[homebilly]

i usually take three Bbs to my theater gigs but ultimately end
up using my 1968 LB Bach

i have a wonderful yellow brass LA Ambassador with unsoldered valve block braces that is just a flame thrower that did 3 of the shows on my last run of 'the Music Man' in March
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ron meza (deadbeat jazz musician) & (TH 5 post ghost neighborhood watch ringleader)
waiting for Fed-Ex to deliver a $50 trumpet to my door. shipping was prepaid by seller of course!
http://ronmeza.com
http://highdefinitionbigband.com

[Brassnose]

Thanks all for the quick replies. I’m not playing at the level of any of you but I have found that some horns work better for some things. As I have those different horns I may as well use them

Flugel parts are usually covered by our recent addition to the orchestra - someone who plays flugel exclusively and takes care of that sound color, if required.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, (Frate or Curry)

[trickg]

My dilemma has always been that I get used to a particular horn, and each trumpet tends to be a compromise - if a trumpet has a wonderful sound for classical, it might not be a great choice for commercial/lead work. If it's an awesome lead horn, it might not be great for classical work.

I don't tend to take 2 Bb trumpets to gigs - I just deal with whatever compromises are there - but I know a lot of folks who do.
_________________
Patrick Gleason
- Jupiter 1600i, ACB 3C, Warburton 4SVW/Titmus RT2
- Brasspire Unicorn C
- ACB Doubler

"95% of the average 'weekend warrior's' problems will be solved by an additional 30 minutes of insightful practice." - PLP

[Brassnose]

I only use one single gigbag for everything, a Fusion Urban Triple, so I definitely have the space for two horns.

But I agree: I need to practice on the horns I play. If I plan on playing two horns at a gig I (obviously) need to practice the respective piece with the respective horn.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, (Frate or Curry)

[kehaulani]

Well, I've been at it for half a century and have never known any one to do that (excepting other-pitched instruments). Most of my colleagues have played from ensemble classical groups to big band and pop on one horn. Different mouthpieces, maybe.

I'm sure there are those who do. I've just never known any.
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"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
"I wouldn't play like Wynton Marsalis even if I could play like Wynton Marsalis." Attributed to Chet

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet

[Dale Proctor]

I’ve taken a Bb trumpet and a Bb cornet to rehearsals/gigs many times, but if I know the cornet isn’t needed, I generally just take my old ML Bach 43 and a couple different mouthpieces to fit the requirements of different styles of music we’re playing.
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"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away ." - Sir Thomas Beecham

[Man Of Constant Sorrow]

Naaah ....
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Sub-Optimal Hillbilly Jazz

[etc-etc]

Why stop at two?

[patdublc]

All. The. Time.
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Pat Shaner
Play Wedge Mouthpieces by Dr. Dave exclusively.
Experiment with LOTS of horn makes and models.

[dstpt]

[Riojazz]

Sure. For reasons given above, but also just to have a spare in case of mechanical problems.

In my chamber orchestra, I am not only the sole trumpet player, but the only brass. I might play trumpet, flugel, cornet, picc, alto horn, or rotary Bb (plus some woodwinds). All are on the stand.
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Matt Finley https://mattfinley.bandcamp.com/releases
Kanstul 1525 flugel with French taper, Shires Bb Destino Med & C trumpets, Schilke XA1 cornet, Schagerl rotary, Schilke P5-4 picc, Yamaha soprano sax, Powell flute. Sanborn GR66MS & Touvron-D.

[Brassnose]

OK, terms of material that’s being moved, this seems to get out of hand now I come from a commercial/big band/pop background and in that realm I’ve always been on Bb and flugel (never even thought of taking a backup horn to a gig, but I’m only an amateur). With the orchestra (currently) there is no need for flugel because we have a separate flugel player and I can be the only trumpet.

Looking at the gear some of you shlep to a gig is quite impressive.
_________________
2019 Martin Schmidt eXcellence
1992 Bach 43GH/43
1989 Kühnl & Hoyer Model 15 flugel
1980/2023 Custom Blessing Scholastic C 😎
1977 Conn 6B
1951 Buescher 400 Lightweight
AR Resonance, Klier, (Frate or Curry)

[tptptp]

When I switch horns, it takes a few minutes to get used to the differences in how they play, and my confidence suffers a bit.
However, this may not be an issue for great players like y'all.
_________________
Craig Mitchell

[Trumpjerele]

This conversation reminds me so much of my guitarist friends! At least one guitar for every style of music!
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Notice!!! Amateur musician without formal studies

Trumpet: Yamaha 8310Z
Mouthpiece: the great Yamaha11b4

Sax tenor: Yamaha YTS 23
Mouthpiece: Otto link tone edge

[Subtropical and Subpar]

In a small combo band that plays a variety of 20th century music I take my Kanstul (small bore horn for maximum efficiency on long gigs, also a really easy upper register), my flugel for ballads and such, and also my King Liberty when the piece called for that BRIGHT swing band sound. Now that I picked up a King Silvertone cornet, I gotta find a role for it somewhere. Maybe I'll ask the group to do some trad jazz?
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1932 King Silvertone cornet
1936 King Liberty No. 2 trumpet
1958 Reynolds Contempora 44-M "Renascence" C
1962 Reynolds Argenta LB trumpet
1965 Conn 38A
1995 Bach LR18072
2003 Kanstul 991
2011 Schilke P5-4 B/G
2021 Manchester Brass flugel

[EdMann]

Everytime. You never know when a valve or cork will hang you up.

[Manuel de los Campos]