Can A New Horn Inspire Your Comeback?

Hardyt · Heavyweight Member Joined: 28 Sep 2005 Posts: 668

A new horn certainly does insire more playing. I bought an almost new Bach C from someone here on TH. I can now play everything in the church hymnal without the drudgery of transposing. My daughter is 15 and plays Bb clarinet and she likes the challenge. but I can play with my other daughter who plays violin.

Actually, we play in church together and it's great. And I attribute it all to having the new c trumpet which seems to give me confidence. Plus, I can make it sound anyway I want. Dark and mellow or bright and triumphant. Anyway it justs helps me stay close to my teenage girls. As you know a very difficult stage, but now we're having great fun.

The cost of new trumpets........ $100s - $1000s.
Quality time spent with rapidly maturing children...... priceless.

_________________
One hears such sounds, and what can one say but..."Salieri."

Bb Getzen Eterna
Bb BACH 37
C Bach 229

shastastan · Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 5:16 pm Post subject:

If you like your horn and mp, it will help your motivation to practice. If you hate your equipment, it ain't gonna help your motivation. Some days you may not want to practice regardless of what horn and mp you have. Some people think that you should just play the tunes that you like and not practice anything that you don't like. I disagree. If you don't do long tones, lip slurs, attack, etc. exercises you won't improve. You can do those exercises and not like them and still improve from doing them.

I think that acquiring equipment is like a crap shoot for some of us. The horn that you think is the greatest may not be and trying to compare them all is really not very easy for an amateur/hobbyist. There are those who enjoy the "search" as a pastime. If they like doing that, no problemo. I don't think that buying a new mp every week is going to improve my playing, though. I did buy a flugel and cornet, not because I thought they would motivate me to practice, but because I always wanted to play them. I thoroughly enjoy playing them and have ended up playing the flugel a whole lot more than I ever thought I would. I have a yamaha student cornet but if our brass quintet gets going, I'm planning on getting a Kanstul 1531 for the quality and also the valve triggers. No, I don't think that it will help me play any better; I just want one. Will I practice more? Oh yeah, the quintet stuff is above my level so I've got a lot of work to do.

bachstrad72 · Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 6:06 pm Post subject:

For me, the new horn practice phase only has ever seemed to last two or three weeks at the most. What motivates me more is finding new music to practice. When I buy new sheet music I'll just play until I'm blue in the face.
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~Perry Sutton~

shastastan · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 4:50 pm Post subject:

bilboinsa · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 8:18 pm Post subject:

I have no doubt that the psychological effect of buying a new horn increases the desire to practice more often. Now, you still have to ACT on that desire, but it sure does help. I am looking forward to buying an upscale horn in a year or so, IF I keep up my practicing and playing. Doesn't mean I will get rid of the one which brought me back into the hobby, but I ceratinly will play the heck out of a new Lawler, Wild Thing, Bach, chilke, or SOMETHING folks praise on this Board.
_________________
Doug Walsdorf

Schilke B2;
Kanstul 1525;
1927 Conn 22B
1970 B&H Regent
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit...it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."
http://www.myspace.com/schilkeb2
Member: http://xeml.buglesacrossamerica.org/

Mr. Semman · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 5:37 am Post subject:

I have to agree with some of the other postings, a new horn is great for a few weeks. Practicing is a joy, but then the routine sets back in. A better suggestion is to get back to lessons with a good teacher, that is if you are not seeing one at present. Working with a teacher can establish different routines, which make practicing easier and interesting.

I received my new horn in October of last year. I still look forward to playing it, and vary my practice by switching horns and mouthpieces, varying my warmups and practice pieces.

Good luck,

Gary Lapine
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ZeuS Olympus ZTR1000
ZeuS Guarenius ZTR 900
Aegis F2
Bach 5C
Bach 3C
BAA Bugler
________________________________________
"Let your words be soft and sweet. You never know when you will have to eat them!"

Wes Clarke · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 6:38 am Post subject:

New horns and new gear (gizmos, gadgets, mutes, and stuff) can only go so far in motivating one to practice. In my experience, the new stuff provides a very fleeting kind of motivation, as others here have indicated. I am more motivated by finding that I can play an etude or exercise faster, better, in one breath, without mistakes, etc. The new horn didn't do much for that. Just like a new computer doesn't help me type faster.

bilboinsa · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 7:04 am Post subject:

luvtrumpets · Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2006 10:11 am Post subject:

yes ,, I agree anew horn is worth the investment to make us better players...I think we have a selection of quality horns today unpareled in our history..We can buy a horn equal to or better to what the stars played years ago..over the years my skill level always increased with a new horn..I canot afford a collection of nice horns so I trade in my old horn,, last summer I traded in my bach 37 for a WT and am a much better player for it .. Also one might want to get some of the great music to practice,,Hummel concerto etc.. I expect 2006 to be my best year ever..
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Mike

janet842 · Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2006 8:10 pm Post subject:

I am coming up on my one year anniverary on the comeback trail and I can say that the
trumpets that I own do not in any way inspire me to play. I play for love of the trumpet.
However, my trumpets don't disuade me either! The rental horn I started with could't keep up
with the demands I place upon a trumpet -- demands such as exceptional slotting, beautiful
and centered tone, fast (very fast) valve action, etc. So I have to confess that since Jan. 17, 05
I have spent over $5000 on trumpets (Oakes C, Stomvi Master Piccolo), music, mouthpieces,
and a Marcus Bonna triple case! OK, what can I say, I'm high maintenance on trumpet stuff!
It takes a lot to make me happy!

What inspires me to practice is reclaiming abilities that were mine 30 years ago. For people
who quit after high school or college, I would say that taking lessons with a really good
instructor and learning to produce the kind of sound and style of playing that touches
something inside yourself is where you have to be to keep playing -- and want to keep playing.
Making the trumpet sing touches the very core of my being, my very soul -- I didn't know how
much I needed that until I picked up the trumpet again.

luvtrumpets · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 6:24 am Post subject:

Making the trumpet sing touches the very core of my being, my very soul -- I didn't know how
Excellent,,,,
_________________
Mike

mpre53 · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:32 pm Post subject:

jazz4yvonne · Heavyweight Member Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 1088

My 1st horn really inspired me. It was Bach Strad 37 in gold plate even my Bach 7C was in gold plate. I practiced a lot! I dedicated 1 to 2 hours of practice everyday that I got done with the whole Arban even before my instructor got done with it on me. Why because the horn was just too pretty and I wiped that horn a lot too. I loved that horn!