Can A New Horn Inspire Your Comeback?

valvepimp · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2003 1:25 pm Post subject:

I am curious about how acquiring a new horn may influence your practice sessions. Most comeback players practice because they want to, not out of a professional obligation to get better. So, can we perhaps too easily become bored with our stagnant inventory of horn(s) to the point where we lose interest? Does getting a new horn that you genuinely love to play influence you to put in more time practicing? I have yet to buy a brand new expensive "superhorn" but I have bought many used horns priced in the moderate range over the last few months. I find that they can keep me playing longer and with more interest for several weeks each, and then the novelty wears off and practice becomes the same drudgery it always was.

Anyone have an experience with a particular acquisition that keeps things fresh and exciting on a more permanent basis?
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fuzzyjon79 · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2003 1:39 pm Post subject:

I usually get the new horn or new mouthpiece "warm fuzzies" for a couple of weeks also, but then you have to put your nose to the grindstone once again and practice to make yourself a better player. Chase Sanborn said it best when he said the following in his Brass Tactics book:

"The importance of the horn is greatly outweighed by the influence of you, the player. After the initial euphoria of a new instrument wears off, you sound and feel like you again. Sigh. Back to the practice room.

***Choose practicing over shopping.***

On the other hand, you are going to be spending a lot of time with this instrument, so you may as play one you like, and one that you know is not impeding your progress. I've found that even beginning students can express a preference for one horn over another. Also, there is an inspiration that comes with a new instrument, so you might practice more (for a couple of weeks, anyway). Besides, they are relatively cheap. Over a lifetime you may spend less buying your instruments than woodwind players spend maintaining theirs."
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_dcstep · Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2003 5:42 pm Post subject:

Assuming that one is serious about a musical instrument and has been at steadily for a least a year, then I believe that the best instrument that you can afford. It will both inspire you and improve your playing.

OTOH, collecting a whole bunch of trumpets and cornets might divert you from playing; however, if that's what inspires you, then that's fine. After all, like the thread originator said, you're not a pro and you're just doing this for fun, SO do whatever pleases you.

Ciao,

Dave
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plp · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2003 6:09 am Post subject:

Yes, I think that new equipment at least makes you more aware of what you are doing. Whether it is that focus on sound or technique, or the qualities of that particular horn/mpc arrangement , I notice at least I know what I like.

edtaylor · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2003 4:52 pm Post subject:

I can't call myself a comeback since I wasn't there 50 years ago in HS band. However, my WT is so nice it seems to call me to practice. Seriously, I am still with it after approx 18 months. It's a far cry from that 50 year old Sherwood band instrument. However, In all fairness I must admit my usual public performance is Taps.
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Still Trying · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 5:46 am Post subject:

I think a new horn can very definitely influence a person to practice more on a short term basis. However, if someone is not motivated enough to practice with or without a new horn, I don't think changing horns will make a difference in the long run. I love playing trumpet-even the practicing part. But my time is very limited and I don't have near as much practice time as I would like, much less need. So my time limitations motivate me to grab the horn and practice any time and every time I can get a chance to do so. I leave my horn set up on a stand and my music stand set up with the stuff I need (want) to practice, and every time I walk by with even 5 minutes to blow, I pick up the horn and try to take full advantage of the 5 minutes.

Admittedly, it's more fun to blow the (relatively) new French Besson, which I only had for about a year and a half, than the OLDS Recording, which I've had since I was a teenager. But the OLDS looks like crap, because it needs a lacquer job. I'm about to send it off and have it refurbished. If it comes back looking and playing like it did, when new, I'll probably have a lot of trouble deciding which horn to play. But my motivation to play every time I get a chance won't change.
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What do we have that we did not receive, and if we received it, why do we glory, as if we received it not?

spanky · Heavyweight Member Joined: 18 Jul 2002 Posts: 535

I PLAYED A GETZEN WHEN I CAME BACK. I NOW HAVE A LAWLER AND THE DIFFERENCE IS TRULY AMAZING. TAKE THE PLUNGER, BUY A CUSTOM HORN.

valvepimp · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 2:36 pm Post subject:

Spanky, I have no doubt that your Lawler plays better than your Getzen, but aside from recognizing this fact, would you say you actually play longer as a result of owning the Lawler? If so, that may fully justify the price of Superhorns for CB players.
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_Don Herman · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 7:40 pm Post subject:

Hmmm... I've gotten frustrated and thought about quitting now and then, but my wife says she'll kill me if I stop after spending all that money on new horns... Can fear be "inspiring"?

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"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

_swthiel · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 7:43 pm Post subject:

For me it's worked the other way. When I started this comeback, the idea of getting another trumpet never really crossed my mind ... or getting the cornet(s) or the flugelhorn. But the more I played, and the more the comeback felt real to me, the more I thought about new horns. I'm giving really, really serious thought to getting a Kanstul Chicago trumpet to complement my Bach. (Not too many Chicago Benges on ebay last time I checked ...) Then I need a picc ... and a C ... and that bass trumpet Rich Willey has seems pretty cool ...

Back to reality -- for me, playing more and hearing the improvement in my playing inspires me to think about new gear ... the new gear doesn't inspire me to play more.
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Steve Thiel

Matthew 25:31-46

Still Trying · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 4:31 am Post subject:

Steve,

If you buy or play a Kanstul Chicago, please post a review of the horn. I have been toying with the idea of getting one with the .464 bore size. My French Besson has a .460 bore size.

If I was rich, or willing to endure the divorce, (33 years is a long time to be married), I'd probably invest in a lot of different horns. Let's see, I want a Lawler, a Callet Jazz in Bb, and a Symphonique in C, an Eclipse, a Wild Thing, a brushed silver Zeus (beautiful horn), a Kanstul Signature, and the Kanstul Chicago. And then I probably really need a flugal horn and a picc. I think this list is completely reasonable. But that woman I'm married to, God bless her, is of the strong opinion that we ought to get all the kids through college first. And it gets worse. She wants me to use a practice mute, if I want to practice trumpet after 11 PM or when I get up to go to work at 4 AM. She's really frustrating me.

Any of you got any ideas of how to jusify another new horn? Telling her it will make me practice more doesn't seem like the right approach. She thinks I practice too much now. She also thinks that I ought to sell some of the trumpets I already have, if I want to buy any more of them. She just doesn't understand that because a guy doesn't play all his trumpets any more, that doesn't mean he doesn't like to bundle them all up in his arms some times and just cuddle 'um like you would a baby.

Maybe I ought to start teaching her how to play trumpet, so she could get hooked on the habit herself. But I tried that with chess, never dreaming she would ever this side of eternity get good enough to beat me. I remimber she was so intimidated when we first started playing. Then one day, I slipped up and let her win a game. She suddenly got the idea that I could be beat. It was a subtile attitude at first, but then a few weeks later she won another game. Now I have to hang on for dear life every time I play her. What if the same thing happened on trumpet? I can hear her now, " Well, Jesse, you want I should play that for you, so you can hear how it's supposed to go"?

To hell with it. I don't really want another horn. Who started this thread any way?
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S. T.

What do we have that we did not receive, and if we received it, why do we glory, as if we received it not?

FunkySmurf · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 10:19 am Post subject:

I asked my wife if she wanted to try trumpet. She agreed to test out various pedagogical approaches I've seen, after i asked her to 'try something'. She tried the BE lip clamp, and also the Bill Adam 'blow haa air into the mouthpiece, then insert leadpipe'. She didn't take to it though. She's a former sax player, so she can't get past that chin thing...

Golf on the other hand was something I asked her to try, she picked it up, and we both enjoy it together.

I can only really manage to have one trumpet at a time (Bb). She knows instruments. She has fostered the 'get a horn and learn to play it great' attitude in me.

- Rob

[ This Message was edited by: FunkySmurf on 2003-11-15 13:22 ]

CRJAZZMAN · Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2003 9:40 pm Post subject:

Remember....anticipation of ownership is half the fun!
You could also use the pending purchase as a reward for a goal obtained.
IE "I'll buy that horn when I make the community band" etc.

There's also a whole lot of toys out there that could be used to spur you to the practice room, trpt stands, mpcs, mutes, trim kits, heavy caps etc as little rewards for achievement.
Just a thought.
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rich · Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 6:54 am Post subject:

Where are you know in your instrument quest since your come back of 6 months, a year, two years or 5 years or more???

Which horns have you gone through to discover your current favorite??

I went through the phase of the Wild Things (great fun) and the new Z horn... then took a step back to the Severinsens (LB)... still close to my favorite... but now an 80's 72* in goldplate that is like a warm blanket on a chilly day. Do we always eventually return to our roots?????
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WxJeff · Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 7:46 am Post subject:

What a great thread, and I'm right there in the thick of it with you all. As some have pointed out, this activity is definitely a hobby and so there are things that are tangential to actually playing (buying horns and equip, finding a "group," shopping for music, posting on TH!) that are equally enjoyable.

Part of the joy of horn shopping is sharing the victories (and the defeats) with fellow players... either here or "live." My friend, who used to be my neighbor, was influential in getting me started on the Comeback Trail. Now, whenever I get a new horn, mouthpiece or piece of music, I can't wait to tell him about it and he genuinely shares in my enthusiasm. That same dynamic obviously occurs frequently here, and not just with us Comebackers.

I agree with the poster who commented on Anticipation... what a blessing to be able to come in here, read some other's experience and research with a horn or mouthpiece, find something similar on eBay, win the bid, eagerly await the mailman and then painstakingly "compare mileage."

Back to the original question, though, I'm anticipating the arrival of a new cornet mouthpiece I bought from the Marketplace either today or early next week, and I guarantee that the Conn New Wonder will be getting a workout next week, while the Getzen Severinsen sits quietly in the corner, weeping. Then in a couple weeks, I'll probably fade to "doodling" with both horns a couple times a week until we get this year's Easter music from the church music minister.

DaveH · Heavyweight Member Joined: 20 Nov 2001 Posts: 3861

I dunno...

I think a new piece of equipment could inspire someone for a while, but I think it takes more than equipment to keep the fire burning for the long run. I would enjoy the new instrument, no doubt, but after while it is no longer new. Then, you have to find another one to keep the interest alive. Maybe for some people a new instrument every so often is the goal. Myself, I can't afford going that way...

No thanks...I'd rather try to find the motivation from the actual playing of the thing...

rich · Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 10:42 am Post subject:

Dave... you are right... after the "new" wears off.... gotta be something else to keep the excitement alive... and that's the gettin' down to the nitty-gritty of just playing the horn.... and you have to have plenty to keep you busy and keep the interest going whether it be live performance opportunities, lessons with teacher expectations to motivate you, or an interest in a specific style (classical, jazz or others) to keep the horn on your face.

I probably would never have changed from my new Bach 43 I bought in January of 2002 when I started playing after an 18 year layoff if I hadn't run across the TH. Prior to that, I had to Bachs from 1959 to 1980 and pretty much wore them both out from school and gigs.... so I wasn't into trying every new horn I ran across or heard about ... and I didn't pay any attention to new horns.... except I do remember trying a couple of 43* in the 70s.... but that's as far as I got.

I think the TH is great for all these small trumpet makers... Lawler, Oakes, and the many brands besides Bach and Yamaha. I wonder if the "general trumpet playing public" ... "non THers" other than a very small minority are even aware of Lawler, Oakes and all the others. With out the TH, TPIN and maybe a couple others, do you think those small makers would be doing much business?? And it may be the case that the TH is good for their business but actually only represents a small portion of it... they might be doing great business and the extra business from TH is just an added bonus for them....who knows.

Anyway.... again, you are correct ... the new wears off... but it sure keeps the fire going for awhile anyway

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hose · Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 11:51 am Post subject:

Scootsky · Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 2:18 pm Post subject: Dear, I need a new toy...

Still Trying wrote:
“Steve,
Any of you got any ideas of how to justify another new horn?”

Jesse,
Well, after doing the E-Bay mania for three years plus (twenty horns plus also).
I just recently sold seven horns, have two on consignment and gave two away.
My new SUPER comes in the first week of Jan. I’ll post results on my new
practicing efforts. Right now they rather suck, if you know what I mean.
Of course I did a new GR MP to go along with it. I guess I’ll label this
‘MY REALLY NEW COMEBACK’ and this time I will get very serious.
Yes, my XYL was very pleased to get the closet space back and the
$$ for the new super horn from my old stock. Of course I won’t mention
her $3000 sewing machine at this time, maybe later. I mean I feel really
clean now. I’m down to two trumpets and three cornets.

-Gary

- the new equipment – Kanstul ZKT 1600 and GR 66QMX

(XYL = Ex Young Lady, now my young bride)

elExtranjero