It just doesn’t sound good!

CJceltics33 · Veteran Member Joined: 24 Aug 2017 Posts: 475

I’m so annoyed at this little solo! I have the melody for only 5 or 6 measures in “13 days of Christmas.” It is a very simple lick, but I can’t make it sound nice for the life of me. I’ve recorded myself, practiced it, and littered to it. I figured the folks at TH May have some tips!

Thanks

Brad361 · Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2018 6:23 pm Post subject:

What’s the lick, and what don’t you like about how you sound?

Brad
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Eliot · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 3:49 am Post subject: Re: It just doesn’t sound good!

Andy Del · Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2018 10:56 am Post subject:

I'm assuming that you listened to the piece, as in a recording of someone else playing, not just your own attempts? If not, go listen to a recording of the piece. And play like that.

In other words, COPY a great (or good, or even mediocre) player who is playing better than you are.

So many of my students are fearful of copying early on in their time with me. I am now very clear about this. copy. Copy like crazy. (If only I could ape Maurice Andre to perfection ALL the time!)

cheers

Andy
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Lilclaw · Regular Member Joined: 11 Nov 2003 Posts: 95

No worries, CJceltics33. Maybe I can help you.

Can you make a YouTube video of the solo? Could you also provide a PDF or link to the solo you're trying to play?

I will respond with my interpretation (via YouTube) on how to play it.

LSOfanboy · Veteran Member Joined: 08 Jul 2018 Posts: 347

CJceltics33 · Veteran Member Joined: 24 Aug 2017 Posts: 475

Thank you for all the replies thus far. The only recordings of this specific arrangement are a high school band and a community band, so listening was not something I first thought of. Now I think I will just try to find any recording in which a trumpet plays that melody and try to imitate it. It is the main melody in 13 days of Christmas, by the way.

I find that specific solo difficult because I cannot really hear in my head how it should go. Again, this will be solved by a good recording.

To LSO—About this time last year is when I first started to figure out what I was doing. I developed a good practice routine and worked diligently each day. I have missed probably 15 or less days since then, with the majority planned. But this of course proves nothing. My point is that I have made thousands upon thousands of mistakes in that time, in those daily hours, and little by little I have become aware of them and fixed them. Something I have read off of TH or something I hear from my band director and private teacher (both of whom I am very lucky to have) is not something I would post. What I post, when I answer a question definitively, it is because I once had the same question. I was had trouble with what the poster had trouble with, and through thousands of mistakes and thoughtful hours I got better at it and made progress on that issue. If someone were to post about how to begin double tonguing, I would tell them start slow. I would tell them what I did, and what I wish I had done. Maybe since I went through that hurtle less than a year ago it gives me a unique perspective a pro player does not have. But I do not, and I will never pretend I am providing better advice than a professional could. I am not even close to that level. If someone were to post about the Claude Gordon routine, or endurance troubles, or their double A not slotting, I would not touch those posts, except maybe to ask a further question.

If I have stepped out of place answering certain posts I apologize. I know I will never give to this website as much as I have gained from it.

CJ

JVL · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 5:21 am Post subject:

We can copy Maurice André for his tone, his musicality, his mastery, while playing with our own tone, musicality, and search of mastery.
We must be inspired, i think that's the spirit of Andy's words.

best

trickg · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 11:38 am Post subject:

CJceltics33, based on your posts it sounds like you are in high school, and I have a few thoughts regarding your playing and the solo based on that.

For one, high school kids don't often sound like polished pro players. I realize that this is what you aspire to sound like, but the fact is, you'll have to do some serious work toward improving all aspects of playing - chiefly your technique - and none of it is going to come quickly or easily, although it is possible to put together some fairly long strides.

The development of technique is VERY important at this stage because you're probably coming to a point where your musical maturity is starting to outpace your technique, so you aren't sounding quite like you think you should. That's not necessarily a bad thing though because if you recognize it, that's the first step toward improving it.

At this point, take stock of where you are. If you can, record yourself playing some things (it sounds like you are already doing this) and then listen to those recordings a lot, not only to identify what you feel to be deficiencies, but also to identify the things you are doing well. For example, you might have a good sound, but your articulation is sloppy. Or, you have decent articulation, but your time/tempo needs improvement.

The important thing is to start to work to reinforce the good and improve upon the deficiencies. Many high school kids, myself included back in the day, tend to shy away from the things they don't do so well, and they play the things they feel they sound good on. This is natural, but the best way to improve is to tackle the difficult things head-on. The ONLY way to improve those things is through dedicated, focused practice - there are no shortcuts.

I realize that most of what I'm telling you here isn't going to help much between now and the time you have to perform this solo. For the solo, just do the best you can - WORK on it. Take it apart phrase by phrase if you have to. You'd be amazed how much you can learn and how quickly it can be learned if you take a systematic approach to it. Figure out WHY you don't think it sounds good. Once you know and have identified whatever it is that you believe is preventing it from sounding good, then systematically tackle those things to improve it.

Repetition is key. There's an old saying that has been bandied about here on the forum ---

--- "Don't practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong."

Good luck!
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veery715 · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 12:12 pm Post subject:

CJ - While I appreciate the demonstration of humility in your post complete with the apology for possibly stepping out of place, please keep in mind that trumpet playing and humility just don't pair up well.

OK, I am just kidding, but I do appreciate your honesty.

There is lot of good advice here. I suggest you try to sing the solo in your spare time away form the horn. If there are no words, make some up. Find some feeling in those words and then have them in your head when you play. There is , frankly, not a lot of hope for turning a mediocre composition into something elegant. Relax and do the best you can, because, when it's over, you are the only one who will remember how it turned out. And if you are lucky, you'll never have to play it again.
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