Playing in different spaces

[Jaw04]

The physical space you play in is a variable people don't talk about too much. The feedback of how you hear yourself influences your technique more than most people are aware of. To me it's a bigger change than microphone choice, mouthpiece, or horn. Playing in a cement parking lot, or a forest, a practice room, or a church, is such a different experience in each.
What are some of your thoughts about how space changes your playing and what do you recommend players do to develop the ability to sound good anywhere?

[khedger]

[blbaumgarn]

I agree wholeheartedly. We had smaller practice rooms in college that at times made you feel like you had towels stuffed down the bell so it wasn't the best place to determine "sound." When I had my first jury coming up I couldn't stand not getting a feel for how the horn sounded so i went into the recital hall at college, (it wasn't supposed to be done), and I practiced for about 4-5 minutes. It made me feel secure about how it would sound when it mattered. You folks are right as rain.
_________________
"There are two sides to a trumpeter's personality,
there is one that lives to lay waste to woodwinds and strings, leaving them lie blue and lifeless along a swath of destruction that is a
trumpeter's fury-then there is the dark side!" Irving Bush

[zaferis]

Find the largest space you can to practice in. Practice room at schools are usually pretty aweful. The new Wenger modules that have the accoustic electronics are way better...

Think about what setting you (we) perform in. It's rarely small. I was fortunate, my dad was an Episcopal minister, I always had a large space to practice in.. It certainly allows you to open up and let the instrument ring.

As an undergrad, we trumpeters would occupy and share the band room for a communal warm-up space.. you had to put your ego aside for a while but, better than the closets/practice rooms.
Then, between things and after hours we would get into the theater. Nothing better than being on stage at 1:00 am alone with your trumpet and a project.

There are some considerations from room to room but, I think it is more about articulation quality (the front side of the note). Tone is tone.. it's the volume of small rooms that gets me. To play well and with good support, the volume is too much for the space.

A story: One of my strongest memories of gigs gone in an unexpected way was a brass quintet gig at an opening of a rug store. A large space full of hanging rugs. Any sound the BQ made got sucked up and swallowed - absolutely no reverb. We were all working so hard to make the sound last that we had no endurance.
_________________
Freelance Performer/Educator
Adjunct Professor
Bach Trumpet Endorsing Artist
Retired Air Force Bandsman

[JayKosta]

Playing in a 'dead' space isn't very pleasing, but does give better info about the sound you are actually making. No helpful reverb to smooth-over the rough edges.

Jay
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

[Jaw04]

[Bill_Bumps]

I do my practicing in my (furnished) basement, to keep the sound in my house and not in my neighbors' houses. It works pretty well, but at the same time, I have to wear shooter's earmuffs when I play, to avoid hearing damage.

The drawback is that, when wearing the earmuffs the sound seems dead. I'm told by my wife that it really isn't, but that's the way it sounds to me.

If I loosen up the earcup on one side a little, I can hear a much more accurate version of how I sound. But I have to do it carefully, to balance ear protection with perception of the sound I'm making.

None of this is ideal, but I do get what you guys are saying about having to play in "dead" rooms.

[Vin DiBona]

I was told years ago that practicing in a dead room, unless it is rarely done, is very dangerous.
You run the risk of over blowing - playing much too loud - and struggling to make a sound that is pleasing to your ears. That will very possibly damage your embouchure with another result of playing much too loud and bright when you are in an open room.
I've discussed this with quite a few top Chicago pros and they basically agree on this fact.
R. Tomasek

[Bflatman]

This thread I love.

I learned while pacing the streets, and the open spaces are my practice hall even today, so an enclosed space seems unnatural to me.

I choose to do this because I discovered early in my career that I could piss off many more unfortunate listeners outside and amongst them than inside at home. That works for me.

I find that playing in supermarkets and shops which I am sometimes asked to do, to be unsatisfying because I sound weedy weak and thin and I just piss myself off instead of everyone else.

The key here I think is reflections from hard surfaces reflect more of the upper harmonics and reflections from a range of surfaces reflect a richer broader range of harmonics and the sound is then sweeter and more palatable.

Places with some reverb and reflections that are more harmonious make me feel happier and less suicidal than places with none or those that are more harsh but at least in a supermarket I can easily purchase the foods that let me comfort eat.

They say you can have too much of a good thing but listening to myself is having too much of a bad thing which I find much worse.

My 5 a day now consist of cake sugar biscuits chocolate and ice cream, I take comfort where I can.

A good venue is so important to sounding good. I play in a local park mostly now and the squirrels seem to like what I do but that could be because they are partial to nuts.

But you know Uan Rasey was right the best practice for sounding good is to play one note only and to play that chosen single note for one full hour making it sound as good and as sweet as you possibly can and that is what I do indoors or out come hell of high water. And it works.

And the audiences have stopped throwing things at me to make me go away.

They never threw money at me just rocks. Odd that.

Thank you Uan.