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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000075.txt from 2007/10
From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Play loud ...and louder!
Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:49:33 -0400
For some reason, my previous response never got out of my computer.
Basically, it echos what Dave just said.
There seems to be two main points being brought up that are somewhat
related. They are psychological and physical: I call it a game of
"Who's the King of Bunker's Hill." Many people in amateur orchestras
and particularly armature bands play louder to be noticed (to be the
King at the top of the hill, very commonly done by trumpet players
[it's a personality thing]) or they lack the requisite skills to play
softly. It also might be to just hear their own playing because the
volume is way too loud, period. Much the same can be said for tuning:
musicians play sharp so their sound "cuts through," again an issue of
needing to be noticed, and in my opinion, represents musical
immaturity. (Most people are much more tolerant of sharpness than
flatness.) There is also the issue of shifting pitch because the hall
is rising in temperature with all the warm bodies.
Richard Bush
(This and my last comment need to read in a reversed order.)
On Oct 4, 2007, at 11:44 AM, David Lurie wrote:
> At 01:30 PM 10/4/2007, you wrote:
>> Many thanks Ed but My model T EH,1969 was built before AK? Or
>> whatever ,it has a sweet tone but --despite my ageing ears--
>> everyone seems to be playing louder these days. Or am I going the
>> reverse of deaf(in music)?
>
> Hi Harold
>
> It's not you, it's a problem with amateur orchestras, where
> everyone wants to play loud loud loud and louder, so they can be
> heard for the principal purpose of satisfying their own little
> egos, as well as they are unwilling to subordinate those to the
> greater interests of what the music really requires. Unless you
> have a problem with a solo not coming out - which it would be the
> conductor's responsibility to solve - my recommendation is don;t
> hassle yourself and just fuggedallaboutit.
>
> David
>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Edward B. Flowers" > Harold,
>>>
>>> (1) Practice more; beef up your embouchure and play more open reeds.
>>>
>>> (2) You could also switch from your sweet-sounding Loree Royale
>>> to an AK bore. The AK bore widens more quickly and is louder.
>>>
>>> I watched Sherry Syler do (1) above at last Sunday's Double
>>> Entendre concert at the Goethe Institute on 5th Avenue.
>>>
>>> Stuart Dunkle emphasized point (2) while coaching me this summer
>>> at Wellesley. He domonstrated how loud his AK bore was and he
>>> also played a very open reed.
>>>
>>> These two points really do work.
>>>
>>> (3) I should also point out that the AK bore has a more
>>> penetrating (and variable) tone which will cut through the other
>>> loud instrument sounds. But I don't like this tone for chamber
>>> music--it sounds terrible in the upper register with a flute.
>>>
>>> Edward B. Flowers (ob, EH)
>>> New York City
>>>
>>>
>>> HAROLD wrote:
>>>> Dear List:
>>>> "Can everyome please play softer!"
>>>> I found myself yesterday at an orchestra rehearsal making this
>>>> exact request.
>>>> But it seems to be to avail: we seem to be playing louder and
>>>> louder
>>
>>
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