 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2005-11-06 20:36
Dear Ben,
The siren sound of the the tiled walls and floors, I remember it as if it were
yesterday.
I think most of us just kinda put up with whatever sound is in the room we use to practice but if you have a choice on the acoustics it is probably best to do a majority of practice in an acoustically dry space (the Anti-bathroom). You will be able to hear the beginnings and endings of notes and any other extraneous noises best in this environment. That being said, if you are trying to get a sense of how a certain set-up is projecting or how loud the LOUDS really are, you may need a bigger, less dry space to hear these things.
I remember lessons with one of my first teachers in his studio. The room was as dead as if all the walls were covered in blankets - I hated every minute.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2005-11-06 21:33
> Practice what in the bathroom?
For a change, I tried to stay on-topic. ;-)
The story behind: Dah missus got tired of the kids and asked me to take over, ie to see them through pre-bed arrangements in the bathroom. Just five minutes before I assembled my horn and was warming up. Darn family! Anyhow, I thought I could monitor their teeth-brushing even while playing, and as the kids stopped ducking for cover when I practice, I continued in the bathroom, playing lullabies.
What was revelating to me was the feedback re intonation and embouchure - I think I heard tiny hisses or muffles (if that's the contrary of hissing) far better than in the bedroom (don't ask again, George) where I usually practise. And, of course, being in sync with the room's self-resonant frequency did the rest.
I think that in an acoustically dead room the only feedback you get is via the mpc, as no sound is reflected. The tiled bathroom is quite the opposite, it's as if you played with mike and headphones. Our usual practising room is somewhere in between. While not for everyday use I deem the bathroom quite tempting every so often...
--
Ben
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Author: marcia
Date: 2005-11-07 00:58
YES!! This past summer I was in Singapore with PSWE (Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble) to play at the bi-annual WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) conference. My hotel room mate is a horn player. For our practise session she set herself up in front of the balcony window overlooking the harbour-magnificent view-with her silent brass so my only choice was the bathroom. I was amazed at how good I sounded!! ![[happy]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley12.gif) Everyone should try it at least once.
Marcia
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-11-07 01:09
I haffa practice in a large walk-in closet full of clothes. It sucks!
The reflective walls and high ceiling of the living room are much preferred --and I'can play with my CD.
Bob Phillips
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-11-07 03:29
My Vito Eb clarinet, which is a pretty bad clarinet for some reason sounds awsome when I play in the bathroom. I don't know why. My Bb and bass clarinets which are imho great, sound pretty much the same in the bathroom.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-11-07 13:17
Play outside if you want to hear how you really sound. It will only make you play better.
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2005-11-07 13:45
I like to practice in the kitchen, which has a floor of ceramic tiles over concrete. But there is also a marked difference in sound between the dining room and the living room: I can only blame this on the sofas in the latter. Unfortunately the piano is in the living room.
What puzzles me is the horrible acoustics of a house where I often stay. There's nothing obviously unusual about it, but the clarinet sounds thin and dead there. The bathroom is about the best bet, but even that's not great. I think the cause might be the parquet floors. The effect is so marked that, if we ever buy another house, I'd want to "play-test" it before buying.
The loudest place I've found to practice is a lab at work. For five minutes it sounds great, then you begin to wonder if your ears are gonna bleed. Trombone is fine in there, it's the clarinet altissimo that does the damage.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2005-11-07 18:00
I should have taken my bass clarinet with me when we looked at houses earlier this year! When I purchased my last car, I did make sure that my bass clarinet would fit in the trunk. (It's a small car.) But now I have a contrabass to haul around as well. It gets to ride in the passenger seat. If I have to carry a passenger, I guess we take my wife's car.
By the way, a play test of a new house may be a little unreliable, as the acoustics will depend on the furnishings--furniture, rugs, wall hangings, etc.
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2005-11-07 21:20
Don - the point I was making was that this particular house where I often stay seems to have horrid acoustics in every room. Makes me suspect it's something structural in the building, rather than anything to do with the furnishings. Maybe the parquet floors, maybe even the brickwork (built in the 1950s from the bricks of an old building on the same site). Has anyone else come across a building that was just horrid to play in?
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: larryb
Date: 2005-11-08 11:19
My old teacher used a simile for how breath support should feel that would be very compatible with playing in the bathroom.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-11-08 13:11
"Play outside if you want to hear how you really sound"
You got that right,David. The worst I ever heard was at an outside concert in summer..... I don't play in the bathroom as that is reserved for reading, but the kitchen is good....especially when the overhead fan is blowing just right.
Bob Draznik
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Author: davedmg
Date: 2005-11-09 21:49
LarryB:
You said "My old teacher used a simile for how breath support should feel that would be very compatible with playing in the bathroom."
Sounds deep (Cold, too!) 'Splain, please? -- Dave
Post Edited (2005-11-12 02:37)
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