What do you play when evaluating equipment?

[ScottZigler]

When trying a new horn, mouthpiece, or making any equipment change, what do you play to evaluate it? On the Longtones podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/6XEOO37qTgHqBNludrytLQ Christan Griego mentioned starting with arpeggios. I'm going to make some recordings of myself for A/B testing, and want to have a short list that I can repeat each time.

[Burgerbob]

Simple things, that I can relate to horns I know well.

[elmsandr]

A Rochut out of the early pages, usually as written, tenor clef, and 8vb; a couple of excerpts that I’ve drilled forever, something to contrast articulation with the legato; some basic patterns, Marstellar or Arbans types; maybe some Bach cello suite bits; and a jazz standard..

Some combination of those depending on what I am comparing and what feels different. Mostly, I don’t want to open a book on the stand, these are all bits that I memorized moons ago and are stuck in my brain, not to be replaced by anything more useful.

Cheers,
Andy

[Matt K]

Ride of the Valkyries as loud as I can play it.

[imsevimse]

When trying a new horn, mouthpiece, or making any equipment change, what do you play to evaluate it? On the Longtones podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/6XEOO37qTgHqBNludrytLQ Christan Griego mentioned starting with arpeggios. I'm going to make some recordings of myself for A/B testing, and want to have a short list that I can repeat each time.

Since I have so many horns I try and evaluate everyone as I switch. It's not the full same procedure as when I buy a new horn of course but the first blow and first step are the same as the purpose is just to categorize the horn. New horns and new "old" horns has happend more oftan than wize. I have collected so many horns it is crazy.

Naturally my first step would be to warm up and that is my 5 min short rutine of bending notes Bb to Gb on first and A to F on second and so on on every position, then I play chromatic scales. It can be the whole register up and down slow and/or fast. In a shop I still do this before I test the horn. Prefferably I have prepared and warmed up and also practiced before I leave home.

During this first blow I do not analyze much. I just play to get warmed up, but of course unconsciously I do react to the response, the sound and the feedback I get behind the bell. Often this is enough to get the feeling if this will be a good experiense or not, but it can change as I go to next step.

After this (three steps):

1. I play the harmoncs on each position to learn what the tuning tendensies are. Where are notes on first position? Where are notes on fourth position? Where are notes on sixth position? Some horns are better in tune in the short positions and some are better in tune in the farther positions. I need to learn this to be able to do a proper test. After this quick test I play the full arpeggios on each position (very slow, long tones) and make sure I adjust intonation only with the slide.
(I also do this test at home each time I switch to a new horn in my collection that I need to remind me of)

2. I check nuances on soft and loud playing. I check basic articulation on repeted notes and I do crescendo and decrescendo to listen for character of the sound.

3. After this I play some of the repertoire I know by heart and be sure I try to remember and use the analyze from step one and two. It could be a couple of Swedish folksongs. If I compare horns I play the exakt same tunes on both horns.

This is what I do when I test a horn, and it is the feeling that stays, that make me choose if I want to borrow the horn or not. To borrow a horn is practically for the shop they consider it 90% sold, but you can of course return it, and I have done so but the shop will be more reluctant to let you borrow horns if you never buy anything. I'm quite known in the two shops here in Stockholm and they have made a lot of money on me so I have no problem to borrow any horn . If I borrow the horn I test it in the different settings where it will be used, because that can give yet new insights. After a week I decide if I will keep the horn. A used horn bought on the internet is another thing, then I just have to accept I bought it. I have a special routine for ebay horns and that is I first play them as they are. I mean I don't clean them. It can sound gross but I have to do that to test my thesis that many horns are sold just because they are dirty. After the first blow I clean the slide and test again, next is I clean the leadpipe more thoroughly. I test again. Final step I remove dents in the tuningslide and on other places of the horn. I test after each dent remove. Finally I fix the bell if needed, it might not be in shape or has dents too and after this I test again. This is to learn if dirt, dents and a bell out of shape has any impact on the horn or not.

That's it. "Alles klar?" and then I try to remember the analyze and remember the tendencies until I switch to next horn.

/Tom

[hyperbolica]

Ride of the Valkyries as loud as I can play it.

Yeah, I'll have to start doing that right after Bolero as loud as I can play it.

Seriously, I do the arpeggios, octaves and scales. There are a couple little licks I do from tunes or melodies or excerpts. Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Crazy, Misty, Rochut, etc, nice stuff that comes to mind. I play high and low, up and down, loud and soft, articulated and slurred. Lip trills.

If I have several horns in close proximity that I'm comparing, I'll do the same tune, lick or exercise back to back with all the horns or mouthpieces or leadpipes.

I'm looking for slide quality, tone quality, tone consistency, feedback, feel, slot properties, intonation, weight, balance, ergonomic issues (grip) dead notes, sympathetic vibrations, buzzes (loose stuff or leaks), damage (bell too close to slide, tuning slide bashed in, main slide crook bashed in, bell dented, etc...), mouthpiece seating into leadpipe...

[norbie2018]

Whatever you play record yourself and listen back/evaluate.

[sirisobhakya]

Ride of the Valkyries as loud as I can play it.

If in a public fair I play a very famous Thai country song. Same vibe. Everybody who plays brass knows the song.

If serious, apart from harmonics and scales, normally I play as follows, either some or all:

1. Tuba Mirum (Mozart) to test high range

2. Ashitaka Sekki from Princess Mononoke or Path of the Wind from My Neighbor Totoro to test legato

3. If bass, To the Pirates’ Cave from Pirates of the Caribbean to test loud low range

4. If bass, In the Hall of the Mountain King to test low range

[brtnats]

Pieces of my warmup routine that I play every time I grab a horn. Gives me a great basis to evaluate flexibility, articulation, range, etc.

[mbarbier]

I really agree with the above comments to play things that are very familiar and simple then making sure to record them.

If I'm looking for something to deal with a deficiency in my current set-up then I make sure to try playing the kinda if things I'm currently hitting a wall with on my horn as well as what I feel like works best of my current set-up. That way you can see if what you're trying can help with the issue but also see how it compares to what you like most.