TromboneChat

Hey guys, just curious about the intro to Theme from New York New York...

The intro is notated " 1 2 3 + 4 ".
I'm just mostly curious about where the accents should lie and which notes should be "swallowed" a bit. I'm under the impression that the focus should be the 1, 2, and the +, but I just want to make sure I'm doing it stylistically correctly.

Listen to Sinatra, don't ask here.

That's always a good idea.

Make it sound like a phrase, not like you're accenting some notes and not others.

Quote from: Doug Elliott on May 26, 2017, 01:53PMListen to Sinatra, don't ask here.

That's always a good idea.

Make it sound like a phrase, not like you're accenting some notes and not others.

That's what I've been doing - just figured there was someone who had a bit more experience who could give a more specific direction on how it might precisely be done. Me and my people definitely make it one well-played phrase, but there's some unclarity as to where the emphasis should be placed within the phrase.

This seems pretty unambiguous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUrUfJW1JGk

Imitate "precisely."

Quote from: Doug Elliott on May 26, 2017, 03:48PMImitate "precisely."

I'll take it.... 

I've been in studio sessions with classical players that were derailed by a 10 minute discussion about how long a particular staccato should be played.

Things got heated, a saxophonist pipes up "just listen to the damn lead player, you guys are wasting money." The next take was perfect. That particular trumpet section was not hired again.

You have something better, you have recorded examples. If there is any "unclarity as to where the emphasis should be placed within the phrase", then you all need to listen to the recording.

If it's still unclear, listen to it again. You should sound like that.

From listening to Sinatra recordings only I'd think to just let the trumpets have the lead, if that's what the issue is.   Through my headphones I hear the bari-sax and bass trombone just sounding awesome and I wouldn't want to obscure the sax section when it's their time to shine.   You very well may have to break the tune down into sections at rehearsals to get everything right dynamic/sound wise.

You know being a trombone player at an given time you can play louder than any trumpet player, even more so when the entire bone section feels like doing that at the same time.

davdud101, just make sure the rhythm section and other lower sounding instruments have it going good enough and build the other sound off of them.  I don't think it'll matter about articulation at the beginning of the tune.  It's the last measures of the tune that'll count more towards what you guys are doing to be successful at, imo.       

All good thoughts!
I'm actually playing trumpet in this group (rather than bone) - we're doing a group of 3 and 3 - 2 trumpets and a trombone and three saxes. Figured it'd be a lot more useful having two trumpet and one bone rather than one trumpet and two (especically given our lead player isn't the most self-confident player ever. I think he could use the support from a second trumpet.)

I think I just need to spend a lot more time digging into the official recordings and "playing it by ear"- literally taken

Really digging the tips here though... Keep 'em coming! Giving me a lot of ideas on how bandleading and group sound-concept should be conveyed.

This is one of those well know signature tunes that everyone is going to expect you to sound like the recording.  Like most others have said Listen then emulate the recording!!

This is one of those well know signature tunes that everyone is going to expect you to sound like the recording.  Like most others have said Listen then emulate the recording!!