Author Topic: Anyone Here A Musician? (Read 17607 times)

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #210 on:** February 15, 2005, 02:32:30 PM »

Bams, I'm sending you a fresh recording. Just recorded it now. I like to play an excerpt of "What Child is This? (Greensleeves)" for I feel that is a stylistically forgiving song. You can do a lot to it yet it won't change the feel/rhythm/tone. Brand new, with modifications to mistakes in the previous two recordings. Nearly perfect. The G# key still sticks a lil bit, but that's ok.

BamBams · « **Reply #211 on:** February 16, 2005, 03:39:11 AM »

I'll be listening to that today.

I know of two remedies for that G# key. One is to lightly dust a dollar bill with talcum powder - very lightly dust, and then run it between the pad and the tone hole while pressing down on the pad cup very gently.

Another is to "dope" or "redope" the pad.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #212 on:** February 16, 2005, 04:59:38 AM »

I know of the first method, minus the talcum powder :? . Tried it. Pfftttt. But that first method is like the wind player's panacea

.

Now what's 'dope' and 'redope'? Never heard of it and I'd like to know. Thanx!

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #213 on:** February 16, 2005, 06:00:44 AM »

Bams, I had a free day and you're the victim :-D . I brought down the CD player, set it up in the living room and threw in a Kenny G CD. I made an alto and two clarinet recordings playing along with him. I'm emailing them to ya now. Hope ya like em. In the second clarinet one you hear only ONE squak, and you might not pick it up. Enjoy!

BamBams · « **Reply #214 on:** February 16, 2005, 06:54:47 AM »

I don't really know why they call it "doping." All it really means is to take a little neats foot oil on a pipe cleaner - VERY little bit, and put it on the pad. It also helps to clean out the groove on the pad with the oil. It's the crap that accumulates in the pad groove that makes it stick in the first place.

I haven't had a chance to practice yet. In fact, that's what I'm getting ready to do right now.

I'll listen to your recordings tonight and get back to you.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #215 on:** February 16, 2005, 03:55:26 PM »

Bams, dig this...

I was just lookin at a pic of Kenny G. I just noticed; it looks like his soprano sax has no 'neck'. It's all one piece :eek: . That's weird...never saw that before. :?

Robert · « **Reply #216 on:** February 17, 2005, 06:17:30 AM »

BamBams, could you try that link again? It just gives me an error message. I would certainly appreciate checking it out.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #217 on:** February 17, 2005, 09:47:22 AM »

Yea, it did for me too. Robert, would you like to hear my recordings as well? If Bams can give me way to share the recordings like he attempted to do, I might just post a few.

BamBams · « **Reply #218 on:** February 17, 2005, 10:16:54 AM »

I had taken down the file because it sat there for days, and it's pretty big. I didn't want to take up too much server space because opus has been kindly loaning this space to me.

Go ahead and try it again now. I have upload the file again, so the link should now work. I'll wait about 48 hours before I remove it again.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #219 on:** February 18, 2005, 03:53:43 AM »

Bams, I just made five recordings of me and my tenor. Mind blowing indeed. First one was just a goof around recording. Then I played four songs. Three have improv solos. Last one is a written solo. Give me the word and I'll send em. I don't want to overload ya now!

:-D . I still want ya to listen and evaluate the alto recordings! And you owe me a few now :wink: .

BamBams · « **Reply #220 on:** February 18, 2005, 04:04:40 AM »

I hear you. I'm behind on listening. I don't want to listen to them until I can spend enough time to really hear them. It will be any day now.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #221 on:** February 18, 2005, 04:06:04 AM »

Gotcha :grin: :agree:.

Robert · « **Reply #222 on:** February 18, 2005, 06:11:29 AM »

OK, I'll check it again.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #223 on:** February 21, 2005, 05:46:52 AM »

Here, for all of you Kenny G haters, here's more fuel to your fire.

It was a comic in our local newspaper. I figgered Bams would get a kick out of it. I kinda did.

BamBams · « **Reply #224 on:** February 22, 2005, 09:20:37 PM »

Fish, I'm planning on listening to your recording later today, or tomorrow at the latest. I'm not sure which days I am working this week yet. I only know that I am working graveyard shift tomorrow night.

Funny cartoon. I told you though, I don't HATE Kenny G....it's just his music. Oh heck, I don't hate that either - I just get bored by it. Sheeeesh. *laughing*

Well, I solved my recording problems, but it cost me exactly $100.00, 50% off retail, but that's okay too because I just got my teenie tax return back. It does a lot of other stuff also.

This is little red box is soooooooo COOL! I just have to let you know about it:

http://www.tascam.com/Products/CD-GT1/CD-GT1.html

TASCAM (booth 6491) is pleased to introduce the CD-GT1 Portable CD Guitar Trainer at Winter NAMM 2002. The CD-GT1 (MSRP $219.00) is an affordable CD player with a built-in guitar and vocal effects and is the perfect tool for beginning guitarists, vocalists or other musicians looking to improve their performance capabilities.

"The CD-GT1 is much more than a portable CD player with a guitar input, it is the perfect tool for musicians looking for a quick and easy way to learn new material and improve their chops," says Jace Nuzback, TASCAM product specialist. "The key to its power as a training tool is its ability to slow down CDs without changing pitch, allowing musicians to easily learn new material."

Offering the ability to play along with any standard audio CD, the CD-GT1's Slow Speed Audition function slows down the playback speed (tempo) of the disc by up to 50% without affecting the pitch. Similar to the old technique of manually spinning an LP record to learn licks, this feature is invaluable for beginning guitarists to quickly learn the chops of their favorite performers. Likewise, the unit's onboard pitch control makes it easy for musicians to adapt the playback content to their own style. The CD-GT1's seamless in-out looping capabilities also facilitate the unit's capability as a learning tool.

Designed for performance, the CD-GT1 includes handy tools like a footswitch input that can be used to start and stop CDs as well as switch effects, a line input to use its effects to jam along with other audio sources such as cassette decks, and a chromatic tuner. With its built-in modeling effects for guitar and vocals, CD-GT1 users can also emulate the tone and feel of the recording they are "jamming" with or learning.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #225 on:** February 23, 2005, 01:37:07 AM »

Oh I didn't say YOU hated him, I just know of those who do :twisted:

Now what exactly is that thing? A recorder I assume but for $100 I'm sure it also cooks breakfast and makes ya coffee and etc

Sheesh, I'm still shocked over this past incident. I can't believe people (and yes, I'm venting). Why would someone come on to a peaceful site such as this one and trash it with profanity and other stuff a 5 year old shouldn't see. WHY? It completely blows my mind. GGRRR.

Alrighty then. Take your time on the recordings. Whenever possible.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #226 on:** February 24, 2005, 03:35:48 PM »

Bams, I might have just single-handedly figured out why Kenny G plays out of the side of his mouth. You know that technique where you tremble your bottom lip while you're playing to kind of give your note a 'waver'? I don't remember what it's exactly called...but I've found that when I'm doing that if I lean the mouthpiece out to the side it's easier. And G does a lot of that, so seems like that'd be why. But then again...I think my alto has a leak in it, for when I try to do that tremolo (that's what it might be called) when the mouthpiece is straight on a low G, it cuts out and goes to a high G. Then when I do it on a high G it just cuts out and squeaks. This all happens of course more towards the end of it when the volume of air is decreasing. Leak...I hope not...ggrrr. Just thought I'd share that with ya.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #227 on:** February 26, 2005, 05:47:42 PM »

Bams...I feel VERY dumb right now :oops: . The Selmer Model 51 Super Action 80 Series II...HAS a one piece neck. Just like Kenny G's which I thought was soddered on. I feel very, very, well...you get the picture. :oops:

BamBams · « **Reply #228 on:** February 28, 2005, 11:15:41 AM »

Okay, here is the long-awaited recording I promised you. I made this with the Tascam GT1 and Adobe Audition 1.5.

I'm sure you'll find my few mistakes, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless. The mix isn't exactly professional, but I guess it's close enough for what we are doing here. It's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel.

Keep in mind that I recorded this with my pneumonia today. *smiles*

http://dopey.hopto.org/emmettw/botw2.mp3

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #229 on:** February 28, 2005, 11:56:12 AM »

Bams, sounds very nice. BUT I want you to do me a favor. I assume you have a plastic/rubber mouthpiece with that horn? If you do, I'd really like you to re-play that song with it on there. Upon talking to my friend again about the metal deal, it wasn't your pitch that was affected but it was your quality of sound :eek: . He said to me, "JP, I can take a goose and take this pin and poke it in the rear end and it'll honk like a goose, and that note will be in perfect pitch. But does it sound nice? NO!". So, yea, maybe it might be wise to go to rubber/plastic for now just to get a better sound and to help in building your foundation for the basics. All this, is of course, if you're the beginner that you say you are :roll: . I'm noticing you like the lower register on the alto. Or so it seems. I hate the lower register. If anything, I like to see if I can take it up an octave just to make it interesting. But, it's every man to his own. Happy saxophoning!

BamBams · « **Reply #230 on:** February 28, 2005, 02:32:04 PM »

I'd be happy to do that for you IF I had another mouthpiece. On my shopping list is a Morgan Excalibur 6E, but that's going to be awhile.

It isn't that I prefer the lower register. This song was played from sheet music. It does give the option to go 8va on the second part, but I just didn't do it - no particular reason.

Tomorrow, if I have time, I'll go ahead and try a recording without the Tascam GT1 just to see what happens.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #231 on:** February 28, 2005, 03:49:15 PM »

I gotcha. Your sound will be slightly quieter, but that's why God gave ya lungs and a diaphram :wink: . You can hear the sound I can get out of my alto, and you will hear the sound I can get out of my tenor. Sometimes it's just as much the player as the mouthpiece, and the horn included.

On your word, I'll send those tenor recordings. I think I'm gonna re-record two of them due to a slop of errors. That sounds good. Keep on truckin man, you'll only get better :grin:

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #232 on:** March 02, 2005, 08:30:05 AM »

Well, fixed those two recordings plus I recorded me playing along with G and Sanborn in that song 'Pick up the Pieces'. There's errors in it, b/c I'm playin it by ear, but oh well. Boo hoo :cry:.

So I'm sending four or five tenor recordings plus the alto w/ the mastas. No hurry to listen to them just yet, cuse I think ya still have to get through the original alto ones. C-ya later!

BamBams · « **Reply #233 on:** March 05, 2005, 06:33:17 AM »

Well, I finally got caught up on listening to your recordings today. I enjoyed them - thanks!

The thing that stood out most was that you've got some good technique going. Your improvisation is nice.

How close to your sax are you placing the microphone?

Where did you get the sheet music for those songs? I'd love to have some of it here also.

I finally got my hands on some Aebersold books! Yippie! I haven't started working through Book #1 yet. Maybe today?

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #234 on:** March 05, 2005, 07:14:07 AM »

Well, the tenor ones were from JWPepper.com. You have to buy the whole score, but boo hoo. I rarely buy sheet music, so that's why I have them. Neat songs. I failed to mention I think, I really didn't care for the improvisation on the "Evil Ways" song. I have a much better version now. Maybe one of these days I'll record it again and send it. I still have to send you the one I did with Kenny & Sanborn "Pick Up the Pieces". I can play along fairly well. There are some missed notes, but boo hoo.

I was looking at getting some Aebersold too. A good book...Maiden Voyage. I worked on that with my friend for a day and had a blast. You should get that. Well, I had to take down the computer and now I have it back :-) .

BamBams · « **Reply #235 on:** March 05, 2005, 02:20:18 PM »

I didn't get Maiden Voyage, but did get about 5 others. I found them all at a used book store for $5 a piece, and then a friend of mine owed me some money, so I said, "just pick up these books for me and we'll call it even." Wooohooo - many hours of enjoyment ahead now!

David Sanborn called me to go gigging with him in Europe this weekend, but I explained that I'd rather do my Aebersold books. HAHAHAH! j/k-ing

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #236 on:** March 05, 2005, 03:17:12 PM »

*Drops to floor in heart attack*. You scared me for a second. I didn't see the kidding part after you decided to stay home and do the Aebersold instead of going with Sanborn. Yea he called me too. He wanted to do some duets. I told him I was busy this weekend :wink: . I wish.

:-D

Just got done with practice. I like playing along with Kenny G. Seems like a nice form of practice. I play along to "Stranger on the Shore" in his classics album. I play along on the clarinet. One of my nicer songs. Nice

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #237 on:** March 06, 2005, 04:45:27 AM »

Well, I re-recorded the "Pick Up the Pieces" last nite and just sent it to you this morning with some post production effects as you'll point out. Thank God for Adobe Audition!!!

:-D

BamBams · « **Reply #238 on:** March 06, 2005, 05:39:50 AM »

Just listened to it. Once again - good technique! We've gotta figure out why you are squeaking though. Does the squeak happen with all you saxophones, or just the alto?

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #239 on:** March 06, 2005, 07:53:49 AM »

Just the alto. But I'm guilty of something. :oops: Since I play so much, I don't always take the saxes down and clean them. So maybe my mouthpiece/reed are sensitive to not being in tip-top shape? That and I think I need a new ligiature. I have an old one that is very bendable, so the reed might not be held as tightly as should be. Maybe I'll throw that in with my order with the tenor.... :roll: .