Posted by Daryl on August 09, 2002 at 23:11:37:
In Reply to: Bydlo...auditions posted by Eric Oliver on August 09, 2002 at 22:09:41:
Well man, if you can't play it like Roger Bobo, then don't bother at all, man....
sorry, couldn't resist since I'm sure a little name baiting will occur :)
1.) Make sure you can hear it PERFECTLY in your head before you play it. To test, make sure you can sing it perfectly in tune with the best tone you can muster. Yes, SING.
2.) Buzz it on your mouthpiece; pay attention to your air and the sound of the buzz - make it as smooth and full as you possibly can. You WILL use a lot of air, probably more than if you were playing your horn. It's okay. Breathe when you feel you need a breath, but try to make the phrase as long as you wish to finally play it.
3.) Take it to the horn, baby! If you're having trouble hitting the high pitches, stop and take the mouthpiece out and quickly repeat step 2. Another great gambit is to play the whole solo down an octave, but smoothly and lyrically as if you were playing it high.
4.) For extra confidence, take it up an whole step. The mechanics should be very similiar, so don't let the fact that you have to play (GASP) a double high Bb(!!) make you change anything.
Fact of the matter is, you might still miss the Ab. Who cares. I've been playing the Bydlo excerpt for 5 years and I STILL miss it 60% of the time. Even though some won't admit it, I think just about everyone misses that note in the practice room a good chunk of the time. Make the best music you can and make no apologies for your playing - you've worked hard. Quoth the Cartman - kick *ss!!
Daryl