Mahler 5 help

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i3est
Posts: 12
Joined: Dec 28, 2018

by i3est »

so, in my local youth orchestra I have to play the trombone 1 part on a bass trombone. I dont really have access to a tenor horn either. I play on a 1g mouthpecice but I found an extra 6 1/2 which helps a lot. Any tips to help me on this? Is it worth to invest in a smaller mouthpiece?
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BGuttman
Posts: 7368
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by BGuttman »

You should be OK with the 6.5 AL. Now if your chops are up to the task, that is another matter.
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i3est
Posts: 12
Joined: Dec 28, 2018

by i3est »

[quote="BGuttman"]You should be OK with the 6.5 AL. Now if your chops are up to the task, that is another matter.[/quote]

Any tips on helping me be able to get better tone and sustain up there? I can hit all the notes they just dont sound very good. When I start to use more air than I am the sound becomes to sound very chainsaw like or splits.
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BGuttman
Posts: 7368
Joined: Mar 22, 2018

by BGuttman »

It's possible the 6.5 AL is a bit too small for you.

Do you have access to something like a 4G or 5G?

I'm sure the 1G you play for bass trombone is WAY too big. Bet you even have intonation issues above the bass staff ;)
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i3est
Posts: 12
Joined: Dec 28, 2018

by i3est »

[quote="BGuttman"]It's possible the 6.5 AL is a bit too small for you.

Do you have access to something like a 4G or 5G?

I'm sure the 1G you play for bass trombone is WAY too big. Bet you even have intonation issues above the bass staff ;)[/quote]

I could always buy one, but I dont want to if i only use it for this once. I'll I can get up to an A above the staff before my intunation starts to go off.
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i3est
Posts: 12
Joined: Dec 28, 2018

by i3est »

[quote="BGuttman"]It's possible the 6.5 AL is a bit too small for you.

Do you have access to something like a 4G or 5G?

I'm sure the 1G you play for bass trombone is WAY too big. Bet you even have intonation issues above the bass staff ;)[/quote]

Also thank you for the help!
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hyperbolica
Posts: 3990
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by hyperbolica »

Follow this link <LINK_TEXT text="https://www.brassexcerpts.com/trombone/ ... hony-no-5/">https://www.brassexcerpts.com/trombone/mahler-symphony-no-5/</LINK_TEXT>

and find one of the recordings that you like. I prefer the Concertgebouw and the Vienna Phil recordings. To me, the Chicago recording is a little out of control on that G# that really stands out. He's swinging for the fences. You need to back off and play it as loud as you can with a nice sound, and in tune of course. I'm not sure why you're trying to play this on a big mouthpiece with a bass bone. I'd talk to your teacher or the conductor about this. It really should be played on a tenor with a mouthpiece that you've got a good bit of practice on. And you need a good section sound with this too.

If you get some equipment that you're not familiar with, spend as much time on it getting familiar and developing your sound/intonation as you can before the rehearsals and performance. To me, a 5G on a 42b sized horn would be a good choice. The B is less important than you might thing. It has to be there, and in tune, but there are other instruments on that note. the following G# and the rest of the lick are what you really have to nail.

Best of luck.