Every story is different when we tell how we chose the
instrument we play; it’s almost a magical thing and that choice affects us for
the rest of our lives. The way we view music and even life itself is very
different if we see it from the viewpoint of a flutist or as a tubist,
certainly, one is not better than the other but the difference it makes in the
way we perceive the musical world we are entering is enormous.
One of the most fascinating questions a musician can ask
himself is: Are we the way we are because of the instrument we chose or did we
chose our instrument because of the way we are? I’m still working on the answer
to that question. And there is also another very interesting question: Has the
instrument you play changed your life?
But after that magical time when we chose which instrument
we want to play comes another equally important choice; which instrument,
flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, euphonium or tuba do
you want to buy? Now the question is
less magical, less esoteric. It has to do with our level of musical performance
and it has to do with economics. We must
make a good decision.
I have a good friend, a very well known brass teacher, who
has an excellent student who just went out and bought a new instrument… without
trying different instruments or asking advice from his teacher. He ended up
buying a rebuilt instrument that looked beautiful, but was stiff and stuffy,
which frankly didn’t sound nearly as good as the old school instrument that he
was replacing and cost more than some of the new instruments that are available
on the market! My friend is agonizing as to what he should do now to help the
unfortunate student.
Let’s take a look at the obvious; He can’t say to the student that his new horn is terrible, that he
sounded much better on his school’s old horn, which he was using before. He can’t say that the price he paid was
extraordinarily inflated. What can
this teacher do?
I have heard this student, my friend, his teacher, is very
proud of him and we both deeply feel the frustration; this young player is at
the high point of his learning capacity and we both agree that his progress
will be severely retarded because of this purchase. Without a doubt the student
will sooner or later come to realize that buying that instrument was a very sad
mistake and that he will have to find a way to correct it. Buying any
instrument at today’s prices is a very scary thing and saying that we need to
be careful is a huge understatement; but how can we protect ourselves and be
sure of making a good decision?
Of course, that prevailing question of what type of
instrument we need will always be present. However, once those basic decisions
are made and we are test-playing an instrument that we may consider buying, how to test-play it is something we need
to think about very seriously.
In the
various venues where I have taught, whether permanent or just a master class of
a few days, I have always tried to discuss and simulate the process of choosing
(test-playing) an instrument. I would like to offer a few suggestions that
might be the best and safest way to pick any instrument, woodwind or brass that
you will probably be using for a number of years.
1.
Try to define as much as possible what you want the
instrument for. Should it be an all-round instrument that would serve you well
for symphony, band, small ensembles, solos, jazz etc. or should it be more of a
specialty instrument. In any case, try and have a clear idea in your mind of
what you want.
2.
Choose a reasonable reed or mouthpiece and use the
same one throughout the testing.
3.
Test the instrument with people you trust
listening; use their feedback to help you in formulating your own opinions.
4.
Try as many instruments as possible.
5.
Be patient; take your time even if it takes you a
few weeks to be sure.
6.
Do not allow yourself to be pressured by the
salesman or anyone who might profit from you buying a certain instrument.
7.
Ask if you can take the instrument that interests
you most for a few days and try it in your personal musical environment.
8.
It’s very easy to get confused when we try a large
number of instruments. Use some kind of organized testing form to help you keep
track of all the different instruments you’ve tried; sometimes it is useful to
let your listeners fill the form while you are test playing.
9.
Choose specific passages for the various aspects
you are testing, middle, low and high registers, loud soft etc. and play the
same passages on each instrument.
10. Finally,
play music! See how the instrument responds to your style.
11. TAKE
YOUR TIME!
Choosing the instrument you will probably be using for
many years is a very important step
in your musical life. We are blessed today with a rich market full of wonderful
instruments; try as many of them as possible, educate yourself as to what is
available, and avoid extremes. Be careful and take your time.
Below is an example of a testing form that I organized for
tuba; it would not be difficult adapt this testing sheet for any wind
instrument. The important thing is to keep a clear memory of what you’ve tested
and your impressions of them.
February 3, 2006, Kyoto, Japan
Revised June 28, 2012, Tokyo
