The Recording Thread

[James H.]

The following is an idea I proposed in the Shoutbox, and four people thought it was a decent idea, so I thought I would present it and see what everybody else thought. The proposal is a little exhibition of playing skills for YC members who are instrumentalists. The idea is that YC members usually only show and critique compositions and never talk about each other's playing techniques and whatnot. This proposed exhibition could be something new and different. Furthermore, this could act to:

• Show the public what we are capable of performing, our level of performance and musicality
  
• Show off our playing talents in a polite manner (no egos, please!)
  
• Receive feedback and tips to improve our playing and technique
  
• Give feedback to others and learn from others
  
• Show fellow composers what certain instruments can do.

Additionally, we could have active members who will take requests from fellow composers. So if a composer really wants to know what a phrase would sound like live on certain instruments, somebody could record the phrase and the composer can immediately see how a performer would interpret their phrase. Unfortunately, only people with access to recording equipment can participate in this, but that is something that we will have to live with, not everybody has these things available to them. These people would be welcome to provide feedback on others' playing.

By the way, this is NOT meant to be a competition by any means, we are not comparing each other!

Begin!

P.S. there is a similar forum floating around called Performance Thread. That thread is for composers who want to contact instrumentalists (vocalists count!) to perform their music. It can be done live (as in recital, ect.) or just via multi-track at home. Check out it!

[Romanticist]

Ich finde es langweilig.

Nah just kidding too bad I cannot say what I want to in german.

Anyway, I say yay it is time for yc to show of it's skills in the area of performance as well as composition...so thumbs up

[echurchill]

This sounds interesting. I wish I had some good recording equipment though... :(

[James H.]

"Good" equipment is not the aim, but get as best as you can. Just don't break your neck over it. ;)

Roman, I think you want something like, "Ich finde es stark!", no? "Das ist ein sehr interessante idee!", "Neu und aufregend!" ? :P

[oingo86]

This sounds like a great idea! The focus of a budding composer should definitely include learning the instruments, of course. And with the help of fellow composers who are also performers? Hell, I'm all for it!

Myself, I am a singer and an organist. However, I have no means of recording my organ playing...!

[James H.]

Well, I said "instrumentalists", but heck, why not include vocalists? :D

ANYBODY is welcome. :)

[Romanticist]

"Good" equipment is not the aim, but get as best as you can. Just don't break your neck over it. ;)

Roman, I think you want something like, "Ich finde es stark!", no? "Das ist ein sehr interessante idee!", "Neu und aufregend!" ? :P

1. I find that great

2. That is a very interesting Idea

3. New and (aufregend?) :thumbsup:

[Alan]

I'm all up for it!! WHEN DO WE START?? WHEN DO WE START??

[Romanticist]

I'm all up for it!! WHEN DO WE START?? WHEN DO WE START??

hehe whenever you wish..I would love to hear your skill actually..:O:D

[Alan]

..... umm... well, yeah, I'll start as soon as the mic I ordered comes in... any day now.. :P

[Will Kirk]

I like this idea

[Mark]

Likewise. Wish I had a mic :(

[robinjessome]

Let's start out by compiling a list of who plays what instruments?

[Romanticist]

Let's start out by compiling a list of who plays what instruments?

Ich spiele die (giege?) violin

Spielst du ein instrument robin?

[James H.]

Robin spielt Posuane, Bass Posuane, Alt Posuane, und Trompete. Er ist sehr

[oingo86]

i'm a tenor. and I play piano and organ. Sorry... ich singe und spiele klavier und orgel.

[pianistboy]

I play piano and flute, but I would only share the piano part, I'm not that great on flute yet...

[James H.]

Nah, record the flute anyways. We can help you. Got a teacher?

[echurchill]

Ich spielte Piano zuvor, aber jetzt spiele ich das Clavicembalo, wie ihr in meinem Bild sehen koennt.

This is the best quality I could manage with the microscopic microphone in my digital camera:

Feb 08 Pavana Lachrymae Byrd - eSnips, share anything

Is the sound quality adequate? I used to have a real microphone but I broke it.

[pianistboy]

Yeah, I do have a teacher, but I haven't been playing too long. And I have a bad cold right now, which makes it hard to play. But when I get over it, I promise that I will record something on flute.:)

Any thoughts on recording equipment? I was thinking of buying a relatively cheap mic and using Audicity with it. Can anyone suggest a good mic for under $100?

[robinjessome]

How will this get going? Should be beseech a Mike to make a sub-forum or something?

I dunno...I'd like to see it through though.

[James H.]

If you wish, if you think it is something that important. This did spark quite a bit of interest, I am relatively surprised. For a Sub-forum... maybe each person would have their own thread, and post any recordings in there, where other people can comment. It sounds like a lovely idea to me... thoughts? Would just enforce the 1 thread per person deal... kinda like the journals, but only in recordings. *ponders...* Would such a thing fit under the forum, Interactive?

*goes off and listens to above recording*

OOOHhh..... that is a WONDERFUL harpsichord... is that in your home? :O

Either way, I soo envy you. Very nice tone....

Very good playing, I would just bug you about keeping consistent tempo throughout. Also, is is marked to be faster at the very end there? I wouldn't be sure. There were just a few bits here and there, but very nice! Pretty ornaments, are those your own?

I think I've heard Byrd before, very good stuff, I love that old rennaissancy sound. :)

[echurchill]

Yes, it's my harpsichord at home. Well, the playing wasn't my best; I just played that segment to test my camera's recording. As for the tempo... with dance music I am usually very strict, but the Lachrymae Pavan, despite being a pavane, clearly is not a dance piece, so I let the tempo flow more variably. I think that passage would make more sense in the context of the whole piece, since it is the first major climax. No tempo markings exist in this music of course, and especially in Renaissance music performers freely add ornaments and even improvise new figures and patterns where appropriate.

[Will Kirk]

perhaps we could upload videos on Youtube and provide links for each?

[James H.]

Alrighty, if no one objects, I'll unveil my horrible horn playing. :toothygrin:

Loosen up your jawbones, they'll be much cringing to be had. ;)

I've been playing horn for a little over a year now, maybe 14 months or so... either way, I'm relatively new to it and brass in general, so bear with me.

Horn_01 - eSnips, share anything

Above: recorded today after a 3 hour practice session. I spent an hour on each trumpet, tuba, and horn before I hit "Record", so my lips weren't behaving too well, but well enough. First is my solo from To Challenge the Heavens and Sky, which we are doing in band. I took 3 takes, the last being horrendous. Then I played a two-octave C scale (concert F) then arpeggio, then tried a few lowish notes. Then I jabbed away at my only memorized excerpt from the Strauss horn concerto, a quick little bugger with some nasty jumps. Then I noticed I was running out of time and decided to plod my way through at tempo without stopping... you can see what happens by the end. I hate that last accented note, I always miss it.

Especially in the slow solo excerpt from the beginning, I noticed my pitch with REALLY unstable, this happens a lot with my slurred passages. Any advice?

Oh yeah, and you might notice the tone sounds a little choked... :sweat: I had to cover the bell a little bit because if I didn't it was too loud and it clipped on the mic and sounded horribly nasty. Recorded on my mom's laptop while she was out grocery shopping. :musicwhistle:

Oh, whoops, I forgot. I don't have a private teacher on any brass whatsoever. Self-taught. D=

Oh yeah, and the horn is a Holton beginner model because my school sucks. Yuck. I'm might be getting my hands on a slightly better Yamaha next year... (yay!) I've played on a Conn 8D, and I loved it, and my sound was a little better so..... .....

Oop, and my mouthpiece is a Bach 11, it's my favourite out of three. Holton Farkas mouthpiece SUCKS.... my other is a Schilke, it's really deep (and really missing right now), the Bach is rather shallow and cup-shaped.