Several years ago, Chris Olka and I were giving a presentation on tubas to a class of elementary school students. At the time, Chris was still playing a YamaYork. When asked if they had any questions, the first kid raised his hand and asked Chris why he had a pencil attached to his tuba. Chris gave the best answer I have ever heard: "Because if I didn't, I would get fired".
The second question was the one that is asked every time: "Can I put my head in it?".
I mark things with a pencil when they're weird, unexpected, and difficult to remember. If I'm already playing something the way the music director tells everyone to play it (with so many of them writing home-rehearsed corrections into their scores - which are rarely required, as orchestras are already playing the way they ask), I don't bother to mark that stuff. Much of it is verbal ego-noise... much as are many of their grandiose physical gestures, particularly those that they pull out of their bags of tricks only for the concerts.
To clarify...
I'm about a billion notches down from "God's gift to music", but - when some music director tells the orchestra to phrase - often I'm doing what they are asking, and in the way they're asking. I'm also not claiming that I always inherently knew how to phrase and that I've always inherently phrased, but I've played so much music (me: old) that it's finally getting through my thick skull, and becoming somewhat of a habit. Actually - with our music and our tuba parts mostly being so simple, phraising helps relieve boredom and is something that helps (me) stay awake and alert... I've talked to percussionists about this sort of thing, and it's similar.
... but I digress, and usually someone else has already marked the music where things are weird. >> I have a pencil clipped to every tuba that I use in large ensembles.
jonesbrass wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2023 7:45 am
Have you tried adjusting the position of the pencil clip slightly to adjust the 0001247 of a semitone sharp?
One of the problems is that sharpening the pencil flattens the pitch.
It also depends on the density of the cedar used, and how much thinner was added to the yellow lacquer with which they coat the cedar.
Moving over to a red eraser can counteract either of these, but it affects the sound.
Staples' erasers are OK - I suppose, but I personally prefer Integra, with Paper-Mate being the gold standard.
That's so old school... a world-class-sound requires using a yellow plastic mechanical pencil that not only you can replace the eraser on (needed when the MD changes their mind) but also has multiple leads so that you don't have to sharpen it when they're particularly "windy"...
windshieldbug wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2023 9:13 am
That's so old school... a world-class-sound requires using a yellow plastic mechanical pencil that not only you can replace the eraser on (needed when the MD changes their mind) but also has multiple leads so that you don't have to sharpen it when they're particularly "windy"...
Thank-you !
For a moment - there, I was drifting afield of "The Science".
Dents Be Gone! wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2023 10:23 am
Are those teef marks? Will you do that for us or do we have to do that ourselves?
Just listen to the music director prattle on during the last 6 minutes of the rehearsal, whereby he could have dismissed everyone; you will end up making your own.
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windshieldbug wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2023 9:13 am
That's so old school... a world-class-sound requires using a yellow plastic mechanical pencil that not only you can replace the eraser on (needed when the MD changes their mind) but also has multiple leads so that you don't have to sharpen it when they're particularly "windy"...
Ah, it must be a silver mechanical pencil for a proper professional sound!
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windshieldbug (Fri Aug 18, 2023 8:51 am) • bloke (Fri Aug 18, 2023 2:40 pm)
Just found this -- at my previous house I found a Ginzu knife stuck in the dirt outside. I have no idea what they were using it for. I finally had to throw it out just a couple months ago because it would no longer easily slice through cardboard boxes to get them into the recycle bin. However, I have another similar one I found somewhere else (never bought one) that is still really good for the boxes.
But, the frozen salmon filets I buy and need to cut into portions without thawing them, I bought a brand new hack saw that works quite well.
However, after my Cruise from Hell, I don't think I want to even see salmon for a while.
And I guess I have to find a pencil clip that doesn't affect the pitch or timbre. Maybe a platinum one will work?
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