PPT mouthpieces
PPT mouthpieces

BOTM Jan 2016- BOTM- When Sunny Gets Blue

Jeanette said:
That's all I use and I can manage to get something out, it does a lot more if you have the time 🙂

Import your backing track in to audacity plug H2 into PC and use as mic, put headphones in to H2.

You have to select H2 as mic and sound output. Just ask if you have any problems 🙂

Jx
Click to expand...

Hi @Jeanette ,

Nearly there, I can record myself through audacity but I am not hearing myself through the headphones, I only hear the backing track. Also I have no clue what to do with all these reverb options, can you elaborate a little please?

OK found the check box to add myself on to the headphones but I think there may be a bit of a delay, is this typical?
 
I'm not so happy with this first attempt (I Ihink I get stage fright when I'm recording!) so I'll try and post a better one later in the month. I still have a lot to do but this is where I'm at now:

https://soundcloud.com/mike-morrell-765250389%2Fwhen-sunny-gets-blue-mike-version-1
View: https://soundcloud.com/mike-morrell-765250389/when-sunny-gets-blue-mike-version-1


Any suggestions for improvement (in addition to breathing, steady notes, intonation and vibrato) are very welcome!

Mike

BTW I felt more comfortable with a slowed down backing track (70 bpm). Might it give another go at full speed.
 
MikeMorrell said:
I'm not so happy with this first attempt (I Ihink I get stage fright when I'm recording!) so I'll try and post a better one later in the month. I still have a lot to do but this is where I'm at now:

https://soundcloud.com/mike-morrell-765250389%2Fwhen-sunny-gets-blue-mike-version-1
View: https://soundcloud.com/mike-morrell-765250389/when-sunny-gets-blue-mike-version-1


Any suggestions for improvement (in addition to breathing, steady notes, intonation and vibrato) are very welcome!

Mike

BTW I felt more comfortable with a slowed down backing track (70 bpm). Might it give another go at full speed.
Click to expand...
That's fabulous Mike!
I began to learn it today and have a while to go before I'm ready to record and upload a version. It takes me a couple of days to get a feel of the rhythm of a piece and to learn the notes so that there's no hesitations.
 
MikeMorrell said:
I'm not so happy with this first attempt (I think I get stage fright when I'm recording!)
Click to expand...

My suggestion would be, record yourself all the time. You will gradually learn to deal with the kind of stage fright you get when recording, and I think this also helps with the kind of stage fright you get when performing for an audience. You'll be able to make more relaxed recordings of yourself, and it gets easier and easier to listen to yourself.
 
Colin the Bear said:
It seems to me, more air through the instrument would help your tone, I think they call it air support. In simple terms play louder, stronger.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the perceptive feedback, Colin. Very true. I know that good and steady 'air support' is fundamental to developing a better tone but it's also the first thing I forget about after playing the first couple of notes! I'll focus on this until it becomes a habit.
Mike
 
Alice said:
That's fabulous Mike!
I began to learn it today and have a while to go before I'm ready to record and upload a version. It takes me a couple of days to get a feel of the rhythm of a piece and to learn the notes so that there's no hesitations.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Alice - I'm looking forward to hearing your version! I really like this ballad.

The sheet has more variety in note values than I've played since my last sax lessons some 15 years ago. So although unnecessary, I decided to treat it as an exercise in playing exactly from the sheet (rather than playing my own variations on the basic theme). I didn't get it 100% right (and I could't resist adding a few minor variations the second time through) but I got pretty close, I think. If I do a 2nd recording, I'll try to play more from memory and less from the sheet.
 
MikeMorrell said:
Thanks, Alice - I'm looking forward to hearing your version! I really like this ballad.

The sheet has more variety in note values than I've played since my last sax lessons some 15 years ago. So although unnecessary, I decided to treat it as an exercise in playing exactly from the sheet (rather than playing my own variations on the basic theme). I didn't get it 100% right (and I could't resist adding a few minor variations the second time through) but I got pretty close, I think. If I do a 2nd recording, I'll try to play more from memory and less from the sheet.
Click to expand...
Thank you Mike 🙂
Yes I understand what you mean..
Once you're happy that you can play from the sheet, putting it away and playing instinctively is going to have much more feeling as you will probably find yourself blowing the notes "with more air support" .... I don't know if anyone else is the same, but when I'm first starting to learn the notes of a piece, I'm concentrating on "where are they and what are they" and less about the actual expression.... But that comes later when I put the sheet away. I've only been learning to read music for the last seven months.
 
@MikeMorrell play the tune you are working on but use long tones, you'll learn the notes and be playing long tones in the context of real music, rather than just going up or down the the sax.

As for the version you posted, it sounded great. Very soon the big red button will become an addiction and you'll need more soundcloud accounts haha.🙂
 
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