Step 2-Focus on the Nail, not the Hammer

As we continue our way through my Seven Steps to a better life in music, it’s time to talk about equipment. (and this would be a good time to mention the reference to a Miles Davis Classic, Seven Steps to Heaven!)

At times many of us can get caught up in what we are using for a horn, mouthpiece, etc. When I started there were not nearly as many options. Of course they called the trombone a Sackbut back in those days, my how things have changed since I was a kid! 

Today there are a multitude of instrument manufacturers, both foreign and domestic. Most make a quality horn. If you narrow it down to one company, now you have more choices.! So much to decide, lead pipes, Bell considerations, hand slide, tuning crook, valves, bore, it can be a lot.

In my career, I’ve played on a lot of them, Rotors, Axials, Hagmann, Shires, Thein, Bach,, Bach-Greenhoe, short lead pipe, no lead pipe, soldered bell, unlaquered, you name it. And don’t get me started on mouthpieces!

If I listen to an archive of my many years in St. Louis performing, I’d have no way of knowing what I was playing. It always sounds like me, and I was always doing different things. I might bring something new in one day, and the colleague sitting next to me can’t tell any difference.

Play on what you like, that is what helps you make the sound you want to make. You may need flexibility in your situation, pick a horn that can do many things. Be careful not to choose a sound you love that gets too far away from the rest of the herd.

But back to my analogy, you are the carpenter, and the hammer you swing shouldn’t be the focus. Your sound should be the main concern, keep your eyes on the nail.

And always remember, we make music, so be aware of your part, how it fits in to the whole, and what it’s supposed to convey. Sing through your horn, hear what you’re playing before you just blow air into the tubes. In all cases, start from a sound in your head, and get it out to your audience. Your equipment is there to help you accomplish that goal.

It’s a means to an end. Don’t spend too much time worrying about the hammer you’re swinging, focus on driving the nail. I doubt a great carpenter spends a lot of time choosing the hammer, or has a shelf full of them. Find a good one, move on.

I have played on a lot, and some experimentation is not a bad thing, just don’t get carried away. It’s expensive! You may spend years and no small amount of money, just to end up back where you started. 

And lastly, be careful not getting sucked into playing what your idol plays, or talked into something by some one else, even a teacher. Something that works for one person, may not work for another. We are all different.

Maybe hammers and nails are not the best analogy, we should try and steer away from the old adage of, I nailed it! Let’s always be focused on making music. And on to our next step……