Heavy Metal

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 03/06/2020 at 12:01 • Filed to: None

4

22

This is video of some of the soundtrack recording for Need for Speed , which I must say I have not seen. I’ve done a number of performances where the orchestra played the entire movie score from front to back, and you can see here that it’s simply not done what way. It’s all short bits (called cues) that are then stitched together. These heavy hitters make a lot of noise, and the trumpet player sitting in the middle, Malcolm McNab, is one of the heaviest hitters of all time . He’s probably lost count of how many movies he’s played for. And if you want to hear him do something insane, check out his recording of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. That’s right, he’s playing the violin part. Here’s an excerpt from the end of the third movement.

The story I heard about this is that he’s been working on it for many years, and finally decided to record it. So he hired the orchestra (the dude is in no way short of funds) and laid it down in his garage studio. And he’s not just skipping through this. He’s playing all. the. notes. I’ve heard violinists do a worse job on this.

Chariotoflove > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 12:13

1

That’s my favorite violin concerto of all time.  Cool to hear it on a trumpet.  It translates well.

ttyymmnn > Chariotoflove 03/06/2020 at 12:15

3

You wouldn’t say that if you heard me play it. 

Chariotoflove > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 12:19

1

But I might pay to hear  that just the same. You should try.  It can be your white whale.

Nom De Plume > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 12:22

1

Need for Speed is...

That transcription for solo trumpet on the other hand was a good example of how rounded and skillful his abilities as a musician are.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 12:22

1

LOL

vondon302 > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 12:31

0

Wow lungs of steel or should I say lips?

Neat!

MoCamino > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 12:48

0

The last time I played a trumpet was in 8th grade band - thirty six years ago . (I had to make a choice between band and baseball. Frankly I probably would have been better at band if I’d stuck with it.) Just looking at that score as he’s playing it makes my lips hurt.

ttyymmnn > Chariotoflove 03/06/2020 at 13:26

2

Nah, I have no interest in doing something like this. I also don’t have anywhere near the technique. As Dirty Harry said, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”

ttyymmnn > vondon302 03/06/2020 at 13:27

1

Extraordinary technique. 

ttyymmnn > MoCamino 03/06/2020 at 13:31

0

I wish I could articulate as cleanly and accurately as he does. It’s bonkers. I haven’t taught trumpet in many years, but I’m back at it now, teaching middle schoolers. So, 6th- 8th graders. I’m having a blast.

Chariotoflove > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 13:36

2

U nrelated to the conversation but I’m reminded just the same. I was in the symphonic band one semester in college where rehearsals were scheduled just after my wines and spirits class I was taking at the same time. Italian wines day was wonderful, because those are my favorite, and you can be sure I did not use the spit bucket during tasting.

After class, rehearsal included some really fast marches, and I marveled that day at how relaxed my embouchure was. It was never as easy to play as fast and precise before or since that day.

ttyymmnn > Chariotoflove 03/06/2020 at 13:38

1

That’s good, but it’s not a regimen that I would recommend....

I remember a few years ago, I was having a severe bout of debilitating stage fright. My teacher and I talked about it, and he said, “Then there was [famous cornet soloist] Del Staigers. He had terrible nerves, so he would drink a glass of red wine before every performance. Of course, Del became an alcoholic...”

Chariotoflove > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 13:40

0

It was entirely accidental, I assure you.  I also did not try to replicate the effect for the concert. :)

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Chariotoflove 03/06/2020 at 13:42

1

Along similar lines, I played in a bar band right after high school, and would always have more fun and play more freely while high!

ttyymmnn > Chariotoflove 03/06/2020 at 13:45

1

When I was at my first undergrad school, my buddy and I signed up for volleyball (we needed PE credit) in the morning, then went to a pizza place and drank a couple of pitchers. Then I went to band. I don’t recall it hurting my performance much, but I also did things back in those days I’d never d now. I played a fair bit of community theater, where the pay was, “It’s good experience.” So we sat in the pit and drank rum and Cokes during the show.

Interesting times....

MoCamino > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 13:54

0

I wish I could have made it work to do both. Headed into my freshman year, I had a scheduling conflict between pre-season baseball practice and late-summer marching band practice. I went to the band director to see if we could work something out so I could do both. He was a jerk about it and basically said I had to choose. At that point I felt like the choice was made for me.

Bear in mind it was a small high school - like 55 students per class year and it was actually eighth grade through senior in the same building. My eighth grade year all four guys that played trombone dropped the class, so the only low brass we had was one lonely tuba. We had eight trumpet players, so he asked two of us to switch to baritone, which we gladly did. It’s not like we were great, but good enough to do well at band competitions and certainly better than no low brass at all. Still irritates me to this day.

/rantoff

Chariotoflove > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI 03/06/2020 at 14:17

0

I bet you did!

TheRealBicycleBuck > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 14:23

0

Wow. As I watched and listened to the concerto, I was reminded of my years in band. I never could have achieved that level of proficiency. Partly because I wasn’t talented enough, mostly because I wasn’t motivated enough. My primary goal was to avoid being last chair. I was talented enough to always hover around third chair despite the lack of practice. Then I switched up instruments to alleviate boredom. After that, I was either the only chair (baritone sax) or had more experience than the others (oboe) and the others couldn’t catch up. Mainly, I just became lazy when it came to playing.

Looking back, I wish my director had been more demanding.

3point8isgreat > ttyymmnn 03/06/2020 at 15:02

0

Any idea how he would handle the chords in the Tchaikovsky (I know at least the first movement has them) ? Or how would you handle chords on trumpet in general?

ttyymmnn > 3point8isgreat 03/06/2020 at 17:25

0

I’ll have to listen to the whole thing. So far, I’ve only listened to this excerpt. For the most part, though, the trumpet is a one-note-at-a-time instrument. He might have managed a fast arpeggiated rip or something. 

ttyymmnn > TheRealBicycleBuck 03/06/2020 at 17:27

1

I would wager it was more a matter of motivation and less a matter of talent. It sounds like you achieved exactly what you aimed for, so had you aimed higher, you might have placed higher. 

ttyymmnn > MoCamino 03/06/2020 at 17:31

1

My son plays trumpet in HS. He’s a junior now. They do a block schedule, where classes meet M-W-F or T-Th. Band, however, is double blocked, which means it meets every day. That means that for many kids, sports is out of the question, especially in the fall during the band contest season. My son was a fine soccer goalie, but he was told that he couldn’t do both band and soccer. We found out after a couple of years that it wasn’t true, that the band director just didn’t want to work with us to make it happen. Band directors and coaches can have a way of believing that their activity is the most important one. I get it, they want the talent. But we should be able to give our kids the most opportunities possible.