[Keith Taylor]

Thanks so much for taking the time to check it out y’all. Really need to be practicing more, but it did come out okay considering how much time I put into learning the song.

Best to you all in these crazy times.

Keith

[Keith Taylor]

Thanks so much for the kind words y’all. I do appreciate them, and realize I’m pretty hard of myself regarding a lot of things music included. I am enjoying playing – and the process of getting better though. Regarding comparing my playing to guys like Johnny. To me, I feel I’d be doing myself a disservice not to. I get what you all mean, but it’s the players that have a great sound and style that gives clarity to where I’m trying to go from a sound and style perspective. They give an idea of what to reach for. I’m going to keep at it. I’ve been having the itch to transcribe stuff from some of my favorite players here recently, so, I plan to dig into that pretty soon.

Johnny:

Thanks so much for taking the time to check it out and to give me some feedback on my playing. It was a thought to try and get a Skype lesson with you prior to recording it, but I just ran out of time. I’m sure it would have helped though. I will pay attention to keeping my head up a bit. I’ve noticed recently that I haven’t found really a sweet spot for the hight of my mouthpiece or if I have it rotated more clockwise or counter-clockwise on the mouthpiece. I think I like it more at the one to two o’clock position. The thought has occurred to me that I should try and be more consistent and deliberate with it. Your advice for me to stand up while playing after I posted Skylark last year did help me a lot. I hadn’t realized how sitting down was really hindering my ability to hit altissimo G. Standing up helped with that a lot. And yes, the trill lessons would be great.

Thanks for the compliment on my tenor too. It’s a Cannonball Global Series that I bought used back in 2016 when I got this whole idea in my head to Dream a Little Dream of Me for Julia (my wife) for our first anniversary. Paid $1600 for it and it was money well spent. I say that because I have since played brand new top of the line Selmar’s and Yamaha’s – as well as a Mark VI, Super Balanced Action, and 1939 Conn 10M – all of which were in great shape – and I felt my horn held its own against them all, and I actually kind of preferred it over them all. And that’s saying something considering a pre WWII Conn 10M is my dream horn. I assume I prefer mine over all of them because it’s what I’m familiar with, but it plays better than it looks to me. I didn’t really care for the finish on it when I bought it, but it has since grown on me.

Gary D:

It is tricky getting the balance right for sure. My ears will start playing tricks on me and I then start second guessing myself. Really by the time I finalized the rendered the track for this, I was feeling so stressed and pressed for time that I had to just let it go and move on. You can get totally lost in programs like Reaper tweaking various things. It’s much like Photoshop to me in that regard. I’m pretty new to the whole mixing thing, and I’m learning it’s just as much of a process as learning to play to begin with is.

And if your dog is sleeping while you’re playing – you’re definitely doing something right. Mine (the one you see in the video) will often give me a look of total dread when he sees me pick up my sax, clarinet, or guitar. He’s a tough crowd. Probably is why I’m so worried about my intonation being off – and not sounding as good as I’d like to yet.

Thanks so much y’all. I’m now about to have to bury my head in a book for the next week to prepare for am exam I have next Thursday. Wish me luck with that.

[Keith Taylor]

Thanks y’all. I appreciate you all taking the time to check it out.

And Michael, my mix may very well be off. I did deliberetly back off the volume a bit on my track due to feeling like maybe should blend it in more due to me feeling like my intonation and playing was a bit off.

It shouldnt be as bad as i think it may he coming across on your system though. If it is, I didnt intend to bury it in the mix THAT much.

I had a few technial issues with the post production on the music and video though. My video is slightly off sync with the audio track, and there is one part where my audio has some weird happen to brighten it briefly.

It’s filled with stuff that id prefer been better.

Thanks for taking the time to check it out and give the feedback. I really appreciate it.

[Keith Taylor]

Thanks for the added insight, Johnny. I plan on recording it on Thursday, so, can’t wait for to the video you plan on doing on it. So, I’m just going to make it sound as good as I can, or figure out something else to do for those first measures on the second page.

Also, can you please clarify what you meant by, “to make it sound right we must scoop the first note?” This means I would need to scoop the F natural prior to doing the trill with the top G or ring finger key. Correct? I don’t think you mentioned doing that for that note in your lesson videos for the song – just the G, G#, and A that follows – which I’ve been doing already.

I’ll try and scoop the F, but I’m feeling rushed on the F and F# already due to the whole trill thing, and doing a scoop seems to add to the time needed for each note. For me it does at least. I’ll try it, though.

I may end up slowing down the tempo just a tad, which may make things a bit easier for me.

Thanks again for the added insight!

Keith

[Keith Taylor]

Thanks for taking the time to check it out, Johnny. I have been really working on my intonation recently, as I really only just realized how of I was on my middle D, which is a key no in the song since it’s what the melody starts on.

As far as me sitting verses standing goes. I actually prefer to stand too. My back often prefers that I sit though.

My horn is a Cannonball and they’re heavy, so it often will set off my lower back after playing for a while. I’ve found that sitting doesn’t seem to inflame it as much.

I also have been trying to get the concept of playing softly while still putting plenty of air through the horn. I’ve had several people that know what they’re talking about comment that I need to work on my air support recently. You saying “belting it out” makes me think you may have picked up on the same thing.

I also am somewhat trying to emulate Aubra Graves by sitting and having my mic in closer. He always sits when he plays, likely because he’s a pretty old guy I realize. It was mentioned to me that I should move my mic in closer which would allow me to not have to blow as hard. But that same person was one of those that mentioned to me that I needed to work on “keeping my tank full.”

Also found that I tend to move around more when I stand, which is fine when the mic isn’t as close in to the horn, but when it is, I can really jack up the levels on the recording by moving.

But sometimes I can cheat with it by working the mic. Moving in and out from the mic to do what I should be doing with my air flow.

I’m steadily learning and experimenting. Next song I do will definitely be a stand up song since I will need to put more “belt” into it.

Thanks again for taking the time to listen and give feedback.

[Keith Taylor]

Thanks, William. And here is a pro tip from a non-pro player:

I make it a point not play the song I’ve selected to do for her at all when she is around. I might practice just a short passage I’m working on while she’s here, but nothing to really clue her in on the song or melody.

My thought behind this is that I don’t want her to be absolutely sick of hearing me work on it by the time she hears it in the video. So, as soon as I select the song I only practice it when she isn’t here. This is only possible because I work from home, and she doeesn’t, so I’m able to practice while she’s gone and always try to.

I’m sure my neighbors might be absolutely sick of Skylark at this point though…

Keith

[Keith Taylor]

Thanks y’all!

Johnny, here is a link to the first one:

[Keith Taylor]

Yes it is, Mel. It’s really interesting to me hearing a sax player swap licks with a guitarist like that when it’s often two guitarists you hear doing it.

K

[Keith Taylor]

William, if you have a black cane reed, it sounds like it would be a Rico PlasticCover. I’ve not used them in years – since the 90’s – but they were popular in marching band due to them playing louder, lasting longer, and not being as effected by the weather.

If they’re still the same, the back half of them is a regular cane reed color. But the vibrating part is all black due to the plastic covering.

Due to that covering, it didn’t make any deference when you soaked them. They’re kind of a hybrid of a can and synthetic reed.

Hope that helps or answers your question.

[Keith Taylor]

Pete,

I’m definitely a fan of Ian’s playing too. Particularly what he post of him playing clarinet, which I’ve recently taken an interest in playing too in regards to New Orleans jazz style. Actually lucked up and bought a Selmer CL300 student level clarinet that is in good playing condition a couple of weeks ago for $20 bucks. Yes. $20. I was thrilled. And have been enjoying playing it. I can practice on it at night after my wife has gone to bed and when it’s just too late to play my tenor considering we live in an apartment and have neighbors.It definitely is a much different feel playing it than a tenor or alto though. Feels like I’m blowing through a clogged up straw.

Anyway, here’s a great one of Ian on clarinet that I just discovered last night that I really like:

And thank you for sharing that link of him playing the blues. I’d not heard or watched it before.

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