[Trombone-l] Conch shells on Revueltas

[Raymond Horton]

Daniel Pliskin wrote:
>>     Just a couple of tips- it is really easy to play, but because the 
>> "mouthpiece" can be irregular at best, the endurance can be a bear- not 
>> usually once through, but if you need to repeat it.
>>     
>
> Funny... I'd carve the conch so that I could put a mouthpiece into it.
>
> DanP
>
>   
Funny you should say that, Dan.  Last night, I had a brainstorm on this 
conch thing.  As I said, the one the orchestra rented has a trumpet 
mouthpiece-sized rim, and I can't get much volume on it.  Also, it's 
been pointed out to me in a private message that the percussion 
improvise a cadenza, and that may include me doing a solo cadenza, and I 
cannot play more than the one initial note (plus note bends) with the 
rim that is on it.  If I had more time, I could hunt up more conch 
shells to choose from.  Of course, I can't alter this rented one to make 
a bigger rim, BUT:


Last night I put white electrical tape on a European euph mouthpiece 
shank, and stuck my mouthpiece with that short shank in the small rim of 
the conch.  Now I've brought the pitch down to E, plus I get more sound, 
can get a high B (can even squeak out a high E), and it's much more 
comfortable.  I've covered the whole apparatus with white electrical 
tape so it is not totally obvious to the audience.  After watching the 
Steve Turre video that Walter Barret was kind enough to link me to, plus 
another one I found on YouTube, I get a lot better idea of what the 
shell can do if I need to play a cadenza, and I can do a lot more with 
it with my mouthpiece.  I can do nice hand-bends down a third, even a 
fourth with care.


This list has been a big help on this!


Ray Horton
Louisville Orchestra