Posted by Kenneth Sloan on December 26, 2002 at 15:55:08:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: A Christmas wish for Holton . . . posted by Rick Denney on December 26, 2002 at 14:19:15:
"If a weak player can do his best work on it, then perhaps a fine player can do his best work on it also."
Sometimes, sometimes not.
Sometimes (notice how I use that weasel-word to stay safe) there is a trade-off between "amateur-friendly" and "pro-friendly". There may also be a trade-off between the "cash register" and the extremes. An amateur really only needs the "cash register". A pro may be willing to give up some (unneeded) help in the middle register in exchange for useful extremes.
In my opinion, this issue is most clearly seen in mouthpiece design, but is also seen in the comments people make about various "esoteric" brands of instruments.
Every player has to consider both what is possible and what is easy (efficient). IF the instrument simply won't do what is necessary - then it hardly matters how efficient it is. This is why pros may rule out many "amateur" instruments - while at the same time these instruments are perfectly suited to limited use. Pros may then use instruments which are "inefficient", for the simple reason that they *must* have a greater range of capabilities, no matter what the cost. But then...(once the range is there)...the efficiency becomes important again.
Finally, there is another aspect to "efficiency". The instrument can efficiently produce a vanilla effect - or, it might allow the player to efficiently modify (color) the result.
Ease of modification may be death to the beginner.
Ease of vanilla production, coupled by a certain stiffness (resistance to change) may be death to the virtuoso.
So, Rick...how would the Holton go over in the typical high school band room, where the repertoire never dips below AA?
Which would you prefer, and why:
a) a horn with bad intonation, marvelous "color", but no flexibility in either.
b) a horn with bad intonation, vanilla color, easy flexibility in both.
c) a horn with good intonation, vanilla color, no flexibility.
d) a horn with good intonation, easy natural "color", easy flexibility
(if you find 'd)', please let me know...)