Sound Concept and Room Acoustics

It is interesting to note how the qualities of brightness and brilliance relate to room acoustics. In a relatively “dead” room that absorbs “highs” from the sound, it is usually more appropriate to use lighter, brighter equipment. Conversely, when playing in a “live” room, an instrument with a fuller and more complete spectrum of fundamental and overtones is usually more appropriate. An interesting example of this is the weight of equipment usually used by studio musicians who often record in carpeted studios with sound-absorbing material, compared with that of the equipment preferred by musicians who often record in larger studios or studios with wood walls and floors.

Also worth mentioning is the difference in how an instrument will feel to the performer relative to the room in which it is being played. An instrument that plays well in a large hall will commonly feel more resistant when played in a small or “dead” room. Playing in “dead” rooms will often cause subconscious physical tightening, resulting in playing well above the optimum pitch center of the instrument. This change in body use produces more highs in the sound, as the player tries to compensate for the dead room acoustics. The problem with this when using a quality instrument is that playing “off center” kills the resonance of the instrument, which in turn adversely affects response, intonation, articulation, etc.

In discussing sound concept in brass performance, it is important to understand that the timbre of most instruments will change with the velocity of air passing through the instrument. The faster the air stream, the more vibration in the instrument, which will produce more “highs” in the harmonic structure of the sound. For this reason, it is usually easier to make a dark instrument brighter than it is to make a bright instrument darker, since there is less potential for quality timbre change in an instrument that is bright to begin with.

This also seems to be demonstrated in Dr. Hanson’s results:

“There is more interharmonic variation during a given tone on the ‘Brand X’ trumpet than on the Monette. At differing dynamic levels, the temporal characteristics of the Monette spectra are more consistent than those of the ‘Brand X’ trumpet, which exhibits very different characteristics at different dynamic levels.”

Demonstration: Sound Concept and Projection

Find a large, acoustically desirable room, and have a friend stand across the room from you. Look at your valves, and play any note or a simple tune. Then look across the room at your friend, and play exactly the same thing. Most players and listeners will feel and hear the difference immediately. Your sound will usually be lower in pitch and more “present,” and the listener will hear your playing much more clearly when your attention is directed across the room. You may not, at first, relate to your sound as easily as when your focus is just a few feet away. However, you will usually feel more open and relaxed. Playing in large, acoustically desirable rooms and playing in certain outdoor settings are easy ways to immediately enjoy a more resonant sound.

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