Volume vs. Sound

[GBP]

I have a Edwards CRE bass that I use for big band. I have been trying out various mouthpieces on it just to see what happens. I have come across a Shires D1 that sounds very good and a Griego David Taylor that I can produce a lot of volume on but does not sound as interesting as the Shires. The difference in sound and volume are both very close. What, in your opinion matters more, best sound or big volume?

[hyperbolica]

Getting a good sound is always one of the top goals on any instrument. Big sound may take practice, but it will come. More of a bad thing is never desirable.

College kids who can rattle your eyeballs with a pedal G are a dime a dozen. Be that one who gets a really amazing sound that people want to listen to.

You may think this isn't true, but my main difficulty as a tenor player doubling on bass has been getting the bass to play softer and more subtly. Sometimes it's just too easy to hit that low C with a big BBBRRRRAAAAAAAAAPPPP, but you have to find a way to do it tastefully, and at mp. As a bass trombonist, you will get criticized much more frequently for being too loud than for being too soft.

[Burgerbob]

I have several pieces than can play louder than my Greg Blacks. But they don't sound nearly as good doing it.

[paulyg]

Volume is about the amount of vibration you can produce with your face... period.

Sound is about how "vocal" that vibration is. If you are trying to produce loud noise, that is what will come out. If you are trying to produce lots of good sound, you have a much better chance of making it happen.

[harrisonreed]

The difference in sound and volume are both very close.

This is the great mystery of music and life, though.

[baileyman]

I remember something, perhaps reported here, that when the articulation is stripped from the note, many people cannot say what instrument the note is from. So perhaps the difference in some pieces is that they affect articulation.

[GBP]

The Griego doesn’t make a bad sound, just not as interesting as the Shires piece. While I will be working harder to play the Shires at high volumes, especially in the low register, I will be going with it because I really like the sound. The Griego is a very efficient mouthpiece, though.

[GBP]

I remember something, perhaps reported here, that when the articulation is stripped from the note, many people cannot say what instrument the note is from. So perhaps the difference in some pieces is that they affect articulation.

Definitely true. I believe with bass pieces it is also an issue of control. Big enough to allow movement around the valve the low register and also focus in the sound

[GBP]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g8blj74u96q9 ... .mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/klzlp54ottrh ... .mp3?dl=0

Here are the two pieces. I really like how easy it is to play the Taylor at volume. Think those big shout choruses where bass sounds can get swallowed up or playing lines with an electric bass. Though the more I play the Shires, the more I think I can work live with whatever weaknesses the piece might have.