In an attempt to drag my skills kicking and screaming to the next level I’ve made a resolution to get up a little bit earlier every day and try to squeeze in an hour of practice. This morning I wasn’t happy with the sound in my living room so I went in search of better, more acoustically reflective surfaces.
Later, it occurs to me that I’ve been sitting with the lights off (bright lights baaad), in my bathtub, fully dressed, playing my flute for an hour stopping between tunes for a gulp of coffee.
I’m sure there are those in polite company who would consider this slightly odd.
Now if you had been sat inthe bath NAKED,playing the flute,that might have been slightly odd.Odder still would have been if you had played the flute whilst clothed,with the bath FULL of water!!
I can relate to the bathroom thing. I do the same thing occasionally. I’m checking out the emboucher, playing a few tunes, sipping on the coffee, and then I realize I’m in the freakin’ bathroom!
Then there’s the “bad emboucher” days, in which it doesn’t matter where you are.
Worry not - you’re in solid company… I saw a great session about a month ago when the musicians were waiting for a table quiz to end so they eventually started a session in the men’s toilets - brilliant sound in there, and it was easy to clean up the drink that inevitably spilled from trying to fit instruments in a small cramped place! The funny bit was watching quiz participants wonder why there was such a long line for the loo, and then see them staring in wonder when they crowded their way in
Any singer will tell you too that bathrooms and parking garage stairwells have infamously good acoustics.
I actually have played flute while enjoying a jacuzzi with my wife. Hot water and Irish music go very well together…but I don’t recommend this unless you have a polymer flute.
Yup, I’m down with the whole bathroom thing. My usual practice areas are my kitchen (wooden floor - good), my hall (wooden floor and mirror - OK, starting to sound a little strange) and my bathroom (tiles, mirror and WC - hey, everyone’s gotta go sometime!!)
I believe that you should always practice where it sounds best - it does wonders for the motivation and the self confidence.
Cheers
Graham (not currently “engaged”, you’ll be pleased to know)
John Skelton told a story this summer about the time he got together with folks outside to play when it began to rain, so they ran into the men’s restroom nearby. There he learned the tune he named “The Convenience Reel”.
Since then he has taken to hanging around men’s lavatories in an attempt to learn new tunes.
“And that m’lord is the argument for the defense.”
Not to date myself, (this was still a couple of years before my time… not many, but a couple), but many ‘50’s doo-wop bands did their “basement” recordings in mens’ rooms. Great natural reverb. I use my kitchen for much the same sound (playing flute, not singing doo-wop) – it’s larger, brighter and I can make coffee there.
No question about the value of the BR for practice. However, I need to be a contortionist on occasion since the shower door is close to the pot seat.
My den is great for practice in the summer time, all wood. But I just learned THIS MORNING that while playing there in the winter - the den being windowed in on three sides (and its snowing again today) - my fingers dry out quickly and I was wondering why the problem covering all the holes. TODAY I figured this out by walking out of the den into the dining room, standing there doing some scales when my fingers felt moisture from the hole and all was well. Who can confilgure?
everybody I have ever asked has confessed to playing in the bathroom or shower. the hard surface of the tiles helps us to sound more brilliant than we really are. which is lots and lots of fun.
