Real Book (sixth edition) Errata

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I've been working on some tunes out of the Bb version of the Real Book, sixth edition, published by Hal Leonard. Though the book claims that "all of the notorious errors have been fixed," don't expect it to be completely accurate. It's frustrating to find errors the first time you read through a tune (or worse, to learn a mistake for a tune you work on), so to that end, I'm planning on compiling the errors I find here as I find them. You're welcome to submit errors to me and I'll post them here.

Bb Edition

Donna Lee – measure 29 should have a written Eb instead of E natural for the first note
Four – measure 11 should have a written Bb instead of B natural

Nica's Dream – Chords in the B section have several errors. B5 and B9 should have F-7. B6 and B10 should be just Bb7. I haven't heard a recording with dominant seventh chords and the extra two beats of F-7--instead I hear a regular ii-V that resolves either to I (the second and fourth lines) or to iii (a neat deceptive resolution).

All Editions

Jordu - bar 3 of the B section has the wrong rhythm. Beats 3 and 4 should be a dotted quarter and an eighth note instead of two quarters.

Take Five - missing chords in the B section. The first three bars are each missing the second chord, which in order should be Ab-6, Eb-7, and Cb7. The same omission occurs in bars 5-7 of the B section as well. Also, the final chord of the B section should be Bb7 instead of Bb-7.

Some Day My Prince Will Come - Bar 7 should be a minor 7 instead of a dominant 7 chord. [It's what is played on the Miles Davis recording as well as the original in Snow White. I found other lead sheets with the same error...perhaps someone has played it that way, but I don't think it sounds good. The ii chord in the key of Bb should be minor, and this tune stays pretty solidly in Bb.] 

(last updated 7/11/15)

Allora Aere Trombone (Plastic!) Review

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If all you want is to see and hear a quick comparison of the Allora Aere and a student model Bach, see these two short videos.

Quiz

Which of these recordings is a plastic trombone? The four combinations of mouthpiece and instrument are plastic/plastic, plastic/metal, metal/metal, and metal/plastic. [Yes, I know I don't sound amazing on trombone]. See the answers at the bottom of the post.

I ordered an Allora Aere Trombone in blue back in December. It must have been a popular Christmas item because it was on backorder for more than two months! I paid about $120 with a percentage off coupon code, and so far I think it was a fair price for what I received.

Positives

  • sounds like a trombone
  • plays in tune (though what does that really mean on trombone?)
  • slide moves freely and has improved over the last month as I have played it more
  • comes with lots of "extras," including two plastic mouthpieces, a stand, cleaning supplies, and a bag that fits everything neatly
  • very light
  • blue! (or other colors)

Negatives

  • difficult if not impossible to get a brassy, edgy tone that is often characteristic of trombone
  • plastic slide is noisier than metal
  • slide lock is weak and tugging on the slide while locked releases the slide
  • included stand is adequate for holding the trombone but feels flimsy

The biggest issue I see with the Aere trombone is that it can't match the sound and power of my Bach TB-300. While trombone isn't my main instrument, I use it extensively while teaching because it is the easiest low instrument to pick up and play lines when needed. I also think I do an adequate job demonstrating tone for my younger trombonists, especially when I need to show them using more air for a bigger sound or toning it down to blend with the rest of the low voices. The Aere trombone is mostly fine for demonstrating these things, but I can't make it cut through an ensemble in the same way as my metal bone.

Looking at trombone currently on Craigslist, I see some trombones available used for $150. If I were looking for a trombone for a beginning student, I would almost certainly purchase one of these (Bundy, Bach, Yamaha, etc.) instead of the Allora Aere. That said, I can imagine a few reasons to get a plastic trombone. I've never taken complaints about the trombone's weight too seriously, but I could see using one with a student who needed the lightest trombone they could find (perhaps recovering from an arm/shoulder injury, or the very young). It is cool that it is blue and brings some spirit to pep band. I've also found it beneficial to play on the Aere trombone as a practice tool. I find that playing it at the level I want requires more air, and that translates to a bigger, better sound on whatever I play next (my regular trombone or trumpet).

Cosmetically, the Aere trombone looks great from far away. Close up, though, there are some rough spots. The joints on the ABS tubing show some extra adhesive. The mouthpiece receiver has some sort of white, powdery residue that I haven't managed to clean all the way out yet. The slide lock feels flimsy, and the socket connecting the bell and slide sections has a few rows of extra threads that make it feel not well thought out.

I do feel a metal mouthpiece gives a better sound that the included plastic ones (or the plastic Kelly 6 1/2AL I normally play on), but I think the difference is marginal.

Audio answers from samples at the top:

  1. Allora/Bach
  2. Allora/Kelly
  3. Bach/Bach
  4. Bach/Kelly

Listening back to myself, I don't hear as much of a difference in the recordings as I heard while playing.

Metronome and Tuner Reviews

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I've purchased a number of different metronomes and tuners over the past few years in search of the best value for the money. If I wanted as many options in a metronome as possible, I'd get a Dr. Beat DB-90. If I wanted to go cheap, I would (and have) just downloaded some apps for my iPod Touch. Still, I want a device I can leave in the band room and not worry about it disappearing or getting dropped. Ideally, it's flexible (both a metronome and a tuner), inexpensive, and easy enough for any student to grasp how to use it without a whole lot of instruction. Today I'll summarize my findings with four different devices.

Planet Waves PW-MT-01

(metronome only! There is, however a version that integrates a tuner, but don't ask me how it works since it seems to show exactly the same buttons and case as the metronome only)

The thing that stands out about this metronome is that the first two beats it gives when started are somewhat rushed. Following the initial stutter, it seems to keep time adequately, but it is particularly jarring at a faster tempo. The sound (wood blockish) is fine. Having the tempo tap feature on a dedicated button is great, but the other controls are cumbersome (editing beats per measure, the subdivision, or changing tempo one beat at a time). There are better choices (such as the Korg TM-50) for around the same price.

The display on this combination metronome/tuner is adequate when viewed from the right angle. It is annoying that simply turning it on/off requires a slightly more than 2-second push (and moving between the tuner and metronome requires the same push on a different button). More annoying is that the metronome does not start right away after pushing "Play" (it's about .9s of delay). Nice is the placement of Italian tempo markings on the front. As you increase or decrease the tempo, a marker shows which range you are in. A variety of beat divisions are possible, including eighth notes, eighth note triplets, sixteenths, offbeat eighth notes, and the dotted-eighth plus sixteenth note rhythm.

The tuner is a little less "jumpy" than the other two in this review--perhaps it is just my perception. In any case, I don't mind it. Since I'm used to it, I prefer seeing tuning horizontally--but the Cherub's vertical arrangement (sharp=high and flat=low) makes more sense from the way we talk about pitch. One other feature is the ability to change the key on the tuner. Possibilities are the common band transpositions of Bb, Eb, and F, in addition to C for concert pitch. While this is likely helpful to some students, I think it is equally likely to be confusing without an explanation. 

The Accent tuner/metronome may be a bit harder to find since Accent instruments are sold only through certain dealers. This model is a vast improvement on the ACC-405. I owned a couple of those which worked fine for a while but exhibited some strange behaviors before they stopped working. The color display on this new model looks fine, provided you view it head on. Any other angle makes it difficult if not impossible to read. The on/off and mode switch buttons require a hold of less than one second to activate, and those buttons also have a secondary function for a simple press. The metronome thankfully starts beeping right away. Beat groupings from 0 to 9 can be cycled with one button, and the tempo adjustment buttons move 1 bpm up or down (faster if held). The range of beat divisions is the same as the Cherub with the addition of a couple eighth/sixteenth note combos.

The tuner, like the Cherub, has a transposition option. It also has an 1/8" output and a 1/4" pass-through for keeping the tuner plugged in while also going through an amp. Last, it seems a little strange that the speaker is on the back. While it is still loud enough, there is a noticeably lower volume because of this placement. It also makes the sound a little pingier when placed directly against a music stand.

Korg TM-50

The picture from the start of this article is actually a TM-40. My TM-50 disappeared a few weeks ago and I have yet to order a replacement. The key features are the same, but the TM-50 tweaks some things that make it even better than the TM-40.

While this Korg tuner/metronome combo is a little more expensive ($30 currently), it is the best value I have found for what I am looking for. Metronome and Tuner functions have dedicated buttons are are easy to use, there is a tempo tap feature from a dedicated button, and you can set the rate of change to one at a time or skips (makes getting to a vastly different tempo much faster). The display is adequate and has a backlight which I never use. There is still some room for improvement--I wish the start/stop button for the metronome was larger. I'm prone to touch the tempo tap button instead.

The metronome has several beat division options: eighths, triplets, triplets without the center note, sixteenths, sixteenths without the two center notes. You can also set beat groupings of 0 to 9.

While it is more expensive than the others I reviewed, the Korg TM-50 is my favorite all-in-one practice tool for the band room. If it gets busted, it's not an arm and a leg to replace, and students are able to use the important functions on their own. The tempo tap also makes it useful to me as a conductor when I want an easy to access reference point. 

Do you have other suggestions? I'm also looking for something better, so let me know if you'd like me to take a look at something else.