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Artist Messages
Russell Gray - Cornet
[International Cornet Soloist and Conductor]
I am delighted to have been involved in the development team for the new Neo cornet. Through many hours of research and trial I am confident that the resulting instrument is the best on the market, I find it to be very accurate in intonation, and tone throughout the range, and it is remarkably responsive at whatever dynamic level you choose to play.
If you want the ultimate cornet then look no further.
Phillip McCann - Cornet
[International Cornet Soloist, Conductor, Teacher at Huddersfield University]
There are for me two or three basic/mandatory requirements when I choose an instrument. Firstly, as a performer we must be able to rely on the build quality of the instrument, life is tough enough on stage without the mechanics of the instrument failing us! The quality of instrument is so important, it is an encouragement and catalyst to practice as well as performance. Without a doubt, the level of quality control maintained by Yamaha is second to none. Secondly, the tone quality and the sound produced by any brass instrument (in combination with the player), is perhaps the single most important aspect of playing any instrument. Your personal sound on an instrument is your musical identity, just like your voice. I have no hesitation in saying that the new Neo cornet has all of the qualities that I look for, allowing for the tones to be open, happy or sad, big or small, and all can be beautiful!
Finally, as a Yamaha Artist, I can truly say from my experience over the past 20 years working with them, that in the development process of any new model instrument, they will take as long as it is necessary to achieve the goal of the best possible product. No more words are necessary!
Arfon Owen - Tenor Horn
[Horn Player, Stavanger Brass Band]
As a tenor horn player, you strive to produce the warm, vibrant sound that belies the instrument's character. The hours put into the development of Yamaha Neo's design allows me to reach the instrument’s full potential, in terms of tone quality, range, as well the heavy technical demands that are asked of brass band players by composers and arrangers.
Above everything else, the Yamaha Neo is an absolute joy to play. I can rely on it to perform every time it comes of out of the case, which allows me to just get on with what I love, making music.
Katrina Marzella - Baritone
[International Soloist, Solo Baritone, Black Dyke Band]
The Neo baritone horn is set to revolutionise the preconceptions and expectations of baritone players across the world. Never before has the instrument been heard and felt with such presence. It is simply a joy to play: the sound has warmth, breadth and projected power in equal measure; the intonation is remarkably consistent; the efficient playing experience is second to none; and the production quality is exceptional. It has been my pleasure to be involved in this journey.
Thanks to Yamaha, the baritone horn has now found its voice.
Bill Millar - Euphonium
[Professor, University of Salford]
When trying a new euphonium a number of things are for me of paramount importance.
The first thing I would consider would be the comfort of hold, the positioning of the lead pipe and the hand rest are of particular importance. In this respect, I found that these were positioned ideally on the Neo to provide a comfortable hold when adopting a correct upright posture. Quality of sound is for me the single most important feature of any instrument. I would be looking for an instrument that has both a resonance and a clarity of tone.
With the Neo I found both of these qualities in abundance throughout the dynamic range. The modern day repertoire for the euphonium covers a range of more than four octaves so players need an instrument that they know will perform well at the extremes of the range. Again the Neo exceeded my expectation in this regard, performing with ease at the highest and lowest extremes of the euphonium register. The valve action on the Neo is both smooth and solid, providing an ease of execution when playing rapid passages and a sense of security in slower music.
This is an instrument that combines depth and clarity of tone with great projection, responsiveness and character, it truly is a joy to play and I give it my highest possible recommendation.
Simon Gresswell - BB♭Bass
[Principal Tuba, Brighouse and Rastrick Band]
It was an honour to be asked by Yamaha to help develop the new Neo BBb Bass.
I was looking to create an unrivalled sound base, capable of holding together in all ranges and dynamics. The valve action is quiet and slick, allowing clear movement and definition. The lower register is of special quality. It is easy to produce allowing maximum control and colour. This instrument exceeds all my expectations of a modern day BBb Bass.
Eirik Gjerdevik - E♭Bass
[Solo Tubist, Bergen Navy Band]
Why do I play Yamaha? My Neo E♭ Bass is very easy to play. In tune and consistent in all registers, it is easy to make a beautiful sonorous sound. My work is always quite technically demanding, so I need a tuba which plays with me, not against me. This is the love of my life.
Everything I want to play, it plays easily.
Development Story
Yoshihiko Matsukuma - Designer of Neo Euphonium and Tuba
Yoshihiko Matsukuma previously worked on the development of Viennese instruments with members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, has been involved in Yamaha’s acoustic research division and is a developer of the Silent Brass. He is now working as a brass instrument designer focusing mainly on tuba and euphonium.
What made you decide to develop the Neo?
It all began with a request from professional players. They wanted an instrument that had a broader, softer sound than other Yamaha brass instruments at that time and also wanted to be able to bring out its “tonal” and “expressive” appeal when he was applying force whilst feeling comfortable resistance. During the course of development, I visited the UK several times to study what kind of people played the instruments and in what way. I felt the real sound vibration that I couldn’t get just by listening to CDs, then I thought about how to apply it to the design of new instruments. Firstly, I made prototypes in Japan, and then I flew with them to visit the Yamaha Atelier in Hamburg to make continuous improvements, where I had artists to evaluate them and technicians to modify them with tools and parts.
What did you discover in the UK?
(Picture:With Bill Millar and technicians of Yamaha Atelier Hamburg.)
The performance level of ordinary players. I could see the real way in which ordinary people play in the UK. I learned which factors of performance were of particular importance. Tonal quality or sound volume? Playing a quick passage? Or tuba players' pride in playing low register? Artists coming to Japan are generally famous players. They are highly skilled soloists and can usually play to a very high level on almost any instrument. They are not used to playing in ensembles where the sound has to blend with players of different abilities and on different instrument makes. This is how you learn which notes in an instrument may have intonation problems. Listening only to advice or a sound given by those who do not play in these situations doesn’t help you. It meant a lot to me to witness the real situation in the UK. Unlike Japanese school bands, British bands have various members within a band, from children to more mature adults. British bands have an atmosphere and environment where young members watch and learn from older players. I knew this in my head, but it was great to actually see and feel it.
Can you tell us an episode about the development?
The major contributors who played a big role in developing the instrument are Thomas Lubitz and Eddie Veit, technicians of Yamaha Atelier Hamburg. They are my dear colleagues who share the same ideas and technical goals. It is very important that a technician and a designer can discuss technical matters on the same level. For example when they talk about how to deal with a player’s request, they should be able to say something like ”Ok it has tonal merit but also has demerit in intonation.” on the same level. Also, when the Neo Euphonium was completed, Steven Walsh, Principal Euphonium of the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, praised it referring to it as “the best traditional British euphonium”. His recognition of it as “traditional” was just what I wanted, so I was very happy.
Is there anything you are particularly committed to in designing an instrument?
Regarding the Neo, it’s the balance between tone and resistance. When I try to increase the resistance, it can sometimes be carried too far. So I balance it with tone by stopping raising the resistance when it reaches a certain point to prevent the tone becoming too solid. In addition, a good balance of comfortable blow and resistance throughout all registers, smooth connection of notes and accurate intonation are also important. Such things, which some older instruments lacked, have been achieved as a result.
Is designing an instrument a calculation or a feeling?
(Picture:Matsukuma with Simon Gresswell.)
Matsukuma with Simon Gresswell. In the end I would trust my instinct. I can calculate tube bore size to some extent, but calculating its wall thickness, which I sometimes do for manufacturing purposes, isn’t very useful for sound. For example, when I have a player try several instruments, I watch their facial expression whilst listening to their sound. When I ask for the player’s opinion after the trial, I sometimes notice that the response is different from the sound produced. Also in some cases, I receive overseas player’s feedback on an instrument from our overseas staff via e-mail, which can be easy to misunderstand. To avoid such things, I go abroad as much as possible to hear the sound by myself, see the look on player’s face, and think it over myself, while hearing the views of others being there and hearing the same sound. Hearing only words definitely leads to misunderstanding. For example, when a player tests another make of instrument and says “I like this kind of sound”, if I am there to hear the sound with my ears, a drawing comes to my mind. Then my instinct starts to work for the drawing to determine the wall thickness, within 0.1mm range. Designs happen like this. They can’t be calculated.
What do you think is required to be a designer of musical instrument?
(Picture:Thomas Lubitz and Eddie Veit at Yamaha Atelier Hamburg.)
Thomas Lubitz and Eddie Veit at Yamaha Atelier Hamburg. I think a designer has to understand things both in theory and in feeling. Being good at only one or the other is useless. Once you get the both, like I’ve just mentioned the wall thickness, listening to a tone instantly gives you an image of spectrum. Seeing only one part of a brass instrument makes you imagine the whole thing. Like an X-ray picture, it appears transparently over the part. Then I would say “OK, let’s change it by XX mm” to improve it.
I want to absorb both theory and feeling by consistently balancing them without being one-sided. I believe I should do. A designer should be automatically able to imagine a design drawing when listening to a player's sound.
And he or she should be able to know if an instrument produces a good sound by seeing its design drawing. I believe that “an instrument to pursue” can be found by linking what you can tell only by feeling and what you can tell only in theory.
