Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Tastes...


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Posted by David on August 06, 2003 at 08:19:15:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Tastes... posted by issue on August 06, 2003 at 07:27:41:

The direction of tuba sound, hmmmm...

We as students of a particular teacher will try our best to emulate them depending on how much we were influenced. Personally, I studied with Abe Torchinsky, Roger Bobo, Bill Rose, Ron Bishop, Harvy Phillips, Ron Borror, and Don Hummel. Don Hummel, Roger Bobo, and Bill Rose had the most influence, thus the sound concepts I have. Who is Don Hummel? A trombonist who studied with Emory Remington. He taught at Wichita State University and later was principal trombone in Kansas City. You probably heard of the other two.

Trying to figure out the direction of where we are going is like trying to figure out which direction the dog is going to run. It will frustrate you and interest you at the same time. It gives us something to think about and will always be a source of discussion.

Personally, I like a very focused sound. That sound concept does not seem to coincide with the current orchestral concept. The larger the horn, the more "fuzz" that exists in the sound. It will cover like a fog, but has little or no center. For a large orchestra, that works. For a concert band, it works. Put the same performer on stage alone for a solo and it sounds muddy and those of us not in an orchestra wonder how a person got the job.

Different mouthpieces also produce different results. One can take a large horn and create either a small core with lots of fuzz around it for the orchestra sound or one can use a mouthpiece that creates a very large core of sound which will bury the orchestra. Which one of those sounds do you suppose the rest of the brass section will want to hear?

The mouthpiece has so much to do with the sounds we hear that are not taken into consideration. Bill Rose and Roger Bobo played Mirafone 186's in their respective orchestras most of the time. No one ever accused either of not playing with a big enough sound. Harvey Phillips played a rather smallish Conn CC and could create a large sound. (I played his horn a time or two and couldn't get the same sounds out of it.) A heavy weight mouthpiece can take a 5/4 or 6/4 instrument and center the sound enough to make it a good solo instrument. The same is true of an F tuba. Conversely, a small mouthpiece with no added weight can make the sound of each of those so fuzzy that I, personally, don't want to hear it but it works well for some players.

I didn't answer your question. I don't think it has an "answer". Each of us has a sound concept we are willing to accept. There are those of us who never did like the sound of some of the more famous players and never will (add the name of your own famous player here, I won't!). We will always argue over what is good and what is bad. Some good players will get orchestra jobs and some bad players will get them.

If playing the tuba is what turns us on, then we have to do it for our own enjoyment and not what the current fad in sound is. Have fun, enjoy the instrument, make your own sounds, and live a long happy life.




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