Re: Skill Of A HighSchool Student.


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Posted by Goodgigs on August 22, 2003 at 23:40:54:

In Reply to: Skill Of A HighSchool Student. posted by Student on August 22, 2003 at 18:55:55:

Dear student,
There are two aspects of tuba playing to consider; Instrumentalisum and musicianship.
I absolutely can't help you with musicianship as," I can barely read writin' let alone write reading". BUT I can play a contrabass tuba with the best of them.
Kid, it's not about how high you can go It's how low. Now I don't want to heart about three valve junkers and such, I just want you to try somthing. Hear's why : You have learned how to hold the mouthpeice to your lips from other people. I want you to find your own way. When you "peddel" your lips (whole emouchuer) will be forced into their most relaxed and natral position.
Now what to do ! First test the tuba for leaks. You can't do it at first on a leaking horn . Just take out the tuning slide, cover the empty tube with your hand and blow through the mouthpeice. There will be a TINY amount of air going throughh most horns but it should be so slow that you would get dizzy if you could only exhale through the horn. next, if the horn is good just play the first open note that comes out below the tunning BBb (second legger line)REGARDLESS OF THE TONE OR TUNE . IT WILL FEEL WIERD it is
probabl be a "D" so just like the one in the middle of the staff you can wouk down to BBb by going down 2nd, 1st&2nd, 2nd&3rd. At this point you will want to repete several times and then when you get there, If you didn't just skip down to BBb the first try open, you can now work down and release the valves and your there. After a few weeks you'll see you can play lower then that and a bit higher then your "high D above the staff" most importantly, you will find everything in the normal range much easyer.
Well I hope so.
Brian "Goodgigs" Kane
ps if you really love the instrument, You'll never be good enough !


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