Posted by jlb on June 02, 2000 at 09:41:51:
In Reply to: How to Start a 10 Year Aspiring Tubist posted by Joe Lowman on June 01, 2000 at 22:27:14:
My son started at age 10 using my old 4/4 BBb from Markneukirchen. We were fortunate to have an Army band in town, from which I extracted (sequentially) two tubist teachers for my son. When they closed the post, I took him to a local music salon for lessons with a very good trombonist. At age 12, he was accepted in the Jr. Mass Youth Wind Ensemble at the New England Conservatory and played there for 3 years.
One thing I would recommend is to try a DEG tuba rest. We had one and it allowed my son to hold the horn correctly (not sideways). It takes the weight of the horn and allows for height adjustment to get the mouthpiece at a comfortable height, even for a smallish person, but does not constrain the movement of the horn. I got ours from the Brasswind. I think suggested list is about $75. I sold mine over the 'net for about $50.
As for choice of horn -- there's lots of choice these days. Never played euph, myself, but for the mechanics of it, it's essentially a Bb tuba an octave above a BBb. Also, remember that if money is an object, you can get a very good EEb 3 valve for under $1000. It's a real tuba. It's size is between a euph and a contrabass BBb or CC, and learning BBb or CC fingerings later is no harder than switching from euph.
....my 2 cents