Posted by Alex on May 10, 2001 at 10:49:45:
In Reply to: Encounters II on F tuba posted by Yutaka Kono on May 10, 2001 at 10:17:48:
There are a few tricks for this note. Once you get down that low, it's nearly impossible to hear a real pitch, so you can just create the illusion of a very low note. A friend of mine puts down all his valves and buzzes the lowest note he can. This doesn't sound too convincing to me, which it a shame because the rest of his interpertation is amazing.
I was taught, and prefer to "flap" the tounge. This is not like "rolling" the tounge like groudskeeper Willie on the Simpsons. It's a very light tounging where the tip is actually at the gap between the upper and lower rows of teeth. If you can get this gowing with suffiecient rapidity (is that a word?) it does create the illusion of an extremely low pitch.
good luck.