Re: Re: poll


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Posted by K on May 05, 2003 at 17:52:45:

In Reply to: Re: poll posted by Rick Denney on May 05, 2003 at 15:46:42:

The 12 major scales in a one octave range each is not bad at all as a basic routine. After all that covers around a total range of around 2 octaves.

I read you as if you circle in fifths. That is what I do in the central range of my instruments (on bassbone and euph the central range is wider, so that I can circle in fiths in one more octave). Sean reports to work in chromatic increments. I find that OK for people at his level. For less accomplished players with lesser instruments the confronting of the relative ease of a Bb major scale with the discomfort of a B natural scale can be hard to manage (on Bb instruments). So at a less sublime level than Sean's I would recommend the cycling in fifths.

Where to start and what direction to cycle? Not very important, but I make it easy for myself. On Bb or BBb instruments I start on the 2nd partial Bb and then change between going up a fifth and down a fourth. Only in the D-A-E sequence my starting notes go down in two consecutive fourths.

A cheap trick for you Rick to gradually expand the range to two octaves:

If you follow a system somewhat alike to mine, your highest scale will the one of Eb. Which also will be the last one in the series. Then add E major a half step above. Stay with that until it is stabilised on the same level as the basic octave. First then add F major and make that one stabile. This way, I guess, you without too much trouble can work your way up to Bb in the second octave. Adding that half extra octave in small increments is much more fruitful than skipping all of the 2nd octave because you cannot do all of it at once. Maybe you even will feel inspired to include the full second octave of scales. If that should be a project of two or three years, nobody will blame you. And your general playing abilities are bound to improve.

Walking downwards into the lower octaves can be hard on 4 valve-non-comp instruments, if one does not want to be a slide juggler (I don't). If I remember right, your BB's are 4 valves only. As are mine. Then how to train that difficult area between the 2 first partials?

I take my compensating Eb. Rather my main experiences in that area have been harvested on my bass bones and my comp euph. These experiences pay off, at least for me, when attempting single notes in the low range of 4-valve-only-instruments-with-a pulled-slide. That might translate into your situation this way:

The lowest "legit" scale on a BBb would be that of E nat 4 ledger lines and a space below the system. Relatively a B nat scale on your 4P + 1R F tuba. Work your scalewise way downwards in chromatic increments on the F. And you will find it much easier to play low range single notes, and maybe even some licks, on the BBb's. Even if that would take some carefully planning of slide pulls and odd fingerings. But that is just plain engineer's work, which you should not be the one to shy away from.

Down the main board you made a very valid statement about the world needing more well educated amateur tubaists (at least something to that effect). I agree fully and made a reply to that posting, where I discuss basically the same problems, but from a very different point of view.

Klaus

PS: Rick's tuba park is fairly well documented, so that I can refer rather precisely to its members. But many of you have two or more instruments, which can be helpful in developing skills applicable on the other one(-s).



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