For those who do not hold the proper level of respect for contrabassoonists (who - after all - are all accomplished bassoonists).

I was asked to cover this part, once. :bugeyes:

https://ks15.imslp.org/files/imglnks/usimg/a/a4/IMSLP965943-PMLP1607-Beethoven-Op125.Contrabassoon.pdf

As written ...

A couple of years ago I played the opening basoon part to Hall of the Mountain King on my Eb tuba. It's easy to get carried away. The biggest problem was noisy valves. The faster the tempo, the noisier the valves. It took a good bit of practice to push the pistons down gently.

Here's what it sounds ...

For tuba, I am mostly self taught, beyond a year or so of lessons from the Seattle Symphony's tubist, in exchange for car repair. So, I wasn't introduced to methods beyond Fred Geib, a book the tubist gave me. For example, I did not know there was an Arban method for tuba.

For trumpet, I was taught ...

I spent a good part of my life fixing cars and trucks, not pickups -- trucks. Suspension repair is hard work. I don't like to do it. My wife drives too damn fast on our rough, gravel roads and squatty little tires don't absorb road shock. I've told her that when it comes time for suspension repair ...

For many years I played a 5/8 bore Eb. Often. I never had embrachure problems. When the old Eb valves wore out, I bought a BBb Martin Mammoth. I immediately developed a double buzz. But only on the Mammoth. I have intermittently had double buzz problems on the Mammoth since and now it seems to be ...

They all help. That's why I'm able to sit in with a bluegrass band; bluegrass is not something I usually play. The leader tells me the key and the chord progression; and how many bars to the form, if I'm lucky. I know what I, IV, V is in G or C or because I've practiced those patterns. Somebody ...

My warm-ups consist of scales, arpeggios, various chord progesions in keys I'm encountering. I do hour-long practice sessions of long tones, intervals, rhythm patterns, technical studies, etc.

They all help. That's why I'm able to sit in with a bluegrass band; bluegrass is not something I usually ...

This past weekend I attended a festival with my band and also sat in with another band. This is folk, bluegrass, and old time rock where I can I, V to my heart's content. With the bluegrass there are actual chord changes. When I can hear the vocals on the bluegrass band I can even throw in a lick or ...

Today while waitng for the paint to dry on another project, I pulled the valves on an old old (1914) Martin valve set with slides, that some nice folks on this site sent me post paid - thank you very much. I found the guides to have been soldered in place but on one valve there was the ghost of a ...

@bloke, you mentioned not having thousands worth of machine tools... Be on the lookout for an automotive machine shop closing up. You might be able to pick up a pin fitter. Oberloh has one. He seemed put out when I told him I'd spend many, many hours standing in front of one fitting piston pins ...

I double on trumpet and have used a Mirafone C3 for many years on my 5/8 bore Martin. The modern catalogue number is TU21. I also use this piece on my 3/4 bore Willson but with a bigger shank. That said, I've begun using the Martin 33 that came with the Mammoth on it as the intonation is better from ...

This evening my wife and I dug out the DVD of the 1951 Kelly/Caron musical, turned up the stereo, and immersed ourselves in Hollywood's version of 1950 Paris. I know it was 1950 because there is a 1950 Mercury used as a taxi. But I digress... This was made during the post-war exuberance that lasted ...

Does anyone know if it was the MGM studio orchestra that played the movie and if it was the original Gershwin Score or which revision? My last comment assumes it was a revision.

I suppose that, ultimately, the arbiter of a performance is the audience, who spent their money to hear us play. In my case there are many grey-heads who also follow dance and will have seen the 1951 movie, though not in 1951 of course. Shall we take them down memory lane to that dance performance ...

I have a copy of the original Kelly/Caron musical and I haven't watched it in a long time. I think I will, just for fun. Seems it might be instructive as to how to play the part.

Any idea if theses 3-48 screws would fit my 1918 Martin? I'd like to do the same on the Mammoth but don't know the size there either. I'd rather not bugger up a screw getting it out without a replacement. I normally work on much bigger stuff with a bore of like 4-1/4," soI may be a little ham-handed ...

It's times like these, when we do arrangements that have vanishingly few passages of interest for tuba but some of the best trumpet solos ever, that I really regret giving up my seat in the trumpet section because we needed a bass voice. Other times, I'm happy as can be to be the foundation of the ...

Could someone please post a link to this solo.
I am in rehearsal of American in Paris Suite -- arr. John Whitney; with one week and the dress to go.
There may be remanents of the tuba solo of which you are speaking. I'm not generally a fan of our conductor/music director's choice of "arrangements ...

This may be the greatest thread
That for me I've ever read
I've driven there in my Chevrolet
and hope to do it another day

Burma Shave

Muting a tuba is especially a problem and I haven't figured it out yet. Last rehearsal, the Conductor wanted the trombone, who sits next to me, muted in deference to the chorus. Trombonist hadn't brought his mute as we are into the manyith rehearsal and conductor never requested a mute before. I ...