Playing Stands… WTH?

[kingrob76]

As someone who is a big advocate of the use of a stand (and the BBC stand in particular) I can tell you it takes extensive getting used to using and having it feel remotely natural. My saddle is loose enough to pivot if I turn my position or horn. I wouldn't say I use the stand to support the horn's full weight in a balanced position but rather I use it to support almost all the weight in a sometimes-unbalanced position that allows me to move as I need to move. I don't put the horn down during rests, it's easier to leave it up. Two of the tripod feet are under my chair and the third basically points at the music stand so it's not under foot. I'm to the point where I'm adept at re-positioning the stand with just my feet if I need do so. You have an older one and I will tell you the saddle is different now. One of them is flatter than the other and more tolerant to moving the horn around.

Mike Bunn was in love with the idea of removing tension from the upper body and that's a big reason he used one (and I use one), that and the improved posture.

I have two BBC stands now, one sits in my basement for practice and the other lives in my gear bag for playing outside the basement. BBC carries (or used to) a lifetime warranty on them so if you decide yours is of no use let me know and I'll take it off your hands. I used the warranty once when it popped a leg rivet, took Dave 3 minutes to fix it. I don't need to adjust them for a given horn, the same height works equally well for my 836 and my CB-50.

Stay with it and keep trying different things, you may be surprised what you come up with in terms of usage.

[bloke]

OK

[bloke]

@kingrob76

I'm just one person (and we each make our own decisions about all these sorts of things as well as so many other things), but every time I try to use any tuba rest when playing with any tuba, I find it I'm tightening up my neck and shoulder muscles, and I end up hurting when I'm done instead of the stand have given me some relief. Again, I believe it's because the bottom of the tuba is such solidly anchored to one specific place (and yes, even if allowed to swivel on the pipe), rather than being able to move it about just a bit during a practice session, rehearsal or performance. I think it's a bit like being able to turn subtly this way and that in the bed during the night. (??)

Were it that it gave me some relief - as many players report, I may well have been using one for years and years...but no.

[tofu]

This one of those fascinating threads…I tried all the stands before the BBC and found them wanting. Before Bloke started using the electric piano bench that was what I was using. And that is honestly the ultimate way to play the tuba (for me). It’s what I use at home and did so for a few years for concerts. I just got tired of feeling like a drummer hauling around a drum kit and having to assemble and disassemble a bunch of stuff. So I got a BBC stand when they subsequently came out and that worked well enough for me - especially it’s flat to the floor feet. As some have said it does take awhile to adapt to tuba stands and it is one more thing to haul around, but easier than hauling a portable piano bench. Because I end up sitting on all kinds of goofy chairs it really helps make life easier. Perhaps your Hall would allow you to keep a piano bench there.

I’m guessing here, but your proportions probably are opposite of mine - meaning proportionally my legs are much longer than “average” to my torso. I’m guessing you're the opposite proportionately - your torso being much longer in relation to your legs than normal which is why the lead pipe is lower than where you need it vs someone of the same height but of a normal proportion (all of which you probably know already).

I do think a “quality" bench could support you (I’m no lightweight - but not 350lbs though) and I’ve never had an any issues over maybe a decade of use. And (while one more thing to cart around ) why couldn’t you then add on top of the bench one of those lightweight portable kneelers -slid in just in front of your Naughty Bits (Monty Python reference) on the bench which would raise the tuba height to position it to your needed lead pipe level? I actually use the pad to sit on chairs sometimes when I have sight of conductor issues - that Joe was talking about a few years back - available from Harbor Freight - I think it was all of $2.95 on sale at the time I bought it. Probably not much more now. But these things are available in all kinds of thickness and firmness levels at auto / garden shops. You can swivel the horn / hold it at any angle you desire. While a lot of extra stuff to haul along with a big tuba or 2 - you will have the “Rolls Royce” of tuba stand/chairs and be the envy of the orchestra.

[the elephant]

Y'all seem to have missed that I have one eye, so I have to move every few measures to see the music.

I really want to like my BBC stand, but after the hell I went through tonight I reverted to setting the tuba on my thigh, and things improved immediately. The stand — any stand — is simply too restrictive for my eyesight once it has been height-adjusted for me.

I have to have my stand almost touching my right hand knuckles due to my vision and the lack of depth of our risers at work, so the pages are directly in front of me, meaning my left-to-right scan range is like 90º — i have to move my head, my CHIN, about five inches from upper left to lower right pages. I have to MOVE. Every line. Every two or three measures, I have to physically change my head angle. Further, when I get to the bottom of the page, I have to lean forward enough to see over the leadpipe with my left eye, or I find myself playing from memory for short stretches.

I have to be able to move a LOT all the time, nonstop. I can't get that out of this stand, which is the BEST stand out there, IMHO.

I cannot move like that with a bench. The bench would need a minimum of a 6" block on the front edge to raise the tuba high enough for me, and I have to have a huge range of motion that is available to me at all times.

I need to stick with my traditional way of working. It has served me well since 1985, when I started playing for a living. It will have to do until I die. I have too many limitations to adopt something that cannot account for that, I guess.

Thanks anyway, guys.

[MiBrassFS]

See above for clarity. Had an idea…