Miraphone model 98 B-flat playing characteristics and learning curve - VIDEO added on PAGE 10

[bloke]

In the 50s, my Dad turned down a major promotion from Memphis to Chicago in Sears, because – as my mother’s brother lived and worked in Chicago - the rest of the family did not want to live there, as they had compared 1950s Memphis to 1950s Chicago.
He had demonstrated his capabilities, and SEARS put him on a fast track, but he turned that track down, so he ended up only being an upper management of one of the big distribution centers (Memphis). He did just fine. His gross income - when he retired, adjusted for inflation – would be considered to be a very good income, today…
… and he moved to the Ozarks around 1980, when Memphis was on the cusp/front-end of becoming a really crappy place to live.

[bloke]

I don't know about many of your (the collective "your") diverse formative tuba experiences, but the last time I was seriously trying to play B-flat tuba was probably when I was 17. After that, it was only to play a sousaphone in a marching band or (after that) in NOLA brass bands.

With this instrument, I'm still (fairly diligently, fwiw) working on gobs and gobs of vocalises in various books - pushing myself to perfect my air speed, air speed movement (from one pitch to another, at various volume levels) timing, and buzz frequency precision (as this instrument demands - much more so than these .750" bore piston C instruments...sheesh !)

Sometimes (when reading 32nd notes in vocalises with more than a fist-full of sharps in the key sig', double sharps, and 32nd notes, and executing complicated turns, trills, and what-have-you), I'm pretty proud of myself, but - other times (when my brain gets "messed up" - in 7 sharps...or whatever) I'm reminded of that Three Stooges episode where Shemp was a vocal music teacher (whereby I'm that middle-aged homely woman - who has no hope of ever becoming a vocalist).

[humBell]

What are these "32 notes" you speak of? (i postulate they are either really short, or really long...)

Will we (the collective we, as distinct from the royal one)have to play them too if we ever come across our own fats bastard?

[cjk]

What are these "32 notes" you speak of? ....

The number of notes played by the tuba in the average orchestra concert?

[bloke]

If I don’t make at least a buck a note – including rehearsals – I end up getting pretty annoyed.

[Doc]

What are these "32 notes" you speak of? (i postulate they are either really short, or really long...)

Will we (the collective we, as distinct from the royal one)have to play them too if we ever come across our own fats bastard?

Maybe they are 32nd notes in some vocalise or Blazevich that is actually marked LARGO, so they aren't so fast that they sound like noise and aren't a Bench to execute on big daddy BBb. Well... a fella can hope!

[bloke]

They're plenty fast enough to go doodle-doodle-doodle-doodle-doodle-doodle-doodle-doodle...

...but usually major/minor scales or arpeggios, so easy to read and not that difficult to play (particularly on normal-size tubas).

[pjv]

and when you press the wrong valve and immedeatly correct it: that's also a 32nd note.
Unless it takes a while before you notice.

[bort2.0]

I think it was a voice to text error, and he meant 30-second notes.

Because let's be real, that's more like real tuba playing amIright?

[bloke]

Anyone who pretends to be able to figure out what Joe Biden means when he says anything ought to be able to figure out what Joe ‘berger means, when he says stuff.

[Doc]

Anyone who pretends to be able to figure out what Joe Biden means when he says anything ought to be able to figure out what Joe ‘berger means, when he says stuff.

D9AFEAE3-8417-46F8-88AA-E1C0EC888070.jpeg (100.92 KiB) Viewed 1802 times

[bort2.0]

Anyone who pretends to be able to figure out what Joe Biden means when he says anything ought to be able to figure out what Joe ‘berger means, when he says stuff.

Who said I could understand anything from Uncle Joe?

(And I'll admit, it took me a minute to figure out who Joe 'berger is.... )

[humBell]

I think it was a voice to text error, and he meant 30-second notes.

Because let's be real, that's more like real tuba playing amIright?

I don't know if i should be pleased or disappointed that new fangled technology was useful in explaining a joke i was too lazy to explain for myself...

hum "who craps out at 272nd notes.. 5 more to go! (3, sir!)" Bell

[bloke]

In a week and a half, there's an American Guild of Organists event (apparently...??)
anyway: FatBastard vs. a fairly large organ.
I've faced off with this organ before.
FatBastard is the odds-on favorite.

Anyway...
It's wall-to-wall FatBastard, other than one Gabrieli two-choir (organ/brass) tune, where I'll need to play the baritone.

I believe that one's called CanOfOzone Duotone Toni...or something like that...

[Doc]

In a week and a half, there's an American Guild of Organists event (apparently...??)
anyway: FatBastard vs. a fairly large organ.
I've faced off with this organ before.
FatBastard is the odds-on favorite.

Anyway...
It's wall-to-wall FatBastard, other than one Gabrieli two-choir (organ/brass) tune, where I'll need to play the baritone.

I believe that one's called CanOfOzone Duotone Toni...or something like that...

Check your text messages.

[bloke]

passed the concert hall test last month...' just passed the cathedral test

[bort2.0]

Trombone player looks upset.
Horn player looks asleep.

That's passing the test?!

PS -- I bet that was awesome.

[bloke]

You know, I’ve tried taking pictures or making little short videos during rehearsals – not during performances, and I find it to be really distracting. This was everybody chilling out just before we started.

Trombone player looks upset.
Horn player looks asleep.

That's passing the test?!

PS -- I bet that was awesome.

[bort2.0]

Yeah, I'm just messing with you. When I first played my Rudy 5/4 in a big church, it was "oh hell yes." I'm sure your experience -- in a bigger church and playing real music -- was... well...heavenly.

[humBell]

What tests remain?

Is it now a Doctor of Tuba-ology?

Or is it licensed to practice oompahing in the great state of Tennessee? Or haul hazardous baselines through urban environments?