Tubas, euphoniums, mouthpieces, and anything music-related.
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bloke wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 11:44 am
It seems as the majority of manufacturers don't have the courage to allow the first slide to be short enough to play the first valve fifth partial pitch high enough. Maybe, they really don't want to admit the full range of movement that's required of the first slide on their instrument in order to play it in tune...??
That having been said, if you can actually push it in all the way and play that pitch without any lipping at all, I would encourage you to leave it alone, as " all the way in" is a nice reference spot.
Congrats on the sit-down time. I'm getting back to it as soon as I'm fully recovered from this illness. I'm well enough to fix horns now but I really don't want to be doing all the huffing and puffing past this still not-great throat.
My prototype mouthpieces have been scanned, so hopefully tomorrow I can get back to the F cimbasso and work on Dvorak 7 for next weekend.
I am glad you are feeling better. I am recovering from some nasty $&*@ too. Got me bad - flu like, but negative for flu/'rona/everything. I was waylaid for two or three days. Started feeling better, and then what felt like a nasty chest cold set in, lots of coughing and hacking, sore throat, ear congestion. Finally shook that and am just dealing with whatever's left, finally well enough to play and not have a coughing fit.
Cutting slide #1: yes, pushed all the way in and not lipped gets it in tune, but I play with some sharp-natured groups from time to time. I'm considering a bare inch removed and maybe a slide stopper added. Will think on adding it to the list of things I eventually want done.
Once you get back in the saddle, report back in this thread. Let's hear about the trumpet "studies" (not music) that you are playing.
I'm not really trying to over-discuss this, but when you push your main slide in for those sharp natured groups, doesn't the first slide still accomplish what it needs to accomplish, or not?
The first slide on the big Miraphone that I bought wasn't cutting it - even after I shortened the main slide to get the instrument up to 440, so I ended up cutting the first slide's connecting elbows, and dropping the first slide assembly down about a half an inch - which gave me an inch of circuit shortening.
I'm currently practicing and arranging this for this year's upcoming Oktoberfest. Other local bands have a tuba feature, so why shouldn't I?
Nick
(This horn list more to remind me what I have than to brag)
1984 Conn 12J
1990s Kanstul 900-4B BBb
1924 Holton 122 Sousa
1972 Holton B300 Euph
If you see a Willson 2900, serial W2177, it's been missing for a long time. Help me bring it home.
BopEuph wrote: ↑Mon Mar 06, 2023 10:28 am
I'm currently practicing and arranging this for this year's upcoming Oktoberfest. Other local bands have a tuba feature, so why shouldn't I?
Are you going to grow a mullet and mustache to complete the effect?
Nick
(This horn list more to remind me what I have than to brag)
1984 Conn 12J
1990s Kanstul 900-4B BBb
1924 Holton 122 Sousa
1972 Holton B300 Euph
If you see a Willson 2900, serial W2177, it's been missing for a long time. Help me bring it home.
Having been ill dozens and dozens of time in my life - while also being a tuba player...
I don't sound all that great after having been ill.
If I just wait until I feel just about normal again, I will sound/play just about as good as I did prior to being ill.
Working my tail off - to "work myself back to where I was prior to being ill", has always shown itself to be a waste of time - as well as somewhat unpleasant.
I'll take a few looks at the stuff I am expected to play this weekend, but - as far as "practicing for improvement" is concerned - I'll wait a few more days on that.
In the meantime, I'll address storm damage and fix horns.
On tuba: I'm mostly working on low-range exercises. I didn't practice as much as I should have during 2020-21 when my ensembles went on hiatus, and low range sure ain't what it used to be.
On both tuba and clarinet: Bordogni vocalises and selections from The Art of Phrasing from Arban's.
Yes, I know Arban's wasn't written with the clarinet in mind, and I have the de rigueur Klose and Lazurus studies for clarinet at hand. I challenge any clarinet pedagogue to find a better book for developing technique at "crossing the break" than Arban's. Many of the studies can also be taken up or down an octave on clarinet, adding to their utility.
Sunday, March 5, I was in the ER for viral pericarditis. Couldn't take a full breath, hitching pain in my chest, 104 degree fever. Got great treatment and feel much better.
Since then, I've been taking it easy. Had not touched the tuba for two weeks until yesterday, and it felt great getting back in the saddle. Working up the bassline to "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder. It's kind of a fingerful in Eb minor (ok, Eb dorian) on CC tuba. I might pull out a BBb for it.
I'm almost (!) done with the series of band concerts on which I am playing euphonium. We are doing this WC Handy/Tex Beneke big band-style thing where the euph part is basically doubling the trumpet or lead trombone, barely venturing below the top of the staff and getting up to a four-ledger-line B natural at ff. We had a concert about a week and a half after my ER visit and I still wasn't feeling completely with-it, but I did all the high stuff anyway and somehow avoided passing out.
Practicing:
Lip slurs, building back my endurance, pulled out some Clarke studies, Bai Lin, playing the Gregson soon with the band (bye, euphonium!) so I probably need to look at that again.
