Carol Jantsch’s playing position.

[MikeMason]

Yes, sounding good is rather important.

[Rick Denney]

Maybe it all adds up. Maybe not. But focusing on these details is destructive to the product—that much I know.

If quite often you find yourself physically missing the fourth valve button when you need it, I suggest doing things that need that valve frequently, like low scales. I have had that problem with 5th and 6th valves from time to time, and scales were always the answer for improvement.

If the tuba is physiologically inappropriate, fix that separately. The angle of the valve block on my York Master, coupled with my height and arm length, put the fourth valve too far and only the tip of my finger rested on it. That was not because of small hands (quite opposite for me—I can palm a basketball), but rather because of the angle my arm approached the valves. Somebody on the forum made an extension for me.



Note that habits are made doing musical things that reinforce the new habit, while mechanical problems are addressed away from the music.

Rick “big hands but still appreciating closely sett finger buttons” Denney

[bloke]

Noticing one fine player's unusual physical playing trait (and considering copying it) is probably not something that I would consider.

I posted about a few (declined to identify) fine players who cock their hears and back away from their instruments when taking in air.

...There's no way that it would occur to me to emulate that habit, though I could easily be encouraged to listen to some of their great AUDIO tracks, and consider emulating some of those things.

==========================================

I like Rick's rig, but (for my own use - re: "Murphy's law"), I would probably (assuming they're threaded) manufacture a complete replacement valve stem (then: storing the original in a zip-lock in my sock drawer) with a similar offset, no screw, and no adjustment...but maybe (??) a place to screw in the oem finger-button.

"ergonomics" in general:
I'm probably a weirdo, but I seem to always manage to find some way to hold most any tuba in my lap and play it comfortably (??)
well...other than those quite-a-few-years-ago Brazil-made "Nirschl"-like C tubas, which featured mouthpipe tubes which didn't even make it around the bell.

[Doc]

This sounds like bass players minimizing finger stretches by closing finger spacing. You stretch out when needed and close in when possible. Staying stretched all the time is unnecessarily tiring, and it took years for me to realize how I was wasting effort.

For tubaists, those who put in enormous effort for the sake of total familiarity with a piece of music know when and where they need to relax and can afford to. Sometimes their hands are tired and sore. They know when to minimize effort and when not to.

One of the hand position "musts" for playing both bass and tuba, if such a "must" exists, is not keeping your hand a mile above the strings or buttons and slapping them down. This is highly inefficient. Keep your fingertips on the buttons and your hand just above the finger/fret board.

...this is not a conscious decision and just her body responding to what is being asked of it and the feedback it gets from playing.

Rick “think about the product” Denney

Gee... I wonder why all of ^^^this^^^ sounds so familiar...

"Think product, not methodology."

"If the products get the results, don't worry about whether it's right or wrong. Just make sure it sounds better than anybody else."

"Be concerned with the product, not the process."

"In your playing I need your search to be for excellence, not correctness."

"It doesn't matter if a player does it all wrong as long as he sounds good."

[Mary Ann]

I don't even try to play piston horns because a) I can't reach them, and b) my hands are not strong enough, and c) the piston "throw" is so much farther than the rotor "throw." I can play a rotary just like I would play the piano, basically, just wiggling my fingers up and down in the "general area where the valve paddle is." I even have trouble with trumpet and would have to get a rotary if I (even) wanted to go there.

[Nworbekim]

i had never thought to look, my little finger has always been there when i needed it. today i checked and PINKY is stuck up in the air waving around... it looks like someone's exaggeration of how to drink tea... the other fingers stay pretty close, just resting on the valves. i guess i have normal size hands for my size? they're wide... i say don't think about it and just play... the more i think about something the worse i get...

oh yah! i forgot... i really like the extension on the valve. good thinking!