TubaForum.net

Wondering how many tubas, plus other instruments I guess, you keep in regular practice on?
I'm all for having the right tool for the job, but there is increasing appeal having fewer instruments alongside knowing the few REALLY well...

As an aside, is the conventional wisdom to warm up first on the biggest tuba you're playing that day, working up to smallest? That's always been my thinking but what do others do?

Cheers,
MP

Only two, I'm afraid:

One Cc JP for my concert band rehearsal and performances
One Eb Besson for my brass band rehearsal and performances

Same mouthpiece, though ;) Helleberg 120S.

One, my JP377. There's no way to call what I'm doing now "regular", though. I just saw this week that our community band is going to be out through the winter. No word from the brass band, but my guess is that it'll be the same. That'll mean a year without ensembles except for a little bit of quintet work.

Holton 345 CC
Mirafone 186 CC
Kurath F

Oedipoes wrote: ↑Wed Nov 25, 2020 2:19 pm 3
Besson and Norw. Star Eb
Hirsbrunner Bb

I don't ever practice on sousaphone...

In the past I have been playing euphonium as my main instrument and tuba only occasionally.
Staying in shape on the euphonium became a challenge when I stopped playing it in band.
I eventually sold it ...

Starting on the big tuba works well for me, but maybe for a different reason...
High notes are never the issue when starting on the Eb.
Playing low on the Bb after that is usually the bigger challenge...

One tuba (Hagen 496 BBb)
One euphonium (Miraphone 5050)
3 trombones (Shires tenor, alto, and bass)
One Baritone (Besson 955 Sovereign)

I have come to a slow halt. Was playing horn in two groups and they shut down. Given that it is unlikely they will start up again any time soon (amateur groups) I realize it's possible my musical playing life is over. Nevertheless....I am looking at a small Eb I saw for sale, because maybe I could lift it

I have lost track, but they are all “pure brass tubas with hard silver finish”.

Basically 5, the 186 and Amati get played the most...

Mirafone 186
Amati (Cerveny 481)
Mirafone 184
1904 Lyon & Healy 6/4
Alex 163 BBb

One.

Some day, I may have two.

Conn 25J
Conn 20K

Here's a playlist of my recent practice sessions. I have been experimenting with learning how to arrange, multitrack ad well as working on some etudes.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... tfncGEwgtA

Happy practicing and Happy Thanksgiving!

For me, it's 3. My main horn is my 496 Hagen, I practice on my Zo "Tiny Dragon" because it's easier to maneuver in my 750 square foot house and on occasion I'll play my helicon.

I had always thought that owning one tuba was pretty special. For the past 30 years my do-all has been my 1966 Holton 345 BBb, and I've always been very, very happy with that. However, upon joining this forum (after starting on the old one) my eyes were opened to the fact that some people actually own more than one tuba, and I have begun to desire many. Recently I purchased from Tabor Fisher an old 1970's Yamaha 103 BBb, quite severely abused in a school situation, but still an adequate player. With a little work, this tiny tuba could be the horn I take to the nursing home with me one day. I do have a desire to split the difference between BAT and tiny sometime, and pick up a rotary Eb, but time will tell.
Practice-wise...it doesn't seem to matter which I start with. I always have at least one horn out of the case, so there's something I can pick up and play when I just feel like playing a while. I think I "play" more than I "practice", unless I have a major solo in the works.
I also have an old Olds tenor trombone, a beautiful Olds Special trumpet from the 60's, and a very new Jin Bao 4-rotor tenor tuben/baryton for church solos. I play those in random order, whatever tickles my fancy at the time.
Tim

Schlepporello wrote: ↑Wed Nov 25, 2020 9:20 pm For me, it's 3. My main horn is my 496 Hagen, I practice on my Zo "Tiny Dragon" because it's easier to maneuver in my 750 square foot house and on occasion I'll play my helicon.

For some reason, I can't quite picture a 6'6 guy and 3 tubas in a 750 sq ft house! Hope y''all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Stryk wrote: ↑Thu Nov 26, 2020 9:04 am

Schlepporello wrote: ↑Wed Nov 25, 2020 9:20 pm For me, it's 3. My main horn is my 496 Hagen, I practice on my Zo "Tiny Dragon" because it's easier to maneuver in my 750 square foot house and on occasion I'll play my helicon.

For some reason, I can't quite picture a 6'6 guy and 3 tubas in a 750 sq ft house! Hope y''all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

And those 3 are in the living room. My York is in the 2nd bedroom and my 2 sousaphones are in the garage.

Wayne — 750 sq ft is just a tad larger than a two-car carport. (25'x30')

Did you measure that right?

That's what I've seen for the listing on our house, and it sounds about right.

Three tubas. MW 2040/5, ycb-822 (or PT-20, when it will finally be repaired) when I'm at home (for space reasons) and pt-6 when I can go to the practice room. I don't play more than one tuba in one practice session for practical reasons, so four sessions a week EEb and three CC normally (depending on how many and what kind of rehearsals or gigs I have, but, well, at the moment...)

Well, none right now, of course. That aside, my Bessophone has been my #1 low brass instrument for several years now. I tend to default to sousaphone for outdoor gigs. But I make the most gig money playing bass guitar with my party band, also on hiatus right now until the virus situation improves.

From most practicing to least (but not all the same day):

Besson 967 euph
MW2141 EEb Tuba
Kanstul 33 BBb Tuba
Bach 36bo sakbutt
King 2268 Baritone (Tuba Christmas horn, rarely practice)

Well I can't have been very clear -
I was trying to ask how many instruments folk practice regularly and what it takes to keep various instruments "ready to go" whenever you need them.

Some folk have one horn. Others have one big and one smaller, sometimes in the same key. Others have a horn for every group and type of playing.
For you, do you rather make your one or two horns work in every setting, or have 'the right tool for the job', even if that means a stack of practice re-learning the quirks of a horn? How many horns do you try to keep in-shape on regularly and why AND how? So many questions.

No right or wrong here - only opinions...

All interesting responses anyway!
Thanks