TubaForum.net

bloke's rule: NEVER EVER post not-ready-for-prime-time crap on the web...NEVER !!!!

...and here it is...

I have no idea whether there's actually a "Jaws Suite" (Williams).
(I've played a few Williams pops concerts, and - so far - haven't played a single total piece that was ALL from the Jaws movie.)
This audio phrase (again) is from an orchestral medley of best-known Williams stuff. (again: As mentioned the other day, it may well ALSO be a band medley...??)
I've played this medley once before (years ago). It was passed out at the second rehearsal. I had never practiced (and - at that time - didn't even have the music to) the "Tommy Johnson" Jaws solo... (He friggin' played the crap out of it, didn't he? ) The part (in this MEDLEY) says "optional, with horns", so (the previous time) I just let them play it (rather than making an ass out of myself with a big contrabass tuba).

I've messed with the little solo (at home) since then, but (being very candid) never worked on it enough so as to be satisfied with it.
I'm playing this in a week, decided to actually PLAY the damn solo, this time...and AM working on it. I'm NOT satisfied...yet (time/intonation). The EASIEST way to maneuver through it - so far - is with the new "Shallowberger" (designed for cimbasso, but works with F tuba) mouthpiece. I think the sound is a bit thin (and probably even thinner with the crappy phone mic) but (again) I'm making the QUICKEST progress towards being satisfied with what I'm hearing. very shameful admission: I've not pulled out EITHER a tuner OR a metronome.

For those who have their computers or phones hooked up to big speakers or decent headphones (which I do NOT), is the sound too thin, or maybe "ok for this solo passage"...?? (I'm going to use my big Miraphone on the rest of this medley (and most everything on the show), but switch over for this...as there's time. Again...I solemnly promise (three fingers to the forehead) to work on it MORE until I have the time and tuning tightened up better.

yes...I'm aware that the end is extremely terse and slows...but well...markings (and I'd wager that - no matter how terse - I'll be buried by percussion).

TO CLARIFY THE QUESTION:
I'm aware that the sound is "thin" with this mouthpiece...but it is OK for this one short passage?

I'm not getting anything from the Imgur box.

TheHatTuba wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 3:00 pm I'm not getting anything from the Imgur box.

yeah...It seemed to work on my PHONE's "chrome" browser...but NOT on my laptop...

BUT I'VE FOUND A WORK-AROUND...

- Click in the middle of the black (which takes you to an imgur webpage) and THEN
- REFRESH that imgur webpage and (probably) turn on the sound.

(There's no video...only audio.)

I used the link from the share option. Same address as clicking the black area, but that way just wouldn't load for whatever reason.

Very shark

I wonder (??) if this is better...

https://imgur.com/LZZcsRy

Yup that link works. Funny but the high stuff does sound like it needs a bass tuba, but the "shark sound" could use a contra. I never saw the movie but always thought that was about a 4th lower. Guess not.

An idiot friend of mine took her four year old to see the movie and couldn't figure out why he was having nightmares.

Being outdoors and a big production with microphones and sound men, I'm pretty sure there's going to be five or six basses on stage and - being sound men who always love bass - I'm sure they're going to crank the basses - particularly on that lick, so I think they'll be plenty of big round fat "Jaws" bass line stuff in the speakers...and my buddy - who can really crank on his Conn bass trombone - will be doing his job as well...
...The "Jaws" excerpt in that medley is really pretty short because - after all - once that stuff is played, what else is there to hear?

I wish it was as easy to play with my regular mouthpiece...but (yup) I'm lazy...and sorta busy (un-smushin' horns).

Hey community band people
Is this same medley scored for band?

[

tofu wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 11:11 pm

bloke wrote: ↑Sat Sep 23, 2023 7:31 pm
Hey community band people
Is this same medley scored for band?

Yes - although it's possible one of our folks did the arrangement. I can't remember - I'm just the tuba operator and play what ever lands on the stand. We have some really talented retired DC service band folks in the group who sometimes arrange stuff if we can't find it or the existing arrangements aren't to our liking/standards.

I've always played it on my 185 as it can play however you need it to play. I've always assumed that was what TJ used. I really appreciate that one of our directors compiles recordings of upcoming pieces on the schedule and sends out the links to the ones in the style we want to play it. I think we played it a couple years ago and maybe 5 years or so prior to that. I used my LM-10 instead of my Imperial Cup for that piece. Last year I think it was for a movie soundtrack theme outdoor concert and 5 years ago for a Spielberg themed outdoor concert that included Close Encounters of a Third Kind again done on the 185. We sometimes do the show the movie and play the soundtrack live concerts. The crowd loves that stuff, but it's a bit of a nightmare of effort for the director to do it right.

I really wish I had been able to meet & hear Tommy Johnson live. He was one heck of a player. What a career & body of work.

My F tuba is the closest thing I have to a 185-shaped bell. (I believe Mr. Johnson stuck a 185 bell on his B&S F tuba...or - at least - strongly suggested to his students that they do so.)

When I was barely young enough to realize what I had lucked into experiencing, I heard him play that Armand Russell piece - "Suite Concertante" - with a university faculty woodwind quintet. I'm thinking it was in Knoxville, and I might have been 18 or so. I didn't know very much about tuba models. I didn't know the piece other than the Cooley recording, I'm pretty sure it was an "about flawless" performance. I was sitting about fifteen feet away from him (no stage).

Everyone has an opinion on what horn to work for what, but I have to say that was some great playing

I wish I could still play like that. I'm not sure I even could

^^ Haha I could do it on cello with some practice. But not a brass.

If that evaluation was directed towards me, I'm blushing.
Otherwise, I know that it can be better.
The tuning isn't settling in, and I need to use a metronome to both "get" and "check" the 7-over-2 thing.
The last four notes are pretty terse, but I'm just not sure who else (other than the bass trombone) is going to accomplish that type of "scary sound" effect...The basses can't - no matter how much the sound man helps them...and (in the past - when the sound-guy has tried stuff like that with them) it simply resulted in feedback - so I'm thinking (since a few years ago) he learned his lesson.

I doubt Joe is using it, but when I try that with the new Shallowberger, it really brings out the high frequencies and a horn-like sound. It's a fun and colorful mouthpiece.

The wind band Jaws suite that I've played leaves that to a horn (or euphonium; I don't remember). The tubas get a little ornamental stuff, but not higher than A3 (I think), so it's friendlier for contrabass tubas. And there a stretch of holding a very low C quietly for a long time.

Edit: sorry, I wasn't paying enough attention, and maybe Joe did use a Shallowberger here.

I saw Steve Dumaine do this live with the National Symphony... before the concert he was working it on his 6450 and it was "less than perfect". For the actual show he picked up the F tuba and nailed it. Sounded perfect.

As I understand it, Tommy did that cold on a 185 CC with no warmup and they used the first take. He was late for the session due to L.A. traffic and just made it at downbeat. Maestro Williams even offered him a chance to play a few notes before they started and he declined. I'm not 100% convinced I'm remembering the model of horn correctly but I know it was a CC tuba.

Tommy was not like the rest of us.

I've heard it done live a few other times and always on bass tuba, but it really comes down to what the player feels is best. The resultant product is the only thing that matters, not how much brass is in your lap at the time.

I suspect that Tommy did better as a school teacher - with retirement benefits and all that stuff, combining that with all the studio work he did - than he would have had he auditioned for the LAPO and been offered and accepted that job.

I sure wish I could play that well! Perhaps a horn between your BBb and F would be the best choice to get the higher stuff out like you do here and low enough to make the shark theme scarier - try it on that D tuba you have. JUST KIDDING - it sounds great as it is!

...I've got two horrible crappy little previously-messed-up-by-a-"tech" Besson tubas to finish "fixing"...and then, I'm going to work on this lick some more (and look at all of the mundane stuff on the show - to make sure none of it catches me by surprise). I'll probably also play through all of that tonguing on "Superman" and circle the subtle lick-differences in Mag. Seven and The Cowboys.

bloke "Tubas are LOUD...Stupid-tuba-player mistakes are EVEN LOUDER. "

Sounds Great! Will the concert be available on the web anywhere?

I've never seen it broadcasted nor streamed...
I've seen crappy phone videos (next day or same night) by attendees - such as seen in the "low-brow" thread.

Mostly, this serves as a big (free) party - to encourage folks to buy tickets to the ($$) concerts...or to the ("buy-a-table") dinner/pops concerts things.