TubaForum.net

Trumpets, trombones, and even horns warm up in a minute or less, and are pretty easy to keep warm.

Tubas (and even skinny cimbassos - as cimbassos are configured in the shape of radiators and air intakes) present a challenge.

Last night (looking over stuff for Sunday), I spent enough time with the F cimbasso (in particular) to ACTUALLY get it completely warmed up.

Hearing that the pitch center had crept up significantly, I pulled the tuning slide (very long tubes at the bottom of the instrument and awkward to move) roughlyl 5/8th of an inch (x 2) to get it DOWN TO A=440 (again, after several minutes of playing and - as a rare instance, and usually only at home - the thing actually being warmed up).

Predictably (this morning: the cimbasso cold again), the pitch was stinky-flat.

FULL warm-up of the instrument probably happens when playing two ("busy") or more pieces in a row at pops concerts, but (when I'm playing a 2nd/bass 'bone part (that really NEEDS to sound like a trombone - instead of a tuba) on a church gig, it's often a postlude, or some other part of the service whereby - previously - there has been a considerable time gap in the brass playing.

Were I playing a tuba, I could reach down and (during a two-bar rest, etc.) adjust the main slide a bit.
SEVERAL of my tubas (certainly most of the factory-built-ones) needed to have their tuning slide ferrules shortened (fortunately I can do that myself) to give me enough "room" to play up to pitch with the instrument cold.
Again re. the cimbasso's main slide: It's just not feasible to adjust the main slide - even during an empty stanza or bridge - as the visual is ridiculous, and the care that must be taken (in typically crowded quarters) is beyond a normal comfort zone...

...so about the only thing that has occurred to me as a way to manage this (cimbasso-wise) is to pull the main slide out JUST A BIT (1/4 inch or so), and - as the instrument's pitch center climbs (as the instrument warms up), I HOPE that the OTHER brass players' pitch centers slightly climb as well.
ie. I "lip up" (just a bit) at the beginnings of pieces, and (well...) LISTEN (particularly critically) - as a piece proceeds onward.

I really can't think of a more effective way to deal with the issue.
I know that "cimbasso ownership/use" does not represent the majority (perhaps not any sort of significant percentage), here, but (well...) these are issues, and this is a "thing".

main slide "trigger"?
yeah...but the instrument plays really well in tune with itself...and with this pair of (14 inch...maybe, they're actually a bit longer?) inside slide tubes, (yes, the alignment is good enough, but) I really don't care to remove enough metal from the outsides of the inside slide tubes for it to move that easily...It might not "leak", but - yet - it would (well...) leak...if you get what I'm attempting to express.

OK...To the TUBA players (forget the cimbasso, as that's so few here) who play in orchestras and do church gigs (whereby - even with attempts to keep your TUBA warm) you end up having to play with the instrument cold...You're employing "start with the main slide in, and move it out - as the instrument warms" technique, yes...??

I wonder if a heating pad wrapped around the body of it would help?

matt g wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2024 3:43 pm I wonder if a heating pad wrapped around the body of it would help?

Thanks!

I've thought of that (and tubas in the winter, as well)... but (and I know they only have numbers, and not temperature settings...) I wonder if even the lowest setting on a heating pad would over-heat...(ex: the instrument - - would play a quarter-tone sharp, etc...)

...maybe (??) set on "1" and with a blanket under it (to dampen the heating ability even below "1"...(??)
Obviously, this would need to be experimented with - prior to at a job site.


Many of you begin home practice or rehearsals/performances with your (tuba) slides "in" and (as the instrument warms) you pull the main slide out, yes?
me: I'm not one who (prior to rehearsals/performances) goes though a whole bunch of playing/rigamarole to warm up an instrument. I prefer to just play a very little bit, and then - well - "hit it".
...and (ref: church service sermons - particularly when seated up in the alter area) continuously blowing warm air through a tuba (during a sermon) is quite the visual distraction.

bloke wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2024 4:33 pm ...and (ref: church service sermons - particularly when seated up in the alter area) continuously blowing warm air through a tuba (during a sermon) is quite the visual distraction.

Perhaps a hair drier on “low”?

If you cover yourself and the tuba in a large blanket, no one will see you blowing air through it.

I could pass it around to the other brass player sort of like a bong.

We got to page three fast, didn't we?

matt g wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2024 3:43 pm I wonder if a heating pad wrapped around the body of it would help?

We could take a page from Formula 1. This company will make custom sizes, so maybe they could come up with one that would fit your horn like the proverbial glove.

One of the local high schools had a tuba solo during their marching band show. The player put down their sousas and sat down on a chair and played the solo on a mic'd concert horn. I This first time I saw the show they had the thing wrapped up in a blanket and had a bunch of those camping hand warmers stuffed around it too try keep it warm. Unfortunately the solo was still horribly flat. The next competition they had someone blowing though it the whole time... It was much more in tune but the solo was gurgly from condensation. Probably would have been better just to play it on the sousa since it was only about 12 bars.

It is a problem. Thanks for relaying that story.

Sousaphones are concert instruments. Go dig up John Philip Sousa and ask him.

bloke wrote: ↑Sat Feb 24, 2024 4:33 pm ...and (ref: church service sermons - particularly when seated up in the alter area) continuously blowing warm air through a tuba (during a sermon) is quite the visual distraction.

Only if the congregation thinks you are implying that the person giving the sermon is a blowhard...

.