Eb tuba is used for brass bands (almost exclusively) and some soloing F tuba is used for passages requiring higher notes and solo works. It is also seen in small ensemble settings (brass quintet, brass quartet, etc) BBb and CC tubas are intended for large ensemble playing (band, orchestra, etc. ) BBb tubas are more common at the high school, college, and amateur level as sousaphones are pitched in BBb, but professional orchestra players in the U. S. use CC tubas. In Europe it can vary from country to country.
If you buy a used tuba, or rent one, make sure you get your own new mouthpiece. A good quality mouthpiece is important to develop the proper buzzing technique and breath support. A fiberglass mouthpiece is sometimes used as an alternative because temperature doesn’t effect its intonation as much as a metal mouthpiece. Fiberglass mouthpieces may work and are more inexpensive but you lose some quality sound and overtones.
Get a basic hard-backed chair without any arm wrests, or a stool that you can sit on comfortably. Avoid practicing on the couch, in a recliner, or in otherwise less-than-upright conditions. You can’t get the breath-support necessary to play correctly, and you’ll build poor habits into your practice routine.
If you’re trying to use a computer to aid you, having a projector connected to it is probably the only way it wouldn’t be an inconvenience. It’s good to get started online, but finding a professional method book is the best way to learn an instrument. Wait to troubleshoot technique issues online after you’ve got the fundamentals down.
It’s important to position the tuba in such a way that you will not have to bend yourself to reach the mouthpiece. Bring the horn to you, don’t bend to the horn. When you try to fill the horn with air, you’ll notice a big difference.
Most tubas have a small ring to put your thumb through. This forces your hand to stay in place and helps give a bit of support from your right hand. Find the ring, if your tuba has one, and position your hand accordingly. On a lefty tuba, you’ll be resting the tuba practically on your left leg which is why stands are very important for lefty players. Your right hand has to reach for the valves, but it will also be providing a lot of support. The left hand will keep things balanced. Although it may be tempting, do not curl your right thumb. That causes your fingers to be under your valves with only the tips on top. Hold your fingers upwards on top of the valves so that they go straight up and straight down when pressed.
Unless you’re playing a Sousaphone in a marching band, the goal is not to blow all of your air reserves through the horn at once, but to keep your diaphragm taunt. If someone were to punch you in the stomach, you should stay tight and not collapse. Tense your abdominal muscles while you play and while you blow. [2] X Research source
A properly maintained “embouchure” is critical to playing brass instruments. It’s difficult to buzz your lips properly when you’re first learning how to play. Don’t puff out your cheeks. It’s a waste of air that should be going into your horn, it looks silly, and you’ll end up with very sore cheeks after only a brief period of playing.
Pinch your cheeks and your lips as you blow to control the amount of air that comes through your “buzz. " You can raise or lower the pitch of the note in the same position, accordingly. Try associating how the note will sound, where the note is on the staff, what it feels like to play the note, and the fingering for it. Many beginners only associate the note on the staff and the fingering for it, so they become confused when playing notes with the same fingering but different mouth positions.
Most guide books should come with finger charts, which correspond the fingerings to the specific notes on the scale that you want to play. This is an excellent way to learn to play. Push the valve in the center, not on the rim. Pushing it on the rim can make the valve stuck.
Practice with a metronome. Even when you’re playing scales, play them in time. When you’re playing your practice songs, play them in time. Learn to internalize that sense of time by tapping your feet and paying close attention to your rhythmic motion. Practice your counting. Sometimes, tuba notes will be spaced out very far, meaning that you’ll mostly be counting empty measures on some songs. Develop a good method for counting rests to make sure you’re always on time for your big notes.
Consider taking private lessons as well. Like most instruments, learning a tuba properly usually requires in-person instruction. Whether you receive that in school band or in private lessons, getting one-on-one instruction is a good way of keeping you from building bad habits and moving forward with your playing. Explore good instructors available in your area and sign up.
When double tonguing, think either ta-ka-ta-ka or da-ga-da-ga. Try saying it first, and when you try double tonguing, think as if your tongue is moving in one of the two ways described above. Triple tonguing has four approaches: Ta-ta-ka, ta-ka-ta, da-da-ga, or da-ga-da. Try all, and choose the one that works best on you and stick with it.
Empty the water that is in your tuba frequently by pushing the water key and blowing air into the instrument without vibrating your lips. Check individual valves by pressing down each one in turn and blowing; if there’s any water in the tubing, it should sound and feel obvious. You may need to remove the tubing or rotate the tuba to clear everything. Find somewhere for tuba repairs. Professional instrument repairmen might charge you a pretty penny for fixing things, but they know what they’re doing and it’s better than ruining a giant investment by messing with something you don’t understand.
