Low range help


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Too ashamed to say.. on August 15, 2000 at 17:40:26:

Too ashamed to say who I am, but I'm a fair-to-middling amateur player who took some years off of tuba and have resumed playing for about a year now (yes, Lee, it's me). Most of my 'game' is back and even surpassing my earlier capabilities, but my low range just falls off at low Gb (on my BBb Conn 3 up - I think it's a 10J). I have two mouthpieces, a 24AW and a Conn Helleberg. The Conn works better overall, but neither one will speak the low notes. Other horns I've played (with the same mouthpieces) don't give me this problem. I'm okay until I get to the Gb, but then it's like there's a cork in the horn. The 3rd valve has a tightly wrapped 'pretzel' to keep it from extending into dangerous territory below the bow. Is it likely that this is causing my problem? My lower range was never my strength, but it was never bad like this. It's been suggested that I get a PT-50 (I think that was the one), but I can't really spend a lot on my hobby, and I hate to spend that kind of dough on speculation without first enquiring about this horn characteristic. If it IS the pretzel, what can I do? Is there a different approach to playing a horn with more resistance?

I have no aspirations to achieve greatness at this thing, and for the playing I do I can just work around these notes (have to do that with anything below an E anyway). But I'd sure like to fix it if I could. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.


Follow Ups: