Re: Low register dynamics


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Posted by Mary Ann on February 13, 2004 at 09:40:17:

In Reply to: Low register dynamics posted by SHS Tubamaster on February 12, 2004 at 18:34:14:

ah, well sticking my neck out again.
To get low notes....you have to tuck your chin, tilt your forehead forward, stick out your lower lip (if you blow like I do), open your mouth, and BLOW. I got blatting sounds at first, but as I got them more under control....I can now blow those little alto horns in front of me in brass band right off their chairs. I ended up with my mouthpiece quite a bit farther down from my nose than I started with on tuba (the set was a hold-over from horn.) I'm more like 1/2 - 1/2 instead of 2/3-1/3. Good thing too, because with my small face I was bonking my nose pretty hard with the rim!!

And the advice is worth exactly as much as you paid for it, but it's worth a try. I second getting a good (emphasize GOOD) teacher. It will save you a LOT of time. I got someone to show me "how" he held his chops for the entire range....and it just started to work. I guess I was lucky. It helped a lot that the majority of my practice was in a group, where I didn't have to hear the worst of my playing all that much, what with its being covered up by the squealing of the cornets.
MA


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