Re: Re: Re: Proper F tuba sound


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Posted by Jay Bertolet on June 28, 2001 at 08:21:14:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Proper F tuba sound posted by A little red faced on June 27, 2001 at 22:33:10:

I really can't make any great suggestions for mouthpieces you might try because I'm not an F tuba player nor do I own (and thus, have a multitude of experience with) a Yamaha YFB-822. That said, I can offer some generalizations you might consider.

1) The 822 is a piston instrument and my experience is that funnel-shaped mouthpieces work best for the shorter leadpipe. That's just my personal experience, you may have different feelings on the subject. What I would investigate first would be mouthpieces like the smaller Hellebergs (maybe a 7B or a Schilke/Helleberg II). I have been fooling around with a PS-3 from Dillon's that is really nice for smaller sounds on my Willson Eb which is probably a more similar instrument to your 822. You also might look at a Laskey 30F or 28F. I don't use the 28F because it is a little small for my face and purposes but it might work for you.

2) You might consider a trip to Doug Elliot's shop. He makes custom mouthpieces (from components) that he tailors to the individual player and tuba. His knowledge of the process is extensive and he would be one person I would suggest for answers. Since the 822 is such a popular tuba, I would bet he's had extensive experience making mouthpieces that work with that specific horn. Rather than re-invent the wheel, why not take advantage of his experience?

3) Remember that the purpose of this exercise is to find a mouthpiece that produces a sound other than the one you already have. I would assume that you chose the setup you currently use to make your tuba able to cover lots of repertoire and still be effective overall in managing the horn. You probably chose a mouthpiece that is a little on the large side to make it easier to play all the low stuff you're confronted with. If you decide to purchase a CC tuba, this playing will no longer be very much of an issue with your 822. Why not take advantage of that and pick a smaller mouthpiece that gives you a little better time in the upper range, more "color" in the sound, and sacrifice some of the projection and low range ease? I guess what I'm saying is to look at your 822 as a specific tool instead of as your only one.

Sorry if this is all stuff you already know. I just wanted to be sure the concepts you were proceding with might yield the results you are looking for. Good luck and good hunting!

My opinion for what it's worth...


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