Posted by Jim Andrada on March 14, 2003 at 02:06:08:
In Reply to: Different tuba fingerings -- a survey posted by AW on March 13, 2003 at 21:08:53:
Allen, I think this is a good question. As you say there is so much talk about it. I think I'm concluding that some peole really do find it difficult to learn new fingerings, others don't, and the largest percentage THINK they'll find it difficult and get scared off. Same with multiple cleffs, transposing, etc.
I was thinking back and as I recall in 4th grade they handed me a Bb baritone and I sort of learned to play it (sort of!) but never thought about FINGERING as anything other than basic "what you had to do to learn to play" 'or maybe more accurately, "what you had to do to avoid having Sister Mary XXXX call you a dunce and rap your fingers with her ruler in front of all the other elementary school band conscripts". Basically no big deal. The next year I was bigger so they gave me an Eb tuba. Same situation.
A couple of years later in a different school system they handed me a BBb Sousaphone. Took a few weeks I guess, but the biggest problem I thought was learning to carry the damn thing on my shoulder and not get blown around by the wind or get cracked in the teeth by the mouthpiece when I didn't duck far enough to get through a door or something. Again, I never thought I was learning FINGERINGS per se.
I stuck with Bb all through college and several years more. Then nothing for 25 - 30 years.
Then I got a euphonium and got back into playing - it was a Yamaha 321 with a 5th valve twiddled by the left hand. The basic fingerings came back in a few weeks. Fifth valve took a few weeks longer. Then I switched to a 3+1 compensator. Took a few frustrating weeks trying to get used to the 4th valve in the left hand. A couple of years later, I added a BBb tuba. Basically no problem outside of the occasional "brain fart". And now I'm torturing myself learning F. Again, a few weeks of frustration about fumble fingering and now I think the hard part is getting a good tone in the lower register. Fingering? Far from perfect, but not the biggest problem either.
What's the moral of the story? Basically I think the odds of success improve dramatically if you don't focus on the fact that you're learning fingerings, or cleffs, or transposition, or whatever, you're learning to play an instrument and make music. Just like you don't stay up all night thinking that you're learning to step on the brakes or turn the wheel, you're learning to drive a car. If we don't mentally make a big issue out of it and scare ourselves, I'm convinced that most of us can learn to play damn near anything, even if it's operated with our left toes and our right elbows. Heck, my wife even learned to use a stick shift (at 50+) because she wanted a sports car that didn't come in automatic.
I think the desire to attain the objective will make anything possible.