Posted by Mary Ann on November 18, 2003 at 15:31:13:
In Reply to: Becoming a Doubler... posted by Cale Self on November 18, 2003 at 14:42:55:
I play french horn, euphonium, and C and F tuba, so I guess I'm a "quadler." I find that it takes some patience to settle into a new mouthpiece type/size; I also find that it takes some mental activity to separate all those sets of fingerings, but it is do-able. You may find that there is a preferred order of practice based on how easy it is for your embouchure to change from one mouthpiece to another....I find that I need to play the smallest mouthpiece first (horn) and then go "up" in subsequent practice sessions on the same day. So if I had to practice all four instruments (which I have not, yet)... it would be, in order, horn, euphonium, F tuba, CC tuba. I try not to be playing more than two at a time, but usually it is three "just because." Right now after a couple of months that were heavy on tubas and euph, I've been engaged to play 2nd horn in a concert in a few weeks, so I'm scrambling to get that embouchure highly functional again, while dropping the euph for that time period. For me, the biggest problems are air control and fine touch for starting notes. Good luck, just stay with it until you groove it in, and you'll be fine.
MA