Posted by Cheryl on October 10, 2001 at 21:20:51:
In Reply to: Flute to Tuba Converts posted by tuba tutor on October 10, 2001 at 20:49:50:
My first instrument was the flute and I had a lot of these similar problems. I'm currently teaching a flute "convert" and she, too, is going through what I went through during the learning process. I told her to "think low" and it's really helped her (so she said). Personally I think it was a matter of not moving enough air through the horn, but I could be wrong. Another obstacle is sustaining the notes, and we're solving this by working on long-tones and breathing exercises the very first thing we do in the lesson. She's starting to hear the pitches, and I quiz her before we play something out of her book on the note names (since she has trouble reading bass clef) Even though we are going painfully slow (and she gets a little impatient, I've definitely heard an improvement in the four or five lessons we've had.
Cheryl Budisch
cbudisch(AT)ups.edu