Posted by dp on October 14, 2003 at 18:06:13:
In Reply to: more core in the low register? posted by tim on October 14, 2003 at 11:09:39:
About the only truly great thing I had going for me when I played BBflat tuba was a very solid money-register sound. When I switched to CC tuba, and abandoned my Kaiser rotary and switched to big piston horns, I had to re-learn playing low in a manner that gave a really good pleasing sound. Later, I bought a huge Holton and THAT horn requires a completely different approach to playing low. What I have done to make playing low on that horn second-nature and keep my "awesome" low sound, is I practice the Fafner solo excerpt from Siegfried. If you decide to use this, play it as a totally seamless line. Play pianissimo if you have to to get it smooth and fluid. It's not easy. BUT it works. When you are confident enough that you can play it at that reduced dynamic, AND with the dynamic crescendos/decrescendos, AND with no discernable breath breaks, bump the dynamic. Off the top of my head I don't think it has a huge marked dynamic, BUT it's totally soloistic in performance so remember a "solo piano" is different from an "88-piece piano"
Dunno if this will help you but it helped me, f.w.i.w.
Dale Phelps
Boulder CO