Improving the Band's

Tuba Section
Stephen P. Brandon

u ba sections can be im-
ygd, but like any worthwhile
I it takes planning, desire,
jy' knowledge. The results,
Iwever, are worth the effort.
IK-
Bdlng the Tuba
folding the tuba in different
fsitions can affect the player's
jfeath control, intonation, and
Knbouchure development. The
Kudent should sit in a good
Hair (a tall, wooden one with a
it back gives the best re-
fults)'. With feet flat on the floor
P a straight back, he should
Iring the tuba into playing posi-
|n. The leadpipe and mouth-
ece should approach the em-
puchure at a comfortable an-
ffit; one that does not tilt the
neck and head unnaturally.
Keep the left arm free to balance
the instrument; more advanced
students may want to reach over
the top of the tuba to manipulate
valve slides.
Sousaphone players use the
same sitting position, but with
the left leg supporting the in-
strument so the shoulder and
neck are not strained. While the
right hand manipulates the
valves, find a comfortable spot
for the left hand so it can help
hold the horn. I do not advocate
tuba chairs or stands because
they create poor posture and
breathing habits. Tuba chairs
and other such devices also tend
to separate the player psycho-
logically from the horn rather
than building the feeling that the
instrument is an extension of the
performer.
Embouchure
In most respects the tuba em-
bouchure is similar to that of
other brass instruments: taut
cheek muscles, turned down cor-
ners of the mouth, and a relaxed
jaw should be present at all
times. To form a correct embou-
chure, place the mouthpiece in
the center of the mouth with
slightly less than two-thirds of it
on the upper lip and one-third on
the lower lip. A player's chin
structure and the distance be-
tween the nose and the bottom
of the upper lip are natural bar-
riers that limit the mouthpiece
area.

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next example. Using the fourth To produce these tones, relax Low Register Exercises
for Breath Control
valve instead of the valve com- the embouchure and blow a lit-
bination of one and three makes tle less than usual. Although the • = 48-72
the intonation better and the tone quality and volume control
passage easier to play. will not be up to par, the pitches
Out-of-Tune Notes with Appropriate will sound.
Alternate Fingerings for the BBi>Tuba To help the intonation of the
A*
entire ensemble, make sure the
T5
tubas are in tune with each 170 T5
123 13
reg.
0
123
» #«
13 12 other. If the tubas and other
alt. 24 4 3 24 4 bass instruments are sharp, the
C±T—
J- «—; H rest of the group will seem flat; O O T— _
and, obviously, the reverse is K_P etc " in »equenc
reg. 23
alt. - also true.
Improving the Low Register
Because most sousaphones Three factors make playing in etc. in sequence
and some tubas have only three the low register difficult:
valves, both intonation and the • The amount of air and
low register are affected. While breath control needed to per-
there is not much that can be form sustained lines As the notes ascend, the play-
done about the intonation, the • The large aperture required er's jaw compensates slightly by
low register can be extended by to produce the correct pitch closing. As the notes descend,
using "fake" fingerings. The fol- with good intonation the reverse is true. Think in syl-
lowing false notes are available • Mouthpiece size lables, saying aw in the low reg-
on a BBf, three-valve instru- Learning to expel the air in a ister, oo in the middle register,
ment: continuous stream is the prime and ee in the upper register. To
consideration for developing a facilitate jaw movement prac-
Fake Notes Available on a good low register. The following tice the next exercise using a
Three Valve BB? Tuba
exercises will help the student constant air stream with a firm,
develop an open throat for low set embouchure. Interrupting
register playing. Set the jaw as the embouchure or interrupting
1-2 2-3 i-o 1-2-3
in saying aw. the air stream even briefly will

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teaches in elementary schools,
he can control the number of
tuba players coming into high
school. If the high school has a
concert band and a training
band, the concert band can have
the ideal number of tubas. Other
limitations are the number of in-
struments available and how
well the students perform. If you
have weak performers you will
need quite a few players; if you
have strong tubists you will need
fewer.
The ratio of one tuba player
per 20 band members works
well if the tuba players are good
performers. If the tubists are
weak, use one for every 15 band
members. These are personal
preferences and there are un-
doubtedly directors who feel dif-
ferently. The important thing,
though, is to strike a compro-
mise between the musical de-
mands of the band and the per-
sonal needs of the students who
desire to play.
Recruiting Tuba Players
Tuba players are usually ei-
ther students who began playing
the tuba when they started in-
strumental music study or stu-
dents who transferred to the
tuba from another brass instru-
ment. Many elementary students
are not big enough to handle the
bulk of the tuba, especially the
BB", and do not have hearing at-
tuned to the pitch of the tuba.
Some teachers, however, suc-
cessfully begin elementary stu-
dents on euphonium, using tuba
music and BB' tuba fingerings.
When the student has played for
a year or two, the euphonium is
exchanged for a tuba. This per-
mits the elementary band to
have tuba parts played (albeit an
octave higher) while grooming
tubists for the future. When the
switch occurs, expect the stu-
dent to have problems adjusting
to the larger mouthpiece and
learning to play an octave lower.
The best age to start students
is when they are in junior high
school. More trumpet players
become tuba players than stu-
dents in any other instrumental
group, and because trumpet
players have facility in playing
fast passages, the tuba's lethar-
gic image is not quite as for-
midable.
Before starting a student on
tuba, test whether he can dif-
ferentiate pitches in the low
register of a piano and screen
him for dental or physical
anomalies that could hinder per-
formance. •
Stephen P. Brandon is head of the
fine arts department at Armstrong
State College in Savannah, Georgia.
Maurice Faulkner is the Contribu-
ting Editor for the Brass Clinic. He
received a PhD degree from Stanford
University and is Professor of Music
Education Emeritus at the Univer-
sity of California, Santa Barbara.

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60 THE INSTRUMENTALIST/DECEMBER 1984