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T
he ideal tuba and euphonium Marine Band plays a B^with purity and carefully hammer the mouthpiece
sound is dark and resonant clarity, it is the quality of sound cou- back to its original shape; take care not
with stable intonation, but pled with accurate intonation that pro- to jam the tool into the mouthpiece.
most bands do not have enough tuba duces the frequency of the note and The size of a mouthpiece should
and euphonium players for good bal- also Bt-s, Fs, and Ds in several octaves match the size of the student using it,
ance. Young players may not have a above. The result is that within a single A very large mouthpiece is seldom
characteristic tone or reliable intona- note there is an entire chord that pro- good for a young player who cannot
tion. Composer Francis McBeth vides a stable foundation and reference precisely control the airstream for a
observes in Effective Performance of point for the ensemble. I heard Les good tone. Tuba mouthpieces are often
Band Music that often a band sounds Linn of the Palo Verde Brass Quintet 'handed down for years from player to
"out of tune because it is out of bal- in Phoenix expertly convey this con- player, without regard to the size and
ance." He adds that properly adjusted cept during a masterclass when he told dental features of students, the size of
instruments may sound miserably out the students "You have to play in tone, the horn, or the desired sound. If cus-
of pitch. "There is one factor that as well as in tune." tom mouthpiece fittings are not possi-
looms above all others and this is: To improve the tone and intonation ble, a Bach 24AW or similar mouth-
Pitch is a direct result of balance." of virtually any player, the first step is piece generally works with tuba stu-
The other major component is tone a clean mouthpiece. Most student dents. A Bach 61/2AL mouthpiece
quality. The inescapable truth is that a mouthpieces are encrusted with gunk, works well for most euphonium/trom-
bad sound cannot be tuned properly. especially in the shank, but a mouth- bone players.
Because a poor tone lacks the over- piece brush will return the shank to its For correct posture and playing posi-
tones that integrate the upper and original diameter and produce instant tions the tuba and the euphonium
lower voices of an ensemble, an ensem- improvement. If the shank of the should be played with the bell upright;
ble with poor tone will be out of tune. mouthpiece is dented, a mouthpiece holding the horn parallel to the floor
When the tuba section of the U.S. truing tool and a rawhide mallet will looks slovenly and muffles the sound.
correct the problem. This tool, a The spinal column should be comfort-
tapered metal shaft with a handle, is ably upright but not ramrod straight;
shaped to fit a variety of brass mouth- the mouthpiece should be at a level
pieces and costs about $25. To fix a where it evenly covers both lips, cen-
mouthpiece, insert the truing tool into tered under the nose and meeting the
the shank and use a rawhide mallet to lips at an angle no greater than hori-
zontal or even a few degrees lower. No
student can generate a characteristic
tone while craning the neck or slouch-
ing to reach a mouthpiece. While
some students can place the horn on
their leg or chair to get the mouth- model their sound to match that of
piece in the optimum position, most tubists Sam Pilafian, Dan Perantoni,
should make other adjustments. Patrick Sheridan, or Mark Nelson or
Euphonium players can place a rolled- such euphonium players as Brian
up towel or a block of foam covered in Bowman, Steven Mead, and the
black cloth on their leg or chair to Childs Brothers. The Tubists Univer-
raise the instrument to a good posi- sal Brotherhood Association maintains
tion; a commercial euphonium stand a list of recordings, books, and instruc-
also works well. tional materials on tubaonline.org.
fecljilfee I I strongly recommend using stands
for tuba players at every level. These
This worldwide community of tuba
and euphonium players seeks to edu-
CUSTOM-BUILT range from large devices that com- cate and motivate students.
pletely support the instrument to small After students have listened to a
INSTRUMENTS pedestals that bear the weight of the professional recording, talk with them
horn but require the player to balance about which aspects of the tone they
AND MOUTHPIECES it. Stands reduce muscular tension and want to incorporate in their playing.
improve concentration by alleviating Encourage students to describe the
worries about dropping an instrument sound in their own words, and offer
TRUMPETS that is precariously perched on the cor- leading questions about whether the
IN Bt>, C, D, Et>, EP/D, F, G, ner of a chair. I scoffed at the use of sound is focused or fuzzy, whether it
E VF/G. 65 Models-Trumpets- tuba stands for many years until Dave has a core or center, and whether it is
Cornets . Ihlenfeld of Flagstaff, Arizona chal- consistent in all registers. Point out
lenged me to try his stand for ten min- extremes of range, tempos, and
utes. As he predicted I was more com- dynamics that are worthy of imitation.
PICCOLO TRUMPETS fortable and relaxed, and the tone Because few students are trained to
improved instantly. I now use a DEC evaluate tone, they should refer back
IN BD/A, C
tuba stand that costs less than $50. to the recording frequently with these
Tuba players can also try a rolled-up questions in mind.
towel, foam, or even hockey pucks. Students should begin to imitate the
TUNING-BELL TRUMPETS While it will take time and effort for professional sound on a single note in
With Detachable Bells - students to establish a new habit of the low register, such as Bt, practicing
Eliminates the tuning slide good posture, teachers can help by this note until a more open, relaxed,
improving intonation and reminding them to sit tall and by prais- and resonant sound develops. They
response. Additional bells ing improvements in their tone, into- should frequently refer back to the
offer varied tone color. nation, volume, and range. ideal sound on the recording. The next
Regularly maintained school tubas stage is to repeat the process a half step
and euphoniums produce better tone
and intonation. A chemical bath at a
MOUTHPIECES - repair shop will open clogged leadpipes
STANDARD AND SIGNATURE and do wonders for the tone and into-
Precision made for Trumpet, nation. Tuning slides should move eas-
Cornet, French Horn, Trom- ily to allow adjustments, water keys
bone, Euphonium and Tuba. should seal completely, and the bore of
the instrument should be smooth.
Dents are common in school instru-
Call or write ments, but a qualified repair techni-
cian can distinguish between cosmetic
for dealer in your area:
damage and dents that affect the tone
or pitch. If any slides or bows are badly
SCHILKE MUSIC, INC. dented, it will be impossible to pro-
duce a characteristic sound. Regular
4520 James Place maintenance is an extra incentive for
Melrose Park, IL 60160 students to practice and to take care of
the instrument.
312-9220570 Beyond these mechanical aspects,
better tone results from a good concept Thomas Bough joined the Southern
PLEASE SEND: of a professional tuba or euphonium Illinois University - Carbondale music
sound. Without this ideal sound in faculty in 1999 as assistant director of
D Instrument Catalog
mind, students will accept whatever bands and professor of tuba and eupho-
D Mouthpiece Catalog tone happens to emerge rather than nium. Bough received master and doctor'
Name shaping the sound to imitate the tone, ate degrees in tuba performance from
Address range, and intonation of professionals. Arizona State University where he studied
Fine tuba and euphonium recordings with Sam Pilafian and Dan Perantoni.
City/State .
are available, including those from From 1991 to 1999 Bough was director of
\P Summit Records in Tempe, Arizona, bands at Westwood High School in Mesa,
With these recordings students can Arizona.
Tuba
t 7 (optn)
'
2,3 < 2 > 1,3 (" 1,2(1.2)
Open 2 1
:iead off to i't want to L'et lost in a sea Valves 1,2 and 3
'eels. We're the small school you've been dreaininu of. With our five
YEARS OF technique.
Adjust embouchure rather than using valves.
All-State Band in separate years.
Healthy displays of tuba/euphonium
pride reflect self motivation and a
PRACTICE _. Euph. ^-— _
group spirit that will reduce recruiting
problems for low brass players.
WE'D LIKE Even better than the four-valve
euphonium is a compensating eupho-
TO OFFER nium, with a fourth valve on the side
of the instrument that is operated with
the left hand. It also adds to the first
YOU three valves a second set of slides that
activate when any two valves are used
A STEADY together. Although more expensive,
this system corrects many of the into-
GIG. nation deficiencies described above. In
the last few years compensating tubas
•have arrived on the market, but these
instruments are available only as
expensive professional models.
Intonation can also improve in the
Continue pattern as low as possible. tuba and euphonium section with
effective procedures to set the length of
Players can also adjust the first or third the main tuning slide and then the
valve slide to bring these notes down to other slides. Keep in mind that choos-
pitch. If a player can reach one of these ing the length of tuning slides involves
slides while playing, he can pull it out compromises and the goal is to mini-
to adjust for these notes then return it mize the number of embouchure and
to the normal position. Professional fingering adjustments. Also remember
tuba players use this technique to that without adequate tone quality, a
adjust a variety of notes; one of my cri- consistent embouchure, and consistent
teria for selecting a tuba is the accessi- breath support, tuning can be little
We'll give you the chance to bility of the tuning slides. To use this more than an unpredictable exercise in
perform an average of 20 technique the slides should be within pushing and pulling slides. Getting a
times a month. Everything from reach and easily moved. Players should horn perfectly in tune is impossible,
practice incorporating the left hand although a good musician can certainly
classics to rock 'n roll. And without disrupting the performance. make a horn play perfectly in tune.
we'll pay you for it. Which Consistent application of these solu- As with any brass instrument the
makes this an even better gig. tions will alleviate the problems inher- player and instrument should be
ent in a three-valve instrument, but a warmed up before tuning. Set the
Positions now open for all
better solution is to use a tuba or eupho- length of the main slide by sounding a
instruments, especially: nium with four valves. Because the Bl> on an electronic tuner and asking
fourth valve is typically only used as a students to match the low and high Bh
• OBOE substitute for first and third or all three to that pitch. Students who cannot tell
• CLARINET valves on low notes, one can adjust the whether they are sharp or flat can be
length of the fourth valve slide to accu- taught to pull the slide out until the
For more information, contact
rately tune these notes. However, stu- error is obvious, then incrementally
your nearest Army recruiter dents at most of the schools I visit forget move the other direction until reach-
or call an Army Band Liaison at to use the fourth valve because they ing the desired pitch. The rationale for
1-800-223-3735, ext 6-0485. spend the fall semester on a three-valve this is that most people can recognize a
marching instrument. To help students pitch that is too low more quickly than
Applicants must qualify for enlistment shift to four valve fingerings when they one that is too high and most players
in the U.S. Army and pass an audition. pick up their concert instruments, direc- tune to the sharp side of the pitch any-
Advanced grade available for qualified tors should monitor the fingerings being way. Make sure students adjust the
applicants and a generous benefits used in the tuba and euphonium section, proper slide because tuba players often
package. praise players for being able to remember have difficulty tracing the path of the
two sets of fingerings, and compliment lead pipe through the instrument and
them in front of the band when they use do not know which is the main tuning
ARMY
BE ALL YOU CAN BE.
the fourth valve appropriately.
If students take on these challenges
slide. Verify slide placement with an
electronic tuner, but remember not to
and encourage one another to improve, use the third partial, in this case the F
The United States Army the results can be dramatic. At Dobson between the octave Bl>s, as a tuning
is an Equal Opportunity Employer
High School and Corona del Sol High pitch because it tends to be sharp.
Tuba
ti i