Hi again

[Dieter]

Hi everybody,



As it is the first time I post in the 'basement department' of this great forum, I say hi again to all tuba members here.



Yesterday I received from a friend a vintage, reconditioned Dutch sousaphone made by Peeters, built somewhere around 1945. I tried to play the tiles off the roof with it today, but I believe I need an industrial compressor to achieve this.... It's a BBb sousaphone, came with a JK 25 'USA' mouthpiece and weighs well over 11 kg (kg, not pounds).



But I wonder if playing this beast would have a positive/negative effect on my euphonium playing. After I played a couple of long notes with this tuba, I switched back to euphonium and it felt like playing on a trumpet mouthpiece instead of an euphonium mp. I also missed quite a few notes in the scales, which I otherwise would have hit without any problem. But after a couple of minutes, the euphonium mouthpiece felt normal again.



So what would be your advice, is it possible to play the tuba every now and then without hampering my regular euphonium performance (which is sure nothing more than average), or do I better return this tuba to the museum?

[blueeuph]

I mainly play euphonium but this year, I am playing tuba with my community band. The only time I get to play tuba is in my Community Band as they don't have a tuba to give to me and I don't have a tuba practice mute so I could practice in my apartment. At my Community Band during break, I do pull out my euphonium and play a little bit. In university, I had go from tuba to euphonium back tuba a couple of times for a couple of concerts. I may be in the minority saying this but I don't find going from tuba to euphonium too bad and in fact, I find it better then going from trombone to euphonium. Yeah, anything will feel small compared to playing tuba. The only real difference I do when playing tuba is to definitely firm up your bottom lip and know you will need to breathe where you may not to be breathe when playing euphonium.

Tuba playing helps your breathing, be more efficient with your air flow and can free up your mid to upper register. Also, it can help you with phrasing in hearing the chord progressions.

[davewerden]

I have found that tuba playing can have great benefits for euphonium players. Certainly there is a benefit for your air. Tuba takes a lot more air, and you can really exercise your lungs playing tuba, especially if you try to play with a good tone and try to not breathe every 2 seconds.

Oddly enough, tuba playing contributes to stronger chops on euphonium. Obviously I'm not playing up into the area of the euphonium's high range on tuba. But I suppose it strengthens my chop muscles because of all the extra air flowing through and causing the lips to vibrate.

So I found benefits to be: better supply and use of air, better tone, and stronger fingers (my tuba has piston valves).