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Thread: Developing as Teacher

  1. #1

    Developing as Teacher

    I am currently studying as a music performance major at West Virginia Unv. My concern as a euph teacher is that I need to double on either trombone or tuba. I am already a fairly good trombone player but think it would be more practical and would be more valuble to pick up tuba. Should I start practicing tuba? Will playing tuba mess with my embouchure? If so what would be a good transition tuba mouthpiece?

    Thanks for your responses,

    Eric Hurd


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    Dumfries, VA (Potomac Shores)
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    Developing as Teacher

    The best advice would probably come from Ben Pierce at the University of Arkansas on this one, as he doubles better than anyone I can think of.
    Brandon Jones
    Principal Euphonium - The United States Air Force Band, Washington, D.C.
    bmjones82@gmail.com

  3. Developing as Teacher

    Originally posted by: WVUEUPH ... My concern as a euph teacher is that I need to double on either trombone or tuba. I am already a fairly good trombone player but think it would be more practical and would be more valuble to pick up tuba. ...
    The ability to double will always serve you well--especially as a euph player. I'm curious why you think tuba would be a more practical/valuable choice.

    Of course it all depends on the local supply and demand of players and teachers, but my experience was that it was a little difficult for me to find many euph and tuba students, whereas I didn't have capacity for all the trombones hitting me up for lessons.


  4. #4

    Developing as Teacher

    I think tuba is a great instrument for a euphonium player to pick up.

    I started learning trombone in high school, and played in brass ensembles and a dance band in college. After joining the Coast Guard Band as solo euphonium player, I still did some trombone work. I played principal in the Eastern Connecticut Symphony and also worked in some pit orchestras for various musicals. When the CG Band formed a jazz ensemble, I played lead trombone for that group. Throughout all that, trombone did not seem like a "natural" double. It was convenient to be able to use the same mouthpiece, but the slide was obviously a different concept and the use of air was considerable different.

    I started working on tuba in the 1980's. From the first day it seemed like a more natural double to me. Naturally the large mouthpiece was a bit of a shock for my chops, but that was not a huge hurdle. But the fact that I was still playing a conical, valved instrument was a big plus. My use of air was actually more similar. Tuba requires more air, but the general nature of the air stream is about the same as euphonium.

    When I played trombone for a few weeks straight in the old days, I always thought I had to "overcome" it when going back to euphonium. But in the last 14 years I have had several multi-week periods of playing only tuba. When going back to euphonium, it took a few minutes to get back into the smaller mouthpiece, but my air use and tonal concepts were both improved by the experience.

    I started with a Wick 5 tuba mouthpiece. Then after I began to feel limited by it, I switched to a Schilke 67, which I still use today.

    This doesn't affect the consideration which double would be more valuable in a particular situation. But adding tuba to your euphonium and trombone doubles would increase your possibilities.

    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  5. #5

    Developing as Teacher

    Thanks for the input, as to answer jeffo's question, if down the line I wanted to teach in some sort of a studio usually the euph teacher teaches tuba and euphonium instead of euph and trombone. Also I would rather focus purely on finger technique rather play slide and finger technique.


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