Originally Posted by
Blackthorne
I can now confess that because I have never been anywhere near a wind instrument and because of the research I've been doing while waiting for the tuba to arrive, I got the impression that I might have bitten off more than I could chew and that I was in for weeks of not being able to get a single clean note. Call it beginner's luck but after ten minutes I was cycling through relatively clean Bb2-F2-Bb1-F2-Bb2-F2-Bb1... and the sense of relief was immense!
It's not exactly rocket science (although the actual acoustic theory gets pretty hairy). Having been a woodwind player in my youth (grade school through college), in my mid-40s I decided to play tuba -- and ordered a BBb Cerveny from WW&BW. Sat down and learned to play it. It helps to have MUSICAL experience, and an interest in things like pitch and sound quality. And I'm sure that lessons can help -- though I've never had one on a brass instrument.
But just learning is a whole lot of fun.
Gary Merrill
Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)