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Hello! I am planning on submitting an audition to a summer orchestra institute. This requires me to record videos of some orchestral excerpts (Ride of the Valkyries, Meistersinger, and Mahler Symphony, Mvmt 3). Anyway, I was wondering if any of you more experienced and knowledgeable tuba players could perhaps take a look at these videos and give me some tips on how to improve them. They can be found on my Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChDdg9 ... e8M2ohVB5A" target="_blank . Thanks!

To put it as succinctly as I can; find a good teacher and study and practice hard then try for it next year.
Also listen to good recordings of these works.

lost wrote:.... Apply this year. You lose nothing for trying, except maybe a few bucks. And who knows what the competition is anyway...

I also agree - apply and go there if it is possible to you. Be open minded and it will be a great experience to you. And - depending on your actual level - maybe there will be a chance to play some music. I hope that more experienced (than me) players would give you useful advises and tips regarding your level and ambition. Good luck!

I understand that you're reading through them for recording and you are brave to put your stuff out for the TubeNet Forum Junkies (TNFJ).

I recommend you take a listen to these, follow the instructions given by Mr. Pokorny, and do your best to emulate what he puts here.

Ride of the Valkyries https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_TjeODELGk

Die Meistersinger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0AqewtLdTI

Mahler 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC0jlmSE5ls

Thank you for the helpful responses! I find the recordings of Mr. Pokorny particularly helpful. I plan on re-recording my audition material and post the new recordings soon. More updates later....

Update: I have a new "Die Walkure" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzXE_zx ... e=youtu.be" target="_blank . The others will come soon.

There is some progress, Wesley. I recommend you get your metronome and tuner out and continue woodshedding it. It is incredibly important to be musical, but it is equally important to be in tune and in time. Keep practicing.

lost wrote:Apply this year.

If for no other reason than you will gain some experience taking auditions. They don't happen every week.
If you can, or for the next one

Ken Herrick wrote:find a good teacher... Also listen to good recordings of these works.

Listen and get in-person feedback. Tubas don't record well on easily affordable recording equipment, and if you can afford that you can easily get a private teacher. If this is something you want to do, pursue it seriously. Get yourself the best edge you can.
There are good ears out here, but also a plethora of opinions. Find someone that you can ask questions to and get quick, get consistent answers from.

Yodachihuahua wrote:Update: I have a new "Die Walkure" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzXE_zx ... e=youtu.be" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank . The others will come soon.

Good start.


The difficult thing here as a young student is to fix the obvious, the small stuff. The problem is, if you dont know what they are, then how do you know what to fix?

Write the following down and answer them.
1.What do you think of when you hear the recording of yourself? Maybe this should be the last question.
2. Does it sound like other recording you have heard?
3. Record yourself singing it, generally it will or should sound much better, why? Using our voice is much more natural than using a tuba as our voice.
4. What do you hear when you sing compared to what you play? Get them closer together. Listen to each note amd compare.

For starters check out what your doing on every dotted quarter, are they the same length? Whats the difference? One is correct and one is not.

There's a start and repost when you figured out the answers please repost an update. I am not being a smartass so dont take it that way, i teach on a bases to learn how to teach yourself, how to ask the right questions and how to get the right answers.

The above is just a starting point that you can add on to.

By the way, do a youtube search on the excerpt, you will be amazed at what you will find, use your ears.

Tom

I just listened to the Mahler and Die M and your not playing whats written.

Here are some videos of what I put together to practice these, these are just starting points.

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL34CB549E59486FEB" target="_blank

If you havent looked for one, reach out to a pro in your area that does this for a living as that will be your best resource.

Definitely listen to the Pokorny excerpts. Your Mahler excerpt is too fast. The Meistersinger is also a little fast.

Are you taking lessons? If so, have you worked on these excerpts with your instructor?

Thank you for the helpful comments. I have posted my new improved recordings of the Mahler 1 and Meistersinger. Also, to answer questions, I am taking private lessons. Unfortunately, because of preperation for All-State band auditions, which were last Saturday, we have not worked on the excerpts much. We really only worked on the Ride excerpt.

I was in All-State band back in the day...

In Delaware.

(I omit Delaware from my resume)

Yodachihuahua wrote:Thank you for the helpful comments. I have posted my new improved recordings of the Mahler 1 and Meistersinger. Also, to answer questions, I am taking private lessons. Unfortunately, because of preperation for All-State band auditions, which were last Saturday, we have not worked on the excerpts much. We really only worked on the Ride excerpt.

Take a look at the articulations in the Mahler, your not playing whats written.

Same goes for the Die Meistersinger especially the second part, legato section.

Work on the phrasing with your instructor as this will also place your breath marks in much better places.

Your tempos are better but your rhythm is all over the place. If you dont have a metronome then get one and never play these without it.

mctuba1 wrote:Your tempos are better but your rhythm is all over the place. If you dont have a metronome then get one and never play these without it.

+1

Also, work on the trill in Meistersinger. Are you playing a BBb tuba? Are you using 2 to 1+2 for the trill? Also, make sure you have your metronome on and hold the trill for the full 4 beats.