Note length for a Tuba

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Here's a funny wrench to throw into the works...

I can play that low Eb approximately 3 times longer, at the same volume level, when it's the open pedal tone on an Eb tuba than when it's a "long-fingered" note on a C.

If Arnold Jacobs' observations about amount of air needed for certain note/dynamic combinations are accurate, then it shouldn't matter, eh?

How did you measure the volume level?

I don't "measure" it. It's pretty obvious that it's about the same volume level. It's certainly not 1/3 as loud on the open pedal that I can hold 3 times longer.

I use the Tommy Johnson "single lip" pedal-shift embouchure. One of the nice things about it is the ability to play really loud pedals without feeling like it takes very much air at all. I can't reconcile this with Jacobs' theory regarding amount of air needed as a constant for various pitch/volume combinations.

Am I alone here? Does anyone else think it takes a tremendously larger volume of air to produce a note that is a "long" fingering versus the same note as a pedal?

[thattubaguy]

I can do twice that and SWIM down to the mariana trench(NO SCUBA) before breakfast + I first get in an epic battle with chuck norris, 2 men enter, only one leaves

[thattubaguy]

I can play the same kind of note underneath the seats at the football stadium - same type of echo/re-verb and even louder

well...I can do it 15X as long, 10X as loud, for a solid 75 minutes (or, until I become bored with it - whichever comes first) after eating a generous Thanksgiving feast and running a casual a 35 mile / 3-hr. casual sprint.

(2x more than that)