Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

The bulk of the musical talk
Post Reply
royjohn
3 valves
3 valves
Posts: 466
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:13 am
Location: Knoxville, TN

Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by royjohn »

I'm a newbie on tuba, as some of you know. I took a lesson from a college tuba instructor recently and asked about my breathing. I'm 74 and have had some surgeries on my diaphragm that seem to have limited my lung capacity somewhat. I was taking breaths about every two measures in Tyrell #1 and the prof said not to worry about it and to take as many breaths as needed, as long as they were in logical places. He said this holds true in all tuba music in bands and orchestras because it takes our sound so long to propagate that the extra breaths aren't really noticeable.

Agree or disagree?

-royjohn
Tuba newbie
royjohn
GeoffC_UK
bugler
bugler
Posts: 182
Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2020 1:45 am
Location: Goob

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by GeoffC_UK »

Agree. Clever Prof.
Musicality first and foremost.
User avatar
TMurphy
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 831
Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 11:29 pm
Location: NJ

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by TMurphy »

Agree 100%. Breathe before you need to.
tbone1004
lurker
lurker
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:19 pm

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by tbone1004 »

agree 100%. Sneak lots of little breaths where you can and make sure that you mark where not to take breaths due to the phrasing. The small breaths can be snuck between notes with almost no perception to the listeners
BAtlas
bugler
bugler
Posts: 115
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 4:58 pm

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by BAtlas »

I think with situations like this the specific context is the really important. Generally speaking you always want to do what "sounds" best. If taking more breaths makes what you hear better, that's great! The preferred solution is going to depend on your own abilities, the room, the instrument you're playing, mouthpiece, lung capacity, and a huge number of external factors. I think that's the great thing about studying with someone - they can hear you in context and provide you real time feedback. Is the number of breaths you take important? Of course! At some point every aspect of music is important. That means we have to create a hierarchy to guide our decision making. I think the Prof. is on to something!

Happy trails!
Principal Tubist - Des Moines Symphony
Lecturer - Tuba/Euphonium - University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Gronitz PCK, Besson 983
David Zerkel
pro musician
pro musician
Posts: 317
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 7:30 am
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by David Zerkel »

Any breath that allows you to make your best sound is a good breath to take. Fight me.
David Zerkel
Professor of Tuba and Euphonium
University of Michigan
dzerkel@umich.edu" target="_blank
User avatar
ZNC Dandy
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 742
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:59 pm

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by ZNC Dandy »

[quote="David Zerkel" post_id=718491 time=1629843056 user_id=128]
Any breath that allows you to make your best sound is a good breath to take. Fight me.
[/quote]
What he said. Breathe when you can to make the best sound possible.
User avatar
ZNC Dandy
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 742
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:59 pm

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by ZNC Dandy »

What Zerkel said.
User avatar
ZNC Dandy
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 742
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:59 pm

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by ZNC Dandy »

What Zerkel said.
User avatar
ZNC Dandy
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 742
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:59 pm

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by ZNC Dandy »

What Zerkel said.
User avatar
ZNC Dandy
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 742
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:59 pm

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by ZNC Dandy »

What Zerkel said
royjohn
3 valves
3 valves
Posts: 466
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:13 am
Location: Knoxville, TN

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by royjohn »

As the Genie said to Aladdin, "I hear and I obey!"
royjohn
happyroman
3 valves
3 valves
Posts: 499
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 12:12 pm
Location: Evanston, IL

Re: Is the number of breaths you take just not that important?

Post by happyroman »

Arnold Jacobs was a huge proponent if sub-phrasing (or note grouping) and taught his students to use these techniques in order to figure out musical places to breathe. In this interview with David Fedderly, he discusses how Mr. Jacobs taught him to think when figuring out the sub-phrases, some of which might only be one note long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4lyya6sQng
Andy
Post Reply