Leadpipe height fit... options?

[Leland]

Could try a tuba stand -- one of the small types that's basically a platform on a heavy duty tripod. DEG and K&M are two manufacturers, and people say the K&M is sturdier.

Put the stand just in front of the chair, set the tuba on it, and adjust the height appropriately. The drawbacks are that it's a bit of a hassle to step around when getting out of the chair (say, to take a bow), and that she'd need to readjust its height for each different height of chair.

But, it's not an alteration to the tuba, and she'd get to sit on the whole chair seat rather than on some books.

[Chuck(G)]

Is she holding the tuba straight upright? If she can, have her try tilting t slightly to her left. This will lower the leadpipe with the benefit that any water caught in the upper part of the leadpipe will drain toward the valves instead of coming back through her mouthpiece.

There's nothing that says a tuba has to be played perfectly perpendicular to the ground.

[Mark]

I have her sitting on a thin phone book and cushion which raises her up about 2 inches. That seems to have done the trick. My question is this... is there a better option?

Finding a single cushion that will replace the phonebook sounds like the best idea to me. If you pick the right cloth, you might even be able to store it in the bell, eliminating something else to carry.

Modifying the tuba's keadpipe is just not worth the expense for what might be a temporary situation.

In your daughter's case, a tuba stand may not be a good solution. The K&M stand, which is sturdier that the DEG, even at its lowest setting may be too high to work.

The soussaphone bit, irregardless of tuning issues, is a bad idea, becuase it would have to be angled down toward the mouth. Think about which direction the water will flow...

[Leland]

I took your first post as saying that you didn't really like the idea of modifying the horn.

With my first tuba, I did, but I wasn't terribly concerned about appearance, either (a used nickel-plated tuba can only look so grand.. lol). The repairman I bought it from had already relocated it to fit him, but it was way too low for me, since it was at the right height for him, being 5'6" or so. We moved it a few inches higher (even higher than it came from the factory) on a cushioned chair, and it fit fine.

Well, it fit fine until I got on a hard plastic chair for church quintet, especially with how the front edge of the chair was higher than the, um, "butt end". Then, it was just too much too high to play comfortably, so we moved it back down about an inch. Then, it fit well enough, no matter what chair I used.

And, yes, I sat it on the chair rather than on my lap.

I knew one girl in Omaha who played on a PT-6, and she was maybe 5'2". She had to use a stand, and it was so far down that the post was probably 5 or 6 inches below the chair. But, it worked.

Anyway, those are my two suggestions -- modify the horn, or use a stand. I don't necessarily like the idea of sitting on extra stuff simply because a chair works better and more comfortably when it's used as intended.

[Chuck(G)]

Well, it fit fine until I got on a hard plastic chair for church quintet, especially with how the front edge of the chair was higher than the, um, "butt end".

Which reminds me of something that happened at a Pat Sheridan master class here recently.

When the first condemned tuba player sat down to play on the univeristy-provided Wenger chair, he hadn't gotten a note out of his horn before Pat said "How tall are you?".

I think the reply was about 6'1" (not sure). Pat pulled the chair away and grabbed the adjustable piano bench and shoved it under him. Sheridan's contention is that the typical chair is built for a person of about 5'6". If you can't sit so that your knees are below your hips, you're not going to be able to breathe efficiently.

Makes sense to me. On gigs where I don't know the furnishings ahead of time, I bring an adjustable folding keyboard bench (it's rated at 300 lbs., which gives another measure of safety). I can sit athwart it, resting my tuba in front of me at the correct height. (I'm 6'4").

Saves me the bother of trying to play in one of those flimsy folding plastic chairs that makes me feel like I'm sitting on the ground. Or worse yet, non-folding chairs with narrow seats and high arms. Or worst, no chairs at all ("Gee, I didn't realize that you sit when you play").

[sloan]

In my opinion, the best solution is a tuba stand. It will take about 4-5 hours of playing to get used to it, and, yes, the DEG stand has some "consumable" parts to it - but in the long run it will be "a good thing".

Pat Sheridan's point about sitting with the knees lower than the hips is *very important*. High school players are often plagued with too-small chairs. If you use a tuba stand, that frees up your legs so that you can fold them under the chair. Or, you can sit very far forward on the chair (most of these small chairs are taller in front). The point is that you no longer have to worry about using your legs to support and control the tuba - you can arrange the legs at will for comfort, or for better breathing.

Now, the DEG stand is much maligned here - but I find it to be "appropriate technology". The foam pad *will* wear out - so you need to replace it from time to time. Pay the extra $$ to get the padded case, and it travels in the bell.

So...in my opinion, the tuba rest will solve the immediate problem - and has many long term benefits, as well.

[Lars Trawen]

Why not also try the TubAssist? http://www.tubassist.com/
I always use it for sitting playing and I have a huge Kaisertuba.
For standing still playing I use the long version of the K&M-stand.
Best luck,
Lars

[Leland]

Sheridan's contention is that the typical chair is built for a person of about 5'6". If you can't sit so that your knees are below your hips, you're not going to be able to breathe efficiently.

Oh, absolutely -- that's why I end up with my knees far apart and my feet pointed back behind the front legs of the chair. It's just about the only way I can pivot my pelvis forward so that I can breathe comfortably.

I really don't like playing while seated and having to try to keep my feet flat on the floor. It only makes sense for visual uniformity, and has nothing to do with musicality.

Thank goodness I've pretty much only been performing while standing for the past 3-1/2 years.

[Leland]

Why not also try the TubAssist? http://www.tubassist.com/

Maybe I've heard about it before, maybe not, but I'd forgotten, and I'm impressed -- that looks pretty slick! Will it work correctly if the bottom bow needs to be lowered a few inches below the plane of the chair?