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I'm curious to ask about whether all of you drink lots of water when playing your tuba. I know I do everytime and take bottles with me at every TC.

If this is true with you, could it be because the horn is so big and therefore requires lots of breath. That would mean lots of moisture is lost.

I ask this because I've noticed some sousaphone players with water bottles squeezed into the valve section. Isn't it great to have that luxury?

Hank74 wrote:.... I've noticed some sousaphone players with water bottles squeezed into the valve section. Isn't it great to have that luxury?

If I ever see a sousa player cramming a water bottle between the valve circuits, I'm going to SLAP HIM/HER

Maybe they REALLY ARE "spit valves"...

Hey, Dan -- how about a purpose designed velcro strap? I know, you just don't want to see any tension on the valve block, and I don't blame you. Then again, it's job security for someone

Our band plays several outdoor gigs in the Texas heat & humidity, so yes, I drink a lot of water when I play -- but man, when I'm done, I head straight to the can!

When I went to college my Tuba prof taught you needed to play with a "Hot Moist" breath and that producing water out of the spit valves was a sign of this. Of course to do this you had to drink a lot.

Gotta wet your whistle. Can't play with dry mouth. I thank the Lord every day that beer doesn't lock up valves.
My dentist, while working in my mouth told me I was "juicy". I replied that all the girls would agree with him.

Tuba Tinker,

When I saw the picture again, the bottle was above the valve part and placed by the gooseneck and leadpipe.

Also this sousa was the Conn with the famous curve by the player's chest.

tubatooter1940 wrote:Gotta wet your whistle. Can't play with dry mouth. I thank the Lord every day that beer doesn't lock up valves.

What he said

well my thoughts on drinking and performing are a little different i would say. while at interlochen arts camp i was taught by a professor (i wish i could remember his name. he was a trumpet teacher that had his M.D.) that the amount of moister you put out in a performance depends on the amount of water you drink and when you drink it. players generally think that they're adding moister by taking a swig but, as he said, when you take a sip it is absorbed with your spit and ran through the body and is THEN reproduced into the mouth. this process can take anywhere from 5-10 mins. he compared it to drying a car. you spread water w/ a dry shammy and but absorb more if the shammy is slightly damp.

the point im trying to make is that you're not giving your body enough time to re-distribute the moister back to your mouth. and then you feel you NEED to drink more water. try drinking a bottle about 5-10 min before and then don't drink anything else. you should see some sort of change.

personally, i don't like it when a soloist stops to drink. it kida distracts from my POV.

cheers!

-casey

The reason I drink so much water before, during and after playing is that otherwise my throat gets scatchy. My embouchure etc. is functional without drinking a lot of water, but it gets very uncomfortable to play with a sore throat. Besides, water is good for you (although Minneapolis tap water maybe not so much...)

Well, if we're going to be serious, try chewing a vitamin C tablet about 5 minutes before you have to play. It will get the saliva flowing. I picked up that trick from Steve Sykes a few years ago.