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This past Saturday, I attended and participated in another Tuba Christmas here in Rochester, NY. It was a thrilling event with about 250 performers. I was in the back as a sousa player with about 15 other sousas as well.

I wanted to get your feedback about some observations which I've made. It seems that I am not able to hear my own horn well while playing, but can easily hear the guy to the right of me. I've been told that I should not play louder or extremely loud so as to hear myself, but instead play normally and let that sound blend in with the overall music heard by the audience. I have a tendency though to play loud so as to not miss a step or fall behind. This probably only happens at a large TC. I will see how I do at the Oswego, NY TC this Saturday when there will only be about 20 performers.

Do you think this is just a sousa problem, or an overall tuba issue? Any thoughts or suggestions?

Hank74 wrote:Do you think this is just a sousa problem, or an overall tuba issue? Any thoughts or suggestions?

It's a problem for most, even in normal section playing. When I need to hear myself, I stick my left hand in my left ear, which allows me to hear myself more directly.

Even though most TC organizers try to group members of the four parts together, I usually try to cheat a little and sit between two people playing the second tuba part (I usually play the first part on F tuba). That makes it a lot easier for me to hear myself in the context of the ensemble, and it makes me more accountable. Some young players may be thrown when next to people playing a different part, but I think most would benefit from being interleaved rather than sorted.

Rick "not always happy to hear himself clearly" Denney

Most of us started playing, and all through school played, with only the same parts coming out of the tuba sound.

Get thineself into a tuba ensemble..yes, like TC but smaller (!) and you'll quickly learn to hear your part, hear the inner voices (I've been hearing them for years anyway), and really learn how to listen.