My first lesson....
Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 3:52 pm
Yo!
Had my first tuba lesson yesterday. Delightful older gentleman named Sanford Feibus who lives about a half hour's drive from me in Sequim, WA. (I'm in Port Townsend.) He's a retired school band director and is a brass guy, mainly 'bone but plays a lot of tuba also.
The lesson went well. We spent a little time in front of a mirror looking at my embrossure and learning about buzzing, then moved to the mouthpiece for a little while and then to the horn.
Anyone care to remember my problem? (Didn't think so...) I couldn't get the low F on the bottom of the staff. I was using a tuner and, when I blew a Bb, the tuner said 'Bb'. Being a Trumpet Doofus, the main thing I knew about the tuba was that it 'played low' so, when I blew a Bb and the tuner said 'Bb', I thought I was playing the Bb, second line of the staff. At the beginning of the lesson, Sanford plunks his piano and tells me that note I was playing was the Bb below the staff. Oh. I guess I don't have the problem with the F at the bottom of the staff but, after a lot of work on my own, I can almost play the pedal-F.... Sanford prescribed some ear training exercises and wrote out a series of drills for me and we went through them for the rest of the hour. I have my next lesson next week.
Great fun with a delightful man. It was obvious that he's teaching because he loves it. The moderate fee is an extra benefit for him.
I'l go back to sitting on my little stool in the corner and put my "Trumpet Doofus" hat back on but, if you big 'tuba men' sitting at the bar start throwing popcorn at me again, I won't buy my next round.
Jeff "Give me a rag and I'll wipe the spit off that mirror" Benedict
Had my first tuba lesson yesterday. Delightful older gentleman named Sanford Feibus who lives about a half hour's drive from me in Sequim, WA. (I'm in Port Townsend.) He's a retired school band director and is a brass guy, mainly 'bone but plays a lot of tuba also.
The lesson went well. We spent a little time in front of a mirror looking at my embrossure and learning about buzzing, then moved to the mouthpiece for a little while and then to the horn.
Anyone care to remember my problem? (Didn't think so...) I couldn't get the low F on the bottom of the staff. I was using a tuner and, when I blew a Bb, the tuner said 'Bb'. Being a Trumpet Doofus, the main thing I knew about the tuba was that it 'played low' so, when I blew a Bb and the tuner said 'Bb', I thought I was playing the Bb, second line of the staff. At the beginning of the lesson, Sanford plunks his piano and tells me that note I was playing was the Bb below the staff. Oh. I guess I don't have the problem with the F at the bottom of the staff but, after a lot of work on my own, I can almost play the pedal-F.... Sanford prescribed some ear training exercises and wrote out a series of drills for me and we went through them for the rest of the hour. I have my next lesson next week.
Great fun with a delightful man. It was obvious that he's teaching because he loves it. The moderate fee is an extra benefit for him.
I'l go back to sitting on my little stool in the corner and put my "Trumpet Doofus" hat back on but, if you big 'tuba men' sitting at the bar start throwing popcorn at me again, I won't buy my next round.
Jeff "Give me a rag and I'll wipe the spit off that mirror" Benedict
I guess I'm kinda big- taller but not as round as Al Hirt but almost. I'm pretty comfortable with my tuba- 3/4 size with top loading pistons. I've found a comfortable position with the mouthpiece in the proper place. I could see how it would be nice to have an adjustable tuning bit with a bigger (Conn, Martin BAT) horn mounted on a stand or a souzy that has to fit on the proper spot on the shoulder for comfort.
