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Everybody has probably come across the phrase or instruction "blow toward the center of the note" before. I've also heard this mysterious place called the "pitch center" of a particular note.

I was wondering how some of you teachers out there would get someone who was "missing the pitch center" of a note to hit it. Do you explain anything in particular? What's your method?

-Spencer Heaps (an interested student)

The most common way I've heard "pitch center" used is: To play a note accurately, a brass player must have the note, the key, and the note's relationship to the key firmly established in the brain.

It also helps with the concepts of articulation, intonation, and tonality in general by keeping everything focused. A sub-concept of this is focusing on buzzing through the center of the throat of the mouthpiece for the same reasons.

in response to Bloke's post, you just have to find a valve combination/slide length that is the right length for every note.That's why I'm a tromboner.I want to play as many notes as possible"in the center" and I'm willing to pull slides to get that done........

if you are having trouble focusing in on a particular note (some horn have those bad or fuzzy notes), take the mouthpiece off and buzz that note on just the mouthpeice. Make sure you are getting a good loud "nasally" buzz and that it is right on pitch. Then put the mouthpiece back in the horn and play that note on the horn. You should find that the note is more "centered" and the tone is fuller, and maybe even a bit louder, than before with the same amount of effort or perhaps even less effort.

As has been mentioned above you want to the get the buzz of the lip to sync up exactly with the vibrating air column that is being set into motion. If you are buzzing a Bb with the lips while trying to play an A on the horn, the tone will not be "centered." The vibrations will fight each other and not be in harmonic or sympathetic alignment.

My apologies to any physicists out there for my misuse of the proper acoustical terminology.

ken k

Agreeing with replies...

I think it's Pat Sheridan says - "You don't pull slides for tuning but for tone".

Time spent on long tones is valuable in finding the pitch tendancies of your tuba. Bend each note up-and-down and let it settle where it's most resonant (I like Bloke's comment about the bathroom!). After finding the elusive 'sweet-spot' switch on your tuner and you can work out if adjustments are needed with slides. Don't have your tuner on whilst finding the spots as you'll probably lip towards in-tune even if you don't realise it.

Good luck.

If you're going to be learning/teaching this for the first time, here is a hint that has always helped me:

We all know that we can blow any note about a half-step sharp of flat. So do that. Buzz around a pitch and kind of 'hone in' on where the note feels and sounds the best. As many people play above the center of their horn, the 'center' will most likely be found as they buzz down -- about 10 or 15 cents.

Remember -- things 'feeling wrong' has very little to do with anything, especially if they aren't sure of what 'feels right.' It WILL feel different, but let your ears (and the ears of a couple people you trust) be your guide as to what is the best.

As always, YMMV, and I hope that this has been helpful.

When I'm told to find the center of the pitch it usually means that I'm not supporting well and that there is wavering ever so slightly in the pitch. Centered to me just means a consistent and uninterrupted flow of air. I use a sound level meter with a tuner and try to keep them both consistently in the same spot (much harder with the SLM added). When you can keep them both centered (or wherever you want the SLM to be depending on volume) you'll have found the center of the pitch.

MikeMason wrote:That's why I'm a tromboner.I want to play as many notes as possible"in the center" and I'm willing to pull slides to get that done........

I played trombone for 45 years before I picked up a tuba and THE critical mental adjustment for me is this particular issue. Trombone players go to great lengths to blow to the center and to keep everything the same throughout the range of the horn. That's why they spend so much money and energy looking for the elusive perfect F attachment valve. They want nothing to interfere with the open bugle and always blow right down the middle of the note, making all tuning adjustments with the slide. The idea that I had to adjust a pitch by lipping it up or down subsequently sacrificing tone quality was abhorrent to me at first, but I'm learning. I have come to discover that this process is at the root of most all my persistant clams. I certainly have a newfound respect for folks that have to work around the limitations of valves. The Tocatta from the Phillips has a B in it that is torturing me. I can lip it down ok, but then it sounds like a giant fart. I have to hold it 6 counts ff in octaves with the trombone. Lipping it down wastes so much air that the only way to make the phrase on a breath is to pull 2. Wish I had one of these.
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ubertuba wrote:I was wondering how some of you teachers out there would get someone who was "missing the pitch center" of a note to hit it. Do you explain anything in particular? What's your method?

No teacher me, but I can describe how it feels. When I'm tense, the note is tense. When I relax, the air starts to flow out of me, and the note settles in to a rich resonance. If the sound is pinched or wavering, then one of two things is happening (for me, at least): 1. My embouchure is either too tense or too weak (which I compensate for using mouthpiece pressure), leaving the sound pinched and unresonant, or 2.) I'm using too little air to feed the note, either because of not taking in enough or because I'm contricting it with my tongue or teeth.

When I've led other players to find the pitch center, the word that usually gets them there is "relax", once they've taken in enough air to actually feed the note. When they find the pitch center, the note acquires a rich range of overtones, and it sounds resonant rather than pinched. Then, I ask them if they hear the difference.

Rick "always striving for that sound and feeling" Denney

also known as good tone quality...

The brass gym has an exercise that helps you find the 'center' by making you lip chromatically up or down and then finally settling into the 'center.'

pulseczar wrote:The brass gym has an exercise that helps you find the 'center' by making you lip chromatically up or down and then finally settling into the 'center.'

And oldie but goodie.

When the player is someone who's been habitually playing off-center, or too tight/loose, that exercise will change their "natural" pitch, too.