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Now that I've gotten to a point where I like some of the sounds that I produce on the tuba, I've come to realize just how much work it is for each and every note. I'm hoping that one day I'll get to a point at which it's all more natural and effortless.

The point being that when I play my tuba (which is to say, when I practice, as I'm not ready for the public), it's more work than play most of the time--enjoyable work, but work none the less.

How 'bout you?

I decidedly did not to add a "some of both" or "depending" option, as I figured that'd be most popular. I want to know how you mostly or generally approach your horn now. If you'd like to talk about how that changes or has changed over time, I'd be interested in reading that.

I voted for play because if I didn't enjoy myself, I wouldn't do it. Having said that, though, music is a cruel and heartless mistress. If you expect to play at your peak, you've got to spend serious time in "the shed."

The nice thing for me is that I get to practice what I want to, not what someone is paying me to play.

Definitely play for me regardless of how long or how hard I work at it. One of life's little enjoyments that keeps me more or less on an even keel.

If someone was holding a gun to my head and making me practice I guess then it might be work.

Definitely Play - something I enjoy and look forward to doing!

Like all play, things do not always go exactly as one would like, but practicing and performing music I find to be a really rewarding experience which lifts life above the mundane.

Work is what I did when I didn't have time to play music. Now, all I need to do is find a few more people who will pay me to do what I love. Oh, yes, and owning a tuba would be a great enhancement...Meanwhile, buzzsaw and euph keep me going.

What can I say -- I work hard, I play hard. It's both.

I voted work simply because, for me, there is a different mentality when I WORK on my horn and when I screw around. I guess my best way of describing what I do would be a focused passion.

Ralph

Even when its hard and frustrating, its still play to me. If theres a lick that I just can't nail down, well, thats a challenge, and overcoming challenges and ending better because of it is very fun and fulfilling for me.

I never thought of Drum Corps as work either, it was fun... except maybe that day in Mississippi in july...

Play...and stress relief. After putting in 10-12 hour days Sheriffin' it is nice to come home, attach the right brain, and make tuba noises. I enjoy playing in the two groups that I play in,and am assuradly a rank amateur.

Bob1062 wrote:ALSO, the PROPER name for a bass trombone is a chainsaw. A buzzsaw would be a tenor trombone (or possibly a large bore trigger alto trombone; no wait, that's a sawzall!). Unless, of course, that was what you were referring to.

It's a 1977 King 5B. That fits either function, depending on mood & mouthpiece. BTW, I have owned a variety of CC and F tubas; I just sold my Rudy years ago to buy milk for the babies. One of these days, I will let them go thirsty!

Greg Lemond was asked what training was like for a world-class cyclist, and he answered, "It doesn't hurt any less, you just go faster."

I submit that anyone aspiring to great heights as a tuba musician must enjoy hours and hours of directed practice.

When I was a triathlete, I learned that the Ironman is only one day. That day is a celebration of months and years of preparation, and it's over in an instant. Those who don't enjoy the preparation have nothing to show for it except a finisher's medal, which in and of itself is worthless.

Some days are more fun than others in any pursuit. But even when it's not fun, it should provide joy.

There is only one way to find out what that means. Practice, and pretend you enjoy it. Then do it more. Eventually, you will either get to the point where you don't have to pretend to enjoy it or you will hate it, and then you'll know what to do.

But you'll never get to the point where you are satisfied to any greater extent than you are now. The joy is in the journey, not the destination.

Amateurs have to find that joy without having attained the skills they crave, either because of limited talent, the balance of life's responsibilities, or both. That's no less difficult than striving for perfection, and finding enjoyment for amateurs is as big a challenge as it is for full-time performers seeking that last bit of perfection.

Rick "who believes happiness is a choice, but not necessarily an easy one" Denney