TubeNet

Hello, here is a little bit about myself. I am a senior music ed major with the tuba as my main instrument. My first private lesson was my freshman year of college, and I have gotten a TON better since then(kinda makes me mad I didn't start sooner.) Anway i've played piece like Hindemith and Gregson, and I am currently working on Vaughan Williams. My high range just isn't increasing as fast as i would like it to and was wondering if my embouchure could be the problem.

I play off center to the right of my mouth a decent amount. I was wondering if you think changing my embouchure would help with my range? Or should I just leave what is working(Low range is great, everything but high is fine.) And yes I do realize we are tubas and we play low, but unfortunately the people who write our solo's write very high lol. I also realize that changing emouchure is a hard thing to do. I have tried this before with little success. I would just like to be a very well rounded player and if something like emouchure is holding me back I would like to fix it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
-John

Well, here's my advice, such that it is.

If you're going to ever teach band, GET A PROPER EMBROCHURE! In a sense, it's criminal that it hasn't been done long before now. The last thing you want as a teacher is to have your students say "well, Mr. John doesn't have to, and HE sounds good!"

Too much else depends... WHY are you asking now, is this justification for something, or WHY didn't you do this sooner?

What are you playing the V-W with, how good/bad ARE your chops, are you going about this the right way, do you have a performance of this coming up, or is it just lesson work on your BBb?

What does your teacher think (after all, that's the person with their ears on the scene... )? Do you plan to play past school? How much?

How far over IS it? What are your teeth and jaw like?

Have you tried more air, and directing the stream down? Up? Working up to the range slowly? How much for what period of time?

The TubeNet Freak Jury© is going to have a very hard time addressing this without hearing you. And those are just the questions I could think of in 3 minutes...

There is one technique that Jeff Smiley uses for trumpet, that I think "can" apply there. As you go higher think of rolling your lips into/towards your teeth. Notice I didn't say over your teeth. Keep chin flat and your corners firm.

I'm a tuba newbie, but playing high on a tuba is super easy for me right now, and this is as good a description of what I do as any. But I would defer to the more experienced players here if they disagree with my advice.

What's "high" to you? When I was in high school, "high" to the not-so-serious tuba players in the marching band was anything above a middle line D. I wasn't so hot but they thought I was back then because I could play past Bb above the staff, although not always when I wanted to play it.

I had braces as a kid my teeth are pretty straight.

I can functionally play up to D above the staff. Eb's E's and F's come on really good days. I am playing on a CC tuba(Conn 56j)

Why didn't I do this sooner? I was not a serious tuba player throughout school until college. I auditioned on a sousaphone with some piece I found myself, there were no solo/ensemble or anything at my school. I did not know what I was doing was wrong. It has been 3 years now since my first lesson, I am sorry i didnt figure this out sooner, TRUST ME I wish I would have.

I am playing 2nd movement of V.W. and 3rd movement of the Gregson for my jury this semester, and I have a recital coming next spring.

My teachers never mentioned anything about it, it must not be a problem I am just paranoid. I do need to practice high register more I mostly focus my efforts in the low range.

Thanks for your help everyone!
-John

and when you can do a fifth, do an octave....

... and I will present the opposite view. I was a mediocre cornet play who was limited by range, who became a mediocre trumpet player, who became a mediocre euphonium player, who finally settled on tuba because it covered up most of my bad embouchure. Nobody ever told me to change, because I had an acceptable sound, until I was fortunate enough to have my tuba teacher in music school rectify my mistakes.

My embouchure had not developed the way it did because of mouth formation, I had just been trying TOO HARD and it had become habit.

If your chops aren't right, you know they're off, and there is no obvious physical reason causing it, GET A TEACHER THAT WILL HELP YOU IDENTIFY AND CORRECT IT! There is no substitute for knowledgeable, firsthand eyes and ears. You will get every manner of opinion here, but if you are already a senior, committed, and open, the 'net will not substitute for someone sitting in the room with you.