That is four out of the five of us in the sousa section this school year, taken on the first day of band camp. I am on the left, my twin brother in next to me. If you wanted to know why the guy on the left is using a Miraphone 186 instead of a sousa is because his was completely broken and the guy in the back took the 4th sousa because his had a broken neck which could not be repaired. My brother's has electrical tape around the bits because one of the bits broke and could not be repaired. Lesson to be learned is that Yamaha sousas are junk.
If you hold on to the neck while playing like practically everyone, you put more stress on the parts (as well as overtightening the gooseneck screw). If you shift the instrument to your right and have it rest just on your left shoulder (play more front to back instead of side to side), the bell will be just to the left of your head. The bits will come in toward your mouth from the left (top of the curve pointing to your left). This allows for tall hats and plumes to be worn. Then you place your left hand either on the main top branch or underneath the valve section.
That is how you wear a sousaphone and keep it from undergoing too much unnecessary stress.
The first is a Picture from the Local Newspaper. That's me on the right with my Conn Sousaphone, marching in the opening parade for the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee with the Ophir Prison Marching Kazoo Band & Temperence Society LTD. The second is me with my BBb Alexander Kaiser after bringing it home. Had a Civil war gig that same day which explains my wool pants.
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1948 H.N. White Trombonium 1936 H.N. White Baritone 1911 H.N. White EEb Helicon 1896 Henry Distin EEB Tuba 19XX Sherman Clay & CO. EEb Sousaphone 1970 Conn 20J BBb Tuba- FOR SALE
KiltieTuba wrote:If you hold on to the neck while playing like practically everyone, you put more stress on the parts (as well as overtightening the gooseneck screw). If you shift the instrument to your right and have it rest just on your left shoulder (play more front to back instead of side to side), the bell will be just to the left of your head. The bits will come in toward your mouth from the left (top of the curve pointing to your left). This allows for tall hats and plumes to be worn. Then you place your left hand either on the main top branch or underneath the valve section.
That is how you wear a sousaphone and keep it from undergoing too much unnecessary stress.
That would be a good idea IF the neck and bits wouldn't move all that much.I had to tighten my screw all of the way and my neck would still move (something was bent). Once these are repaired I will be trying that, but not for the hats as we wear berets. So hold it something like the guy on the left in the picture above?
KiltieTuba wrote:If you hold on to the neck while playing like practically everyone, you put more stress on the parts (as well as overtightening the gooseneck screw). If you shift the instrument to your right and have it rest just on your left shoulder (play more front to back instead of side to side), the bell will be just to the left of your head. The bits will come in toward your mouth from the left (top of the curve pointing to your left). This allows for tall hats and plumes to be worn. Then you place your left hand either on the main top branch or underneath the valve section.
That is how you wear a sousaphone and keep it from undergoing too much unnecessary stress.
That would be a good idea IF the neck and bits wouldn't move all that much.I had to tighten my screw all of the way and my neck would still move (something was bent). Once these are repaired I will be trying that, but not for the hats as we wear berets. So hold it something like the guy on the left in the picture above?
More or less, yea. Although the bell should be further left and the body further right. Here's picture of John Kuhn holding the sousaphone properly from one of the Conn catalogs
Sure the sousaphone is a Grand Jumbo, but the principle/design still applies to normal sized sousaphones. Think of it as a helicon - you're on horseback, holding the reigns in one hand and playing with the other. The body can't lie in front of you like how you wear it now, it has to lie on the side of you, like the picture above. John could easily sit on a horse while playing that as is.
KiltieTuba wrote:If you hold on to the neck while playing like practically everyone, you put more stress on the parts (as well as overtightening the gooseneck screw). If you shift the instrument to your right and have it rest just on your left shoulder (play more front to back instead of side to side), the bell will be just to the left of your head. The bits will come in toward your mouth from the left (top of the curve pointing to your left). This allows for tall hats and plumes to be worn. Then you place your left hand either on the main top branch or underneath the valve section.
That is how you wear a sousaphone and keep it from undergoing too much unnecessary stress.
That would be a good idea IF the neck and bits wouldn't move all that much.I had to tighten my screw all of the way and my neck would still move (something was bent). Once these are repaired I will be trying that, but not for the hats as we wear berets. So hold it something like the guy on the left in the picture above?
More or less, yea. Although the bell should be further left and the body further right. Here's picture of John Kuhn holding the sousaphone properly from one of the Conn catalogs
Sure the sousaphone is a Grand Jumbo, but the principle/design still applies to normal sized sousaphones. Think of it as a helicon - you're on horseback, holding the reigns in one hand and playing with the other. The body can't lie in front of you like how you wear it now, it has to lie on the side of you, like the picture above. John could easily sit on a horse while playing that as is.
So that is how to hold it I wish to go out on a ride on a motorcycle and practice at the same time? I would guess if you could figure out a way to put it down then pick it back up you could also you it as an air brake. In all seriousness I shall have to try that hold although the way we have them in the picture is not how we hold them usually, it was just like that because we were sitting on a couch. The dude in the back is holding it how we usually hold it, except he doesn't have his hand on the neck like we usually do.
