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I'm going to be playing a couple of candidates for a new tuba. I plan to play up and down. . .Do scales at deliberate and intermediate speeds with a tuner to check for intonation and even response. I will check physical comfort also. Any suggestions as to what to try or to look/listen for?

sailn2ba wrote:I'm going to be playing a couple of candidates for a new tuba. I plan to play up and down. . .Do scales at deliberate and intermediate speeds with a tuner to check for intonation and even response. I will check physical comfort also. Any suggestions as to what to try or to look/listen for?

This has been on this forum a zilliion times, but anyway: take somebody with you (director, pro...) and let him/her listen to your playing. Blind-test works the best.

Check the water drainage!! It is often forgotten, but you don't want to spin around the tuba like a frech horn for taking the last drops out.

If you have the chance, after testing the horns, take the best one out and try it in your band/orchestra.

Wim

THANKS! Yes, I see that a search on "tuba testing" yields 33 pages! . . a lot on other stuff, but definitely good info. The caution about condensate drainage is one I wouldn't have thought of, but it's good. I've encountered that before. I'd have liked to have a trained ear with me, but that's a logistical problem. TE advertises a 21-day trial period, however.

yes, take someone to listen if you can.

don't worry excessively about the tuning of each note, rather worry about how the intervals sound to your ear.

does a low to a mid sound like the right interval?

what is the sound like? do you like it?

rocksanddirt wrote: don't worry excessively about the tuning of each note, rather worry about how the intervals sound to your ear.

does a low to a mid sound like the right interval?

what is the sound like? do you like it?

Those are good criteria to beat, but if I expected to make significant progress in musicianship while owning the same tuba, I'd worry that relying too much on today's pitch acuity etc. I might end up with a tuba that won't be good enough 4 years hence. If that makes any sense.