Re: Getting back to the euphonium after a 7 year layoff
Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 3:49 pm
Good for you for going back to it without fear. I had about a five year layoff at one point, after going back to school and trying to become a writer (fun, but I still prefer hearing people clap when I'm done, so I'm back to playing tuba).
The one thing I can tell you is that I seem not to have lost any technique during that break. I lost my chops for sure. No strength, so the first few notes were fuzzy for a while, and I had to build up from a few minutes at a time to a good long session playing. But what's in your head is likely to have stayed in your head, and I was surprised by how easy it was to get comfortable playing again.
As far as where you practice and how often - kind of a personal deal. I live in Brooklyn and I had rehearsal spaces for rock bands, so I set aside the time there to blow whenever I could get free. I was never much of a practicer, so as long as I get to the horn five times a week or so I'm happy. And if I miss I don't worry, but I'm also not going out for auditions.
As far as teachers, well, if you want a lesson, ask for one. Nice thing about tuba and euphonium - there aren't all that many of us out there that play them seriously. So if you have an interest, it'll get encouraged. Even while a teacher will tell you that you can't have a career (and come on, you can't, it's a euphonium), s/he will also have a great time showing you stuff and picking up a tiny check to compensate for talking about stuff that would get talked about anyway.
And I made my own playing opportunities, and I don't want to play in the back of a band or orchestra anymore, so that was easy. But local bands are EVERYWHERE, it's just a matter of knowing where to look for them.
The one thing I can tell you is that I seem not to have lost any technique during that break. I lost my chops for sure. No strength, so the first few notes were fuzzy for a while, and I had to build up from a few minutes at a time to a good long session playing. But what's in your head is likely to have stayed in your head, and I was surprised by how easy it was to get comfortable playing again.
As far as where you practice and how often - kind of a personal deal. I live in Brooklyn and I had rehearsal spaces for rock bands, so I set aside the time there to blow whenever I could get free. I was never much of a practicer, so as long as I get to the horn five times a week or so I'm happy. And if I miss I don't worry, but I'm also not going out for auditions.
As far as teachers, well, if you want a lesson, ask for one. Nice thing about tuba and euphonium - there aren't all that many of us out there that play them seriously. So if you have an interest, it'll get encouraged. Even while a teacher will tell you that you can't have a career (and come on, you can't, it's a euphonium), s/he will also have a great time showing you stuff and picking up a tiny check to compensate for talking about stuff that would get talked about anyway.
And I made my own playing opportunities, and I don't want to play in the back of a band or orchestra anymore, so that was easy. But local bands are EVERYWHERE, it's just a matter of knowing where to look for them.
