Small player?

Ames0325 · Post by **Ames0325** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 11:52 am

I am pretty small for a tuba player (inevitable being female) and I am having a little trouble with holding the Yamaha 641 that I am playing. It is a little bigger than what I am used to playing and it tends to slide away from me. I have found one position of my left hand that seems to help but if I play for more than twenty mins my hand falls asleep and I am back where I started. I have also tried playing with a strap which helps some. If anyone has any suggestions they would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Amy

Steve Marcus · Post by **Steve Marcus** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 12:10 pm

Amy,

Being short in stature, I can empathize with you.

There is plenty of information in the TubeNet archives about tuba stands and about rubberized mats that you can place on your lap. Both methods will help prevent your tuba from slipping. You can do a "search" in the current and old TubeNet for more details.

Getzeng50s · Post by **Getzeng50s** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 12:27 pm

i suggest the rubber mat. i use stuff u can find at walmart... wicked cheap... its rubber drawer/shelf liner give it a whirl!

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 3:01 pm

I'm 5'3" tall...
I sit my MW 182 on my lap, and my Mfone 184 sits on the chair with me (fat/big guys can't do this, for more reasons than one....

)

Moving the leadpipe up/down/whatever so that the tuba is comfortable to hold, is one of the better investments you can make with your repair person.

Other than that, move your left hand every ten minutes? I can't even play piston tubas because my right hand just can't reach them without intense pain, but I haven't had any left hand problems because I balance the tuba instead of holding it up.

Kind of like riding a big motorcycle....you hold it up with your thighs, not your arms.

MA

CJ Krause · Post by **CJ Krause** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 4:45 pm

scottw · Post by **scottw** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 4:47 pm

I said it in the archives of Tubenet and I'll say it again here: use a stand!
Preferably, a K&M over a Deg unless you want to be fixing it all the time--K&M is worth the extra money.You can still get the tuba pulled into your body, but it will support itself and you will play relaxed, which as Doc points out, is so very important!

Tom B. · Post by **Tom B.** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:24 pm

Amy:

I too had problems with the horn sliding away from me. I tried the shelf-liner stuff, and it really helped, but it was pretty unhandy to constantly adjust the rubber mat and get the tuba placed on it just right. To remedy that, I cut the shelf-liner mat up into a couple 12"x 8" pieces, and attached them to the bottom bow with 3/4" Velcro cable ties. They stay in place for a few months before they need any adjustment. Now, the horn stays right where I put it, and I have no need to hold it in place with my arms.

You might give it a try. The Velcro ties are always up for sale on eBay--just search with the phrase "velcro cable ties".

Good luck.

Tom

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Thu Oct 14, 2004 11:03 pm

I'll second.. or third.. or sixth!.. the nomination for a tuba stand. I don't usually have problems, but after seeing the problems that short players have, I'd expect that a stand would be great. Either that, or get the leadpipe position changed.

Also, about piston tubas & small hands --

Look at getting extensions put on the buttons. I knew a professor who had some cut from a guitar pickguard for his Besson Eb, and apparently they worked just fine.

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 12:55 pm

Leland wrote:
Look at getting extensions put on the buttons. I knew a professor who had some cut from a guitar pickguard for his Besson Eb, and apparently they worked just fine.

What worries me about this is that if you consistently play pistons by hitting them off-center, you wear them out and they start to stick.

MA

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 1:04 pm

HeliconMan wrote: As for MaryAnn's comment about finger stretching, have the thumbring moved closer to the valve cluster. That's for front action horns. I don't have the problem of short fingers and arms with a 35 inch sleeve length. And I'm olny 5'10!

hmm, talk about simian!! woo hoo.
I appreciate the idea of moving the thumb ring, but that's not the problem. If I spread my fingers as far as they will go, from the middle of my index finger to the middle of my pinky is 4-3/4 inches. That's a "full stretch," not comfortable for long playing time. In order to be comfortable, four valves would have to fit into about a 3-inch spread for them to work for me. You just don't find that on tubas.

MA, whose Bfriend calls her an Eloy (from the old Asimov story)

Ames0325 · Post by **Ames0325** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 5:18 pm

Thank you all for the info. I have ordered a DEG stand.
Amy

Tom Holtz · Post by **Tom Holtz** » Fri Oct 15, 2004 6:19 pm

Chris Tiedeman, who joined the Marine Band a little over a year ago, stands about 6' 5". He uses a tuba stand regularly. If it works for the big guy, it'll work for the little guys.

Lars Trawen · Post by **Lars Trawen** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 6:11 am

Seeing that most people recommend the use of a tuba stand, DEG or K&M, I can't hear anybody speaking for the Tubassist. It's also a tuba rest however not placed on the floor but on the chair seat. Since neither DEG or K&M worked for me because it has to be placed beyond the seat I finally found the Tubassist on the net. I have used it now for some years for my kaisertuba (MW200) and bring it to all gigs. It's easily adjustable for all heights and tuba sizes.
Check out the link http://www.tubassist.com/
For me it was the best solution.
Lars

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 12:46 pm

Doc wrote: (My pants inseam is 28-30" on a good day) Doc

heh. Well if your waist measurement is anything near mine, we could trade pants. somehow I doubt that aspect of it though. I bet you've got a good seven liters of lung capacity with that torso.

MA