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Just throw a Kellyberg in your backpack to buzz on once in a while. Or, even take a couple days off. I am a firm believe that the occasional multi-day break from playing is good both physically and mentally.

brownhunter wrote:If only Tornisters were as easy to get as those cheapie pocket trumpets you see for sale..

Get a marching baritone!

I say at the most, grab your harmonica.

I spend most of my time - and make all of my green - playing sousaphone or tuba.

However, I also own a trombone (of questionable pedigree) and three trumpets (2 Getzen 90 Deluxe and an Olds Ambassador - all c.1950's).

I used to play bass bone in a stage band a *long* time ago (I'm not that good any more) and only recently picked up trumpet (I kinda suck).

I might take the Ambassador camping, but it wouldn't likely be too popular.

brownhunter wrote: . . . . Last question... we go camping every summer with friends on their 40 acres in the middle of nowhere in Northern California (Mendocino County) ... among the *alternative* cash crops. It's just nice to get away and un plug. I'd love to bring a horn, but certainly not one of my news ones (tent camping, compost toilets, dirt, grime, etc.). Do people keep junker horns for just such an occasion? I may get such a thing. Would be fun bringing it and a book of cheesy pop songs around the camp fire or just improvise, etc. . . .

Why not get enough ukuleles for everyone, or some accordians?

Dean E wrote: Why not get enough ukuleles for everyone, or some accordians?

That begs the quote,
"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion." —Norman Schwartzkopf

Although not a pro, I certainly try to stay away from anything much smaller than a tuba. In order to perform on a good-enough level, leaving embrochure ruining playing alone, is a necessity.

I did actually play euphonium on a concert today, but only because it's the end of the season.

If I do fancy playing something small, I do some tooting on my old Boosey & Hawkes Regent E-flat. Marvellous instrument!

I bugle for my son's Boy Scout troop occasionally. I always have my "beater" acoustic with me for campfire singing. I like the ukelele idea. I bought a couple of cheapies when a music store went out of business, and I'll have to take one of them along as well.

I also have kept up high brass chops, for tone and the occasional filling in the 3rd section in a pinch if there are enough low brass. But even though I have good range and good tone, I do not have any endurance. I can play a 3-hour concert, if necessary (and have, for community gigs with back-to-back concerts playing in more than one ensemble to make sure there was enough foundation outdoors), on tuba, but I can't last 30 minutes on high brass.

What is fun is to see high brass folks that have problems with range, and they try to "squeak out" notes, and I pick up their horn and demonstrate the necessity of good air support and play something like (in concert Bb rather than the original concert F, of course!) the opening James Bond riff and rattle the rafters with it. I've actually had a couple of guys say they never knew their horns could play so loud so high and still cleanly, or how a tuba guy can manage a trumpet mouthpiece. I just grin and remind them it's all air support.

I have a nice Yamaha trumpet that I use with my students quite a bit. Sadly, during the school year I usually play more trumpet than anything else as I'll play trumpet with my beginers on occasion (didn't have any trumpets this last year) and play with the pep band quite a bit. I dug out the schools mellophone for the last game just for fun and strangely enough, it was a little fun trying the different part. I built up my high brass chops a couple years ago playing with the concert band as part of my GTA duties. I went from 1st trumpet in the University Band to my Eb tuba in the Wind Ensemble to bass bone with the basketball band at one of the concerts.

Take a bugle ..... you'll be really popular !

I have an Amati Eb horn. It is pretty small and light. It's maybe 32-34 inches tall. I think it was designed for beginner types and kids so it doesn't take a lot of air but the sound is OK. It is just a little bit larger than a euphonium. I've taken it many places where the smaller size was welcome.

Amati makes this same format horn in CC, BBb and F as well. Looking at pictures, I think they just swap around inner branches to make the different models. The BBb model is called the "Baby" tuba and is designed for beginning kids. Not sure that I would pay almost $2K for one new but if one came up used, I'd think about getting one.

For some reason, I've found that I play better throughout the day if I warm up on something that isn't tuba (trumpet, trombone). I've played mello in pep band occasionally, and heard a rumor that I might be playing trumpet in a big band next year (?!?!).
That being said, I love to take an instrument when I'm on vacation. We went to the Grand Canyon a few years ago, and I brought my baritone and practiced a little. Interesting acoustics...
Have fun in norcal...those alternative crops are best up there

I have a little old altohorn P.O.S. that i sometimes like to noodle around with at home, it's small enough to pack easily, makes a nice mellow sound that could be quiet if you use restraint and its m.p. is bigger then trumpet/cornet so endurance is better. Never took it camping though.

I built up trumpets chops when I taught middle school for two years. It was great playing and demonstrating for the kids. I never worked on range, just worked on making a good sound and articulation. Being a tuba player, it was quite an adjustment, but I did feel it actually helped out my tuba playing somewhat. When traveling I have actually brought the trumpet when the tuba wouldn't fit. I never played trumpet enough to get "shot" or over extended myself range wise, just long tones, scales, and read some easy solos out of a Solo book for Cornet. If your smart about it, I think the whole ruining your embouchure argument doesn't hold much water... that's just my opinion.

MC

brownhunter wrote:In looking more at instruments like marching baritones, I think a bass trumpet would be a bit more satisfying and a bit more different sounding, actually than say a standard euphonium...

A marching baritone would be a bit more "tuba-ish" for a tuba player, and you could use it for jazz as a bass flugelhorn!

brownhunter wrote:

Bob Kolada wrote: A marching baritone would be a bit more "tuba-ish" for a tuba player, and you could use it for jazz as a bass flugelhorn!

Gadzooks. I'd never heard of such a thing... and after viewing this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 8842wt_913" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

... maybe I still haven't doh!

Well, flugels, euphs, and tubas are all in the same family! Cute little 3-rotor "marching french tuba" in the ad ... wonder if it plays in tune with itself? Might be fun.