TubeNet

OK, I'm a complete rookie. Have a nice Helleberg 120S mpc for my Conn 32K sousa, but when I played TubaChristmas and tried to fill in the Tuba 1 part (only about 4 or 5 out of 70 came to play it), I had a pretty tough time.

Any suggestions for an inexpensive peashooter mpc for easier upper register playing on my horn?

eli wrote:OK, I'm a complete rookie. Have a nice Helleberg 120S mpc for my Conn 32K sousa, but when I played TubaChristmas and tried to fill in the Tuba 1 part (only about 4 or 5 out of 70 came to play it), I had a pretty tough time.

I don't recall anything in the Tuba 1 parts that should require a speciality mouthpiece.

You probably just need a little more practice in that register. If I were you, I would practice scales heading up into that register and keep doing that until that particular register becomes second nature.

'course that's just my opinion...I could be wrong.

BRSousa wrote:You probably just need a little more practice in that register. If I were you, I would practice scales heading up into that register and keep doing that until that particular register becomes second nature.

'course that's just my opinion...I could be wrong.

Yeah, I figured we'd wind up here soon enough...

Mark wrote:

eli wrote:OK, I'm a complete rookie. Have a nice Helleberg 120S mpc for my Conn 32K sousa, but when I played TubaChristmas and tried to fill in the Tuba 1 part (only about 4 or 5 out of 70 came to play it), I had a pretty tough time.

I don't recall anything in the Tuba 1 parts that should require a speciality mouthpiece.

Most of it seems to be in the octave immediately below middle C... basically on the staff.

I wouldn’t recommend a special mouthpiece for the upper register for a player with limited experience. Go develop your all-round playing on the mouthpiece you have. And stay away from badly organized events and ensembles that expose less experienced players to parts better played by more experienced players.

Klaus

A Kelly 25 may be what you want; it won't set you back much and is good in cold weather. (It's really best for Eb tubas, but has a standard shank.) But it will put the squeeze on your low register, and switching back and forth between different-sized mouthpieces can be awkward.

First of all, I suggest you put the Helleberg on hold and start with something like a 7B until you are at a point you have consistent pitch, intonation and breath support throughout the range.

Once there, after the benefit of some lessons from a good teacher, and going back to the Helleberg for better tone, you will probably find that you do not need a different mouthpiece. Yes, I do have one mouthpiece for everything with my upright bell, and a different mouthpiece for my recording bell, only because the tonal characteristics of the different bells almost make the tuba play like two different tubas. And yes, I do have a Kelly 18 in addition for inclement weather, but I'm getting to the point I rarely play those kinds of gigs anymore, so it mostly stays on the shelf. So for the 99% of the time I play conventional literature in a conventional setting, irrespective of tessitura or range, I use one mouthpiece, as recommended to me by Matt Walters at Dillon Music, with the rim modified and tailored to my embouchure by Vladimir. I use it so much the plating is starting to wear after all these years, and may have to be replated.

For the rare times I do need to play sustained high tessitura, I have a good Bach 18 with its not-too-deep bowl will help to center pitch; its slightly larger throat will let you pass more air to secure both articulation and pitch, and of the dozens of mouthpieces I've tried, it has the most consistent intonation irrespective of the instrument. But then again, I said a good Bach 18. I went through at least a half-dozen to get the one that suits me with the true "spec" 1.26 cup I.D. & the fall-off rim for a good seal.

But the 7B will do that as well with practice.

The 120 Helleberg isn't a gigantic mouthpiece by today's standards, but there are plenty of decent tuba mouthpieces that are a little smaller, and it seems to me there is no reason in the world to play a mouthpiece any larger than the one you sound best on. Schilke's model 66 is a good example of a medium diameter mouthpiece in a similar style (loosely Helleberg type) that's deep enough for general use. The old Conn 2, a medium size Helleberg style that was used very widely, is apparently still around, going by some long model number that I'm too lazy to look up ... but I think it ends with a "-2"? may be sold under "Conn" or "UMI", and has a more conical outside taper than the typical lower brass mouthpiece bell shape - that one should be decent and pretty economical. And it's similar to the Conn 7B, with a different rim.

I have been using my Loud LM-12 on my Sousa for Tuba Christmas....well actually everything. It does the upper register well, but I find I have to watch how much air I push through it or it gets a bit harsh. The low register works well to especially if you keep your airflow wide open.

I assume the Tuba Ordinance model from Houser Mouthpieces plays exactly the same.

It is pricey, but I have found it to be a very useful tool. It has. Actually made me appreciate the ultra deep cup LM-3 even more.