Which F and G? If you are talking about the ones on the staff, this might be a little high for someone who has not played in a very long time. Give your chops a chance to catch up. If you are using pressure at all to make up for lack of chop strength, the things you mention will plague you just as they do me.treddle wrote:I have just purchased a Conn 21J after not having played for a very long time. I am using a Conn #2 and a Bach #18 mpc. I am having a terrible time hitting clean F's and G's with acceptable consistancy. Any suggestions about what I can work to make these notes. Most of the time it is as though my lip is vibrating in more than one place creating a dual tone.
The G on the staff is notorious for BBb tubas in any case, tending as it does to be out of tune. That can create false vibrations as your chops try to buzz at a different frequency than the horn's resonance peak.
If you are talking about the bottom of the staff, then you should expect a 21J to play the F quite flat. The third partial is usually very flat on these instruments. The interval between the F and the G will be too open, and that may mess up your sense of pitch on both notes. Try playing the F 1 and 3, which is the usual fix for this note, and the G 3 alone, which is likely a bit flat. If that makes it much easier, then you have your answer.
Of course, check to make sure that the instrument is doing the right things. Something jammed into the one of the branches can cause missing notes in the resonance of the instrument, as can really leaky valves.
Rick "who hopes the notes in question are not the ones above the staff, heh, heh" Denney
