Altitude and Tuba Playing?

[Cameron Gates]

Yes there is a difference.

I grew up and went to college at sea level. Upon moving to Albuquerque for grad school it took me about a month to make a phrase and rid myself of a "grit" in the sound. Now after spending 20 years at sea level I have moved back up to 4500 feet. Same story, although this time working through it has not completely happened yet. Probably age and lack of desire I would guess.

Sea level good. Mountains suck.

[Heavy_Metal]

What about very low altitude playing...??

That would definitely play flat.

[jmccourt55]

I spent last summer playing in Breckenridge, and after opening night (Brahms Academic Festival and Prokofiev 5) left me a little light headed and winded, I decided to check out one of the oxygen bars in downtown Breck. It helped a lot! If you're struggling, that might be something to look into.

Denver is only a mile up (5280ft), whereas Breckenridge is much higher (9600ft). I think you should be fine! Whenever we went back down to Denver from Breck, everything felt much easier. Good luck!

[MaryAnn]

I regularly play a 4th of July concert at 8000 feet, and on a brass I have had no problem. If I had to make an oboe reed to work at that altitude it would be a different story. However, I've lived at that altitude the last two summers, and of course am completely acclimated for the concert....we have had people come up and have to go back down due to altitude sickness, if they were tired to start with or not properly hydrated.
During the summers I go between 2500 and 8000 feet a couple times a week; some people actually feel better at altitude because of a biochemical thing with dopamine (increases.) Others feel worse for the same reason. If you tend to be low on dopamine, you're going to feel better at altitude, and if you tend to be high in dopamine, you're maybe not going to feel as well at altitude.

[Three Valves]

It's not the altitude,

It's the attitude!!

[iiipopes]

It can be done.

[LIKE!]

[iiipopes]

Everybody has talked about the physiological effects, including duration: how about pitch and intonation?

[tubalex]

I live and work at 7000 feet. Every summer I spend about a month at sea level in the midwest and east coast, and I frequently visit lower elevations in surrounding states. I grew up and went to school at or near sea level, and with plenty of humidity.

For me, the biggest difference is the dryness, and that seems to be what hits touring brass players coming through Flagstaff the hardest, too. For us it's a double-whammy; we are on a mountain in the middle of the desert. Also, I find that I have more trouble playing extra-long phrases between breaths up here. Many of my Snedecor videos were recorded at altitude, and I must admit some of them were perceptibly harder than when I learned them as a student and living at sea level, even though my playing is *theoretically* smarter and more efficient now.

We frequently have excellent pros coming through town for just one day, and with no time to acclimate the biggest problems to hit them are dryness and needing to adjust to more frequent breathing.

When I first moved to Flagstaff from Indianapolis, it took me the entire first semester (four months) to feel normal at altitude. After six years of spending July and August lower and wetter than here, it takes me about two or three weeks to feel normal when I get back to AZ. When I do perform at lower elevations, I find I have a window of about three or four days when I feel like superman, brass-wise, and then I've acclimated, more or less.

Also, it is still infinitely easier for me to exercise at lower elevations. That has a lot to do with why there are so many professional and Olympic athletes who live and train here in Flagstaff. My four-mile jog today really beat me up, but a month ago I jogged six miles in LA without getting tired or dehydrated.

It will all depend on the level of elevation, other characteristics of the region, and of course your own individual physiology. I have not had a guest wind-player in Flagstaff (and this is covering many top-level players on all woodwind and brass instruments) who did not perceive new challenges in their playing at this altitude.