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You can never go wrong with "go fight win" or the Delaware Blue Hen fight song.

What??

It's better than playing "The Ride!!"

Take your own mouthpiece, that's etiquette.

If you have a chew in, spit it out and rinse your mouth really well before playing.

One point of "etiquette" I recommend is to avoid wearing a belt with a buckle that will scratch up the back of a nice tuba. Wristwatches are also a no-no.

My favorite "test piece" (for intonation) on a BBb tuba is The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) in Eb. The tune goes through enough changes to test out typical problem notes in context.

I get all kinds of funny looks from people if I happen to do that in August but.......

Play a selection of things you already know. You know how you want them to feel, and you don't have to worry about your playing ability getting in the way. Trying out horns is not the time to practice or read.

bloke wrote:At an ITEA regional conference, the situation deteriorated into an Eric Von Schteric contest (loudest wins), and people (with absolutely NO INTENTION of buying ANYTHING) playing the same tuba for hours (with their ring binders of every-piece-they-owned in front of them)...

...so the other person and I (who were showing tubas in the same room) announced a mid-afternoon "break" (for 30 - 45 min's), shooed them all out, and locked the door.

...but Bloke! That is what you're supposed to do at a conference! Everybody knows that!

Also, the ultimate piece for trying out a tuba is The Ride. Played at the loudest volume possible. I mean, the horn has to be able to be in tune in B-major at FFFFFF in order to be a winner. It's science.

Brush your teeth before you play.

Good practice in general, but especially when playing something that's not yours.

When you are done trying them all... BUY ONE.