How short am I? When I go to ride horses, they get the kiddies saddle for me.
So I cannot comfortably reach the King front valves, and just tried a Olds 6/4 with four front valves. No dice. And it played beautifully, darn it! So the 6/4 York on the for sale board is most likely out of my reach, even if I had the money. Had to buy a trombone with an F attachment to help me there. An then at 5' 4", look at all of the ladies that would not go out with me. And the good looking short ones all marry tall guys. I am lucky to have found a beautiful lady who is now my wife. And we should not collect wives. But I do like to collect and play Tubas.
The Native American Flute Players call me "Onewhodon'tgrowsotall"
Charlie C. Chowder
Ergonomics for a short tuba player.
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Charlie C Chowder
- bugler
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- Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:59 pm
- Location: Portland, OR
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Bnich93
- bugler
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- Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 8:39 pm
Re: Ergonomics for a short tuba player.
I'm 5'7" and when it's on my lap the mouthpiece of my York copy touches the bottom of my chin. I think you will be fine.
Hirsbrunner HB50 w/Warburton 30DL
John Packer 377s w/Parker Cantabile
John Packer 377s w/Parker Cantabile
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Donn
- 6 valves
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- Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:58 pm
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Re: Ergonomics for a short tuba player.
I think you pay a herd-follower premium for front valves anyway. I'm not pointing fingers, I have a couple tubas with front valves.
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Steve Marcus
- pro musician
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Re: Ergonomics for a short tuba player.
At 5’3”, use of a tuba stand takes care of the lead pipe height issue and, as Gene Pokorny professes, alleviates muscular pressure that may inhibit freedom to breathe at full capacity.
Occasionally the chair provided is still too low for my 4/4 Nirschl CC, so I’ll sit on a cushion or follow Alan Baer’s advice and bring my own folding chair.
The Wessex Chicago-York and Chicago-Presence present a special case. Similar to the 6/4 Nirschl-York, copying of the CSO York includes a leadpipe that doesn’t wrap around the throat as far as leadpipes on other tubas. So the horn is held at a somewhat different angle (more diagonal) than other horns, 6/4 or smaller. Use of a tuba stand places the tuba at a strange angle—almost perpendicular to the player. This makes positioning the music stand awkward. As a solution, I hold the horn with tacky shelf liner on my legs. My left foot sits on a guitar foot rest to raise my left leg and the horn to a more sensible angle for sound projection, visibility, and comfort.
Occasionally the chair provided is still too low for my 4/4 Nirschl CC, so I’ll sit on a cushion or follow Alan Baer’s advice and bring my own folding chair.
The Wessex Chicago-York and Chicago-Presence present a special case. Similar to the 6/4 Nirschl-York, copying of the CSO York includes a leadpipe that doesn’t wrap around the throat as far as leadpipes on other tubas. So the horn is held at a somewhat different angle (more diagonal) than other horns, 6/4 or smaller. Use of a tuba stand places the tuba at a strange angle—almost perpendicular to the player. This makes positioning the music stand awkward. As a solution, I hold the horn with tacky shelf liner on my legs. My left foot sits on a guitar foot rest to raise my left leg and the horn to a more sensible angle for sound projection, visibility, and comfort.