"Articulation is blatty and too explosive"

[doddyhop]

I have been criticized for have the said stuff above. I have 2 questions:

• What are some ways I can fix this? I believe there are multiple. Please list them if there is more than one way.
• Will getting a larger tuba potentially fix, harm, or do nothing and is irrelevant to this problem? For example: What could happen if I go from a 5/4 to a 6/4 tuba?

Thanks

[Leland]

(also haven't heard you)

Chances are you're pushing your air before moving your tongue, so you build up air pressure and then release it with a "pop".

Try this: Start notes with no tongue at all. Not a "pah"* articulation, but just "ahh". Coordinate your air and lips so that the sound starts nice and clean right away -- neither "pah" nor "..fffhaaa". When that gets easier, then use your tongue for styling the front of the note.

* (my nephew acquired the "pah" habit and it took him a day to recognize it plus maybe a year to stop doing it)

[windshieldbug]

Pay a known-to-be-wise teacher to diagnose your problem(s). We can guess here, but all we can guess are things that people typically do wrong, so our guesses (generally referred to as “responses from the freak jury“) are just a bunch of noise.

This.

[patricklugo]

i had a lot of issues when playing articulating passages. one thing that worked for me is to slur the passage until you get all of the notes played correctly. grab mirror and notice any changes in the embouchure while you play the passage. once you get that right. it takes a long time but the progress you make, it will be worth it.

step 2
do the same process but add the articulation to the passage.

another thing that i used to work on is to play a whole note on any pitch you want. repeat the process but the add articulation (quarter , eight and sixteen notes ) on single pitch that way your brain get the idea the air is constant and the articulation is just a tiny interruption of the air.

in order to get better at sometime, you need to add it to your daily routine and work on it for a very long time. look for a good teacher that can monitor you and guide through this process. the best way to know when you have it right is the sound. if it sounds good , then everything must be working correctly.