Standing to Play Tuba

smurphius · Post by **smurphius** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 3:04 pm

On my schools F tuba that I'm currently using, it has a couple of rings on the back which I suppose is there for use with straps for standing. It has me wondering if anyone out there stands for performance with concert style horns. No matter how "perfect" my posture may be sitting (even having a professor verify that I'm using good posture), standing seems to be so much more free for me than sitting. Being a bass trombone doubler, I am comfortable sitting or standing.

So, back to the topic, do any of you stand when playing, and if so, how do you think it effects your breathing, sound, articulation, etc. Thanks!

Hank74 · Post by **Hank74** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 3:43 pm

I tried standing on my BBb rotary that I owned at one time. It was quite unusual.

I have a friend who plays his rotary standing up to an extent. He places one of his knees on a chair while holding the horn.

But the only instrument that I play standing would be my sousaphone.

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 4:02 pm

I stand when playing quite a bit. I like to use a helicon or sousa but often use a Meinl-Weston tuba harness for large BBb rotary horns. For smaller horns, a simple single strap works quite well. If you have attachment rings on your horn, you can pick up a rifle sling at Wal-Mart or any Army surplus store. If you don't have rings on your horn, you can use the Blue Note Strap that will attach around any two branches or braces on your horn that you choose. Often I will perch on a high stool and use a single strap. It makes for easy page turns.

Tubadork · Post by **Tubadork** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:22 pm

Hey,
I have one of those MW harness straps, but I don't have strap rings. At one time I remember that you could get something to make it work. Is it still available? If so, where can I get it?
thanks,
Bill
p.s.
oh yeah,
I stand when playing solos, I use a KM stand, I feel like it helps my breathing and I think that there is also a visual element that is important. I think most non-musiciains (most of our audience) and musicians like to see their soloists standing. And BTW Jim Self stands and plays too, he came to Eastman when I was there and that's when I got the idea, because i thought that it looked really cool.

MikeMason · Post by **MikeMason** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:32 pm

there is a new? strap by neotech of sax strap fame.it does not require strap rings and has it's own fabric loops which serve in lieu of rings.haven't actually used it but i've sold a couple.looks interesting and quite a bit cheaper than other comparable products.

Chadtuba · Post by **Chadtuba** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:45 pm

I plan on getting a MW strap in the near future. Until now I have played a ton of standing gigs with my Miraphone 186 and my Allora 186. While it would not be my preference to do so without some sort of strap or stand it can be done. Like the rest I rather enjoy my sound when I can stand properly as it does seem to help open up my sound. I almost always practice my euph standing and it really does make a difference to my ears.

JimG · Post by **JimG** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:50 pm

I play while standing quite often in a brass praise band. There are 3 trumpets, 3 trombones and me on tuba. I felt kind of left out while playing sitting down, so I rigged up a keyboard stand with extra padding and sit my horn on it. It is very sturdy.
It also frees up my breathing and improves my projection.
JimG

smurphius · Post by **smurphius** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 8:14 pm

Hmm... I hadn't heard of the MW strap before. Do any of the big online retailers sell it?

I agree with some of the previous posts that the audience does want to see the soloist standing. I don't really have a whole lot of use for standing with CC for mainly using it in "sit down" situations, but the F tuba is sooo light in comparison, especially Meinl Weston, so it seems very feasable to do.

Cool.

EQueg · Post by **EQueg** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 10:40 pm

I Know several people that play standing using an F tuba, and I usually do myself. My other horn is a 6/4 so that aint happenen!

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 1:00 pm

Tubadork wrote:Hey,
I have one of those MW harness straps, but I don't have strap rings. At one time I remember that you could get something to make it work. Is it still available? If so, where can I get it?

Bill... use straps and snaps off just about any shoulder bag or soft-side duffel bag to creat attachment points on your horn. Wrap the luggage strap around a bow a couple of times and attach the end snaps to a large key ring. Then... you have a place to attach the M-W harness fittings. Attachment rings can be uncomfortable on some horns. On my Carl Wunderlich (B & S stencil) I remove the lower attachment loop. I use a luggage strap wrapped around the bottom bow to create an attachment point.

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 9:57 pm

I stood for 25 years as a guitar/vocalist and standing is best for breathing and emoting while playing and singing. I wish I had a tuba stand that would take all tuba weight, let me stand and not let that 24"recording bell catch so much wind that she goes over. I miss jumping up and down while playing. It is so fun unless the reverb in the P.A. driver is the spring type and the bandstand lacks a few braces underneath.
A pair of 5/8" docklines with a sewn-in loop slip knot on the top bow might let me suspend my old King from the ceiling. That could prove to be lots-o-fun. Would not be practical for one-nighter gigs though.

smurphius · Post by **smurphius** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 10:38 pm

So, I'm beginning to realize that LOTS of tuba players would love to stand if there were practical ways of doing so?

I'm seriously going to have to try this out for an extended period of time to see if it helps my playing any.

smurphius · Post by **smurphius** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:09 am

Doc wrote:Not me. I want to sit on my fat *** and take it easy when I can. I stand up all night playing upright bass. That **** gets old quick. I'm older and lazier. Gimme a chair and a tuba stand. I can't always do that at some jobs, so I'm thinking about a tuba strap (dammit!) until I can find that 4v eefer helicon I've been wanting. Doc

Well... lazy *** syndrome can be an issue. But with enough beer, I doubt I will remember I'm lazy anymore!

chipster55 · Post by **chipster55** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:27 am

When I stand to play my li'l ol' Amati - usually at TubaChristmas - I tie a sousaphone shoulder pad to the bow and clip a strap to it, then sling it on my left shoulder. It works great.

Rick Denney · Post by **Rick Denney** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:26 am

I enjoy standing while playing, if the instrument is small. I have a harness that I made for my Yamaha 621 F tuba, and it's had plenty of experience.

If I have to stand playing a contrabass, I use the Miraphone. It's the lightest of my BBb tubas. It's manageable with just a strap.

The Meinl-Weston harness looks appropriate, but if I was going to stand while playing ala Sumner Erickson, I would devise a separate stand so that my shoulders aren't carrying the weight.

I do breathe better while standing, but that is offset by the greater tension required to manage the instrument. When I attempt it with a heavy instrument, the tension overcomes the breathing advantage.

Rick "who prefers to sit" Denney

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 12:58 pm

Ergonomically, one should have the horn set up so that you can breathe properly, even when the horn is in your lap. Soloists are likely to have a hard time pulling slides, adjusting embrochures, or doing any pivoting while standing.

Personally, I always considered myself like one of the 'cellos; when then orchestra played the National Anthem, I stayed seated and played better for it. When soloing, I was fine seated. It doesn't seem to impair the audience's enjoyment of a 'cello solo, either!

smurphius · Post by **smurphius** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 1:12 pm

The factor there though might be that cello players have the great luxury (by neccesity) of hypnotizing their audiences with the strokes of their bow. All we have in that light is wiggly fingers. *lol*

Keeping in mind that recitals are mainly for the purpose of performing music, not dancing and masquarading on stage, the factor of standing and stage presence makes me wonder if the audience is effected. Does standing versus sitting engage the listeners more (by percieving you to be more open to them), or are they going to be engaged only to their amount of attention span (regardless of choise)?

This is always an issue I see too little spoken about in "Stage Presence" type master classes. Everyone just sort of takes it for granted that tuba players and cellos always sit in solo performance, violin players and trumpets always stand. What if those rolls were reversed? Would there be a different perception of our instrument as a solo instrument? A different perception of the soloist?

(I'm egging on discussion, I'm interested.

)

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 1:25 pm

As you mention, dancing on stage is just that, dancing. Exaggerated movement of ANY kind is suspect, especially when you are dealing with something as large as a tuba.

I have never worried about communicating with an audience as long as I can project musical intention seated. This does bring up, as you say, though, interesting points, which were never covered in my training.

Stock still is stock dead.

Does the 'cello fraternity have anything which covers this?
Do the trumpets have a "stage presence" protocol?

Interesting point. Take, for example, double-lip clarinet players, who also must sit to perform...

smurphius · Post by **smurphius** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:11 pm

What if you came out dressed as a pirate, but sit perfectly still while play, and play the most note perfect, musically moving recital of your life?! What would people think!

The more I think about movement, the more I realize how little I do when playing. It's not a concious thing for me, I believe I've just been trained well enough to know better. I agree that there is no sense in moving around to no end. I was reading a book this summer talking specifically toward channeling the movements of your body into the movement of people soul's through your music, something I definately believe is important.

What I take from this still is this: if, hypothetically speaking (humor me), posture were not an issue when playing our instruments, are we to believe that our posture would have no effect whatsoever on the audience or does it help to convey emotion in music. Obviously, this is less of an issue as a good, upright position allows for optimum flow of wind through our bodies, but I wonder.

I guess I'm getting into more psychology than anything else. If posture or the visual aspect of music at all weren't an issue, an audience could just sit in a recital hall and listen to a recording, and should recieve the same emotional feelings as if there was a person standing before them. Going back to what Doc said, I think it is a matter of either making people happy or causing them to feel emotion through listening to music.

What power we have in this world to move people...

XtremeEuph · Post by **XtremeEuph** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:30 pm

You guys keep bringing Steven Mead to mind....

TubeNet

Standing to Play Tuba

Standing to Play Tuba

Standing on tuba

Standing while playing