What should my range be?

jbaylies · Post by **jbaylies** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:27 pm

What is the range for the average tuba player who's been playing for 3 years?

passion4tuba · Post by **passion4tuba** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:53 pm

Low F to High B flat? That's average for a freshman right..

Pure Sound · Post by **Pure Sound** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:13 pm

AS HIGH AND LOW AS POSSIBLE!!

There is really no limit I've heard freshman play 1 and a 1/2 Oct range
to 5 and 1/2 Oct range.

KevinMadden · Post by **KevinMadden** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:18 pm

I would say at least down to Bb zero ('pedal' Bb) and up to about Bb 3 (on top of the staff) would be a good spread. but you can never stop working a skill, strive for C -1 (the 15 VB C in the Kraft Encounters II) and then up to C5 (the C above middle C) that should be the most any normal tuba player would ever need right?

jbaylies · Post by **jbaylies** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:18 pm

Pure Sound wrote:AS HIGH AND LOW AS POSSIBLE!!

There is really no limit I've heard freshman play 1 and a 1/2 Oct range
to 5 and 1/2 Oct range.

5 and 1/2 ?! How much did he practice to do that?

Pure Sound · Post by **Pure Sound** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 2:00 pm

I did about an hour everyday

just set your mind to it and stick to your guns

I think the real problem for young tuba players is that they just don't want to put forth the effort and do fundamentals EVERY day.

Look at Carol Jantsch she worked hard and it really paid off
Shes an inspiration not to just women but all tuba players.

Arkietuba · Post by **Arkietuba** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 2:44 pm

If I were you I wouldn't focus so much on the range right now. There are a lot of things that are more "important" than range. But a good range for 3 years of playing (depending on other variables like practice time and embouchure) is around low Eb to high Bb on top of the bass cleff staff.

If you are really worried about working on your range right now, I increased my range by two full octaves (One lower and one higher) by working on lip slurs just in a couple of months. I would start by sluring up to as high as I could, then work on going one partial higher, then one higher than that and so on and so forth. I really don't recall how I did the low register, but I can now play the Eb below the lowest A on the piano and I can play the high D an octave above middle C and that's more than enough for 99.9% of the music out there.

jbaylies · Post by **jbaylies** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 4:29 pm

Scooby Tuba wrote:What kind of horn/mpc are you using?

A Blessing BBb horn with a Vincent Bach Corp 18 mpc.

WoodSheddin · Post by **WoodSheddin** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 4:33 pm

jbaylies wrote:
Scooby Tuba wrote:What kind of horn/mpc are you using?
A Blessing BBb horn with a Vincent Bach Corp 18 mpc.

A Bach 18 was the gold standard mouthpiece when I was in high school. Just because you play a Blessing is not a reason to hold you back.

At this stage in your playing, it is MUCH more important to focus on enjoying what you are doing and to do it often. It is better to play the horn 1 hour EVERY day on stuff you enjoy then to skip days attempting to play stuff you don't enjoy.

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:18 pm

Don't forget your tone while trying to extend your range. Not much good playing high, or low if it is a poor sound.

Jonathan "who thinks a good tone is the first requirement of a good tuba player" Hodgetts

XtremeEuph · Post by **XtremeEuph** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:35 pm

Sounds like some good advice here ,but if you cant get that high Bb just yet, dont worry about it. In the past year ( I play euphonium) My range has taken a COMPLETE pitfall. I can still go beyond pedals but my high range (I got braces, but they arent an excuse anymore because im not improving) isnt even....in the high range anymore

I used to be able to stretch well above the high Bb and play with a decent tone, almost all the way up to F..........now I cant even play the F an octave below that. Really sad because almost all literature extends that range........I feel extremely helpless and dont know what else to try. So if youre having trouble youre not the only one. Do focus on the fundamentals first, play musically , no matter what range you are in.
]

Kevin

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:21 pm

Don't worry about range unless you can't play the music in front of you. If you can, then it's enough. Work on sound and flexibilty. Aside from this thread, who cares how high or how low you can play, as long as you can play what's on your stand.

I started out on a cornet. I was so concerned with range that I screwed up my chops, that stayed screwed up no matter what I played until I met my tuba teacher in college. He was able to fix them, thank goodness!

If you can hit the notes, work on the best sound, and feel the music!

MikeMason · Post by **MikeMason** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:29 pm

let's not confuse notes we can squeak or fart out with notes that can be used in music.If you have a good low Eb and a good high f,you can do just about everything you need to.

tubatom91 · Post by **tubatom91** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:31 pm

Low Eb (below staff) and high Eb (if not F)(above the staf)

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:44 pm

MikeMason wrote:If you have a good low Eb and a good high f,you can do just about everything you need to.

Maybe a bit more than that for orchestral playing. I would say a low C (as in Bruckner #4) and a high G# (as in Bydlo)

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:48 pm

jbaylies wrote:What is the range for the average tuba player who's been playing for 3 years?

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 7:03 pm

A lot depends on the ambient noise. In a noisy city, your sound might only have a range of about 4 to 6 blocks. In a quite, rural location, I think you might be able to extend that range to about a mile. I've not tested this, so I'm just guessing.

Pure Sound · Post by **Pure Sound** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 8:25 pm

more like 5 Oct...........5 and a 1/2 is REALLY pushing it but it can be done.

I completely agree with TONE over RANGE who gives a crap about someone if they can play 5 Oct's V.S someone with 2 Oct range if the guy with 2 Oct's sounds likea million bucks

( of course beeing one of the few freshmen with a 5 Valve BBb helped to

)

Rick Denney · Post by **Rick Denney** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:48 pm

windshieldbug wrote:Don't worry about range unless you can't play the music in front of you. If you can, then it's enough. Work on sound and flexibilty. Aside from this thread, who cares how high or how low you can play, as long as you can play what's on your stand.

Amen!

And work on your low register. Good sound down low reinforces fundamentals that will make extending your upper range easy--when the music you are learning requires it.

Gene Pokorny established profound supremacy a few years ago by playing a hymn tune in the pedal register with crystal clear (and correct) pitches and lovely big tone.

Rick "who laments the lack of a low register far more than a high register" Denney

TexTuba · Post by **TexTuba** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 12:53 am

EuphManRob wrote:I actually was just about to agree with richland tuba 01, that a 5 1/2 octave range seemed a bit beyond the believable...

It IS in fact possible. I honestly feel that that range is nothing more than a "Hey, look what I can do!" but it is there. A pedal Bb to a Bb above middle C will take you through most of what is out there. Anything else beyond this, I feel, is just to secure that range just mentioned. But then again, what do I know? I'm just another oompaher in Texas...

Ralph

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What should my range be?

What should my range be?

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