Constantly flat? (embouchure trouble?)

[WoodSheddin]

I got a quick question before I have to leave but in the morning when I play in marching band, whenever the director tunes us it seems that I constantly start out flat, no matter where my tuning slide position is in. Is this a sign of a faulty embouchure?

It is a sign of a chilly horn usually. Does the pitch get better as the rehearsal goes along? Even a few degrees colder can make a horn go 5-10 cents flat.

[sven]

Serge,
If the pitch remains flat, even though it gets better, have a repairman run something through the horn to make sure there isn't anything stuck inside.

Some jerks thought it would be funny to throw newspaper balls to make a "basket" in out sousaphones. The newspaper lodged inside and caused the pitch to remain flat - eventhough the pitch would improve, my sousaphone remained flat. Bought those neck screens the following week.

[Bob Mosso]

Serge,

I'll offer a couple comments, my opinions on tuning:

-never consider your tuning slide as "set and forget", playing in tune _is_ a moving target
-a cold brass instrument will be flat, and will go sharp as it warms up
-don't tune then play... warm up, tune, play, adjust to what you hear as you play...
-when compairing to a tuner, in a stable air conditioned room, you will likely need to move your (tuba) tuning slide about an inch from the begining of the first song, to the end of that same song
-the speed of sound in air changes with temperature, pressure, and humidity... your tuning will change with temperature, pressure, and humidity
-when you come back from break, you will be flat, because your horn has cooled off... after a 62 measure rest you will also be flat...
-only use a tuner as a reference point, playing "in tune" is relative to the entire band
-everyone else is also changing pitch as they warm up and cool off, who knows what directions the woodwinds are going
-the pitch of the band will change durring rehearsals and durring a concert, you need to adjust your pitch to stay in tune with the band
-I played one outdoor concert, it was about 112 deg F outside, besides not being able to pull my tuning slide out enough to tune to A=440, as I played the horn cooled off and went flat!

[iiipopes]

Indeed. Several observations.

First: 13!

Second: temperature is a big item for a souzy. For example, when playing a souzy where it is warmer, I have the main slide pulled a lot. Yesterday, the local Shrine band I play with played a gig to help a neighboring county celebrate the centennial of their courthouse, with a big parade, all the political speeches, Masonic relaying of the cornerstone with new time capsule, etc. Think about it: October Saturday early afternoon. To get to pitch I pushed the main tuning slide back in to exactly where the old discoloration mark is on the main tuning slide, from years of marching band.

Third: It's a souzy. It gets banged around. Check for leaks as well as obstructions.