Tone Quality Variance

[Nick Pierce]

Maybe I should go to bed. Do we have a smiley for that?

No problem. Here you go…

How'd I know you'd be the one to have one?

[Nick Pierce]

'Cause I'm mean?

How was that mean? Mean would be a smilie with bloodshot eyes who's an insomniac, or something implying "sleeping with the fishes" or something.

[tubatom91]

Tom, I think it's the coil. No. Wait a minute…

Maybe I should go to bed. Do we have a smiley for that?

No problem. Here you go…

I just got done waxing the bottom of a boat I'm thinking it's definatly time for bed

[Nick Pierce]

'Cause I'm mean?

How was that mean? Mean would be a smilie with bloodshot eyes who's an insomniac, or something implying "sleeping with the fishes" or something.

Nah, I get called mean by some here. I joke about it all the time as I find it to be quite funny.

I know you're mean. Don't tell me you've forgotten my soliloquy about your meanness?

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=27190&start=528

[iiipopes]

Hmm. As we sit under the bell, hearing ourselves is as much a function of direct jawbone transmission of the sound back to our ears as actually hearing what comes out of the bell. When I have a cold, or the sinuses are not in the best shape for whatever reason, I find myself wondering if my tone is off, just to have people out front say it's fine. Do these "airy" spells have any correlation to any difference in how you feel physically from day to day?

And regarding acoustics: it's not the acoustics, per say, that affect the tone, because the true fundamentals of the range are perceived as non-directional. What affects the tone mostly is a function of physics: the size of the room and its resonant frequency, and how that impacts certain notes, both their fundamentals and their overtone structure. Any acoustically absorbant or reflective materials have less of an impact on actual tonality, as they usually have a broad spectrum, so they affect everything evenly. And part of what makes a good player a good player is the ability to adjust the playing to fit the room, which is more important on a bass instrument than anything else.

I demonstrated this for a friend in my living room, which even though it has the usual ranch-style great room with the tall ceiling is too small to resonate the fundamental of pedal BBb. I warmed up, closed both the front and back door, and started down the scale. I got to near pedal Db, and started losing response pretty quickly. I opened one door to effectively change the "resonance chamber" to a "ported enclosure," and Db and C started to respond, but no open pedal BBb. I opened the other door, which effectively changed it again to something approaching completely open, and pedal BBb rang out good and clear.

That said, I tend to sit to practice in a place where my living room and kitchen meet, so I can get some near-field reflection directly off the kitchen ceiling to help with perceiving clarity of articulation, and some broader reflective tone off the living room which does have the high ceiling.

[imperialbari]

Have you checked if something has happened to your water key or to the alignment of the valves?

Klaus

[Bill Troiano]

You said you were preparing for an audition. Maybe, you're overdoing things, or spending a lot of time on one particular aspect of your playing, and neglecting other areas. I agree with Scooby. Back off for a day or 2 and see if it improves. Also, try the mp buzzing and play low etudes (efficiency and air) and see if it feels any better.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Maybe, you're overdoing things...Back off for a day or 2 and see if it improves.

Again, I have to disagree a bit. Over the years I've found that I've improved the most when I've had a problem (embouchure, air, tired) and worked through it with extra practice...something specific to the problem at hand. If I had taken a day or two off every time a problem cropped up, I doubt I would have made as much progress. Dig in and fix it!

[Bill Troiano]

Todd,
I'm just thinking in terms of over use, as we are dealing with muscle tissue. A little less time on the horn can allow that tissue to recuperate. I don't mean to stop playing for a few days - just to back off and play less. I know it has worked for me and other brass players that I know. It might help and it might not.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I do see your point, Bill, and it's possible the young man has been overdoing it...none of us on here know for sure.

I'm just a big proponent of a weightlifting-style regiment for building up chops...practice until you literally can't practice any more. Rest a bit, then go at it again...eventually, the muscles do get stronger. It isn't easy, but the benefits are rich. As with any other free advice, feel free to ignore or disagree at your leisure.

Todd S. "who never got bothered by those marathon four-hour rehearsals back in band camp" Malicoate

[NDSPTuba]

The quality of the sound you produce is always of utmost importance, but to say that if you can produce a good sound in crappy acoustics you can in good acoustics is not necessarily true. They are not the same and you have to know how to do both. Being an ex horn player we spent a lot of time focusing on sound and projecting to the back of the hall. Being that the bell is pointing backwards and our hand was in it. Dale Clevenger has long done a demonstration that showed what sounded good right there on stage wasn't necessarily what sounded good in the audience. He would play with the class on stage next to him, and frankly it would sound overdone and ,well, nasty. Then the class would go out in the audience he would play again the exact same way and it would sound great. I always had a problem with this, because I HAD(mental block) to sound good right there in my own ear. Anyway the point I'm getting at, is there is more to it than sounding good right there in your own ear, and good results are achieved in different ways depending upon where you are playing. So you have to learn how to do it in both places. Being able to get good results in one environment won't necessarily result in being able to get good results in another.

[Roger Lewis]

Here's my take on things.

Get away from the horn. It makes no sound until YOU do something to it. As Scoob said - mouthpiece buzzing. When you buzz the mouthpiece is there an air sound in your buzz on that? Then fix it THERE. I've stated before what sound I feel makes up a pretty good buzz and will state it again.

The mouthpiece makes two sounds. When you blow just air through it you get a whistling noise. When you tighten everything up and just buzz, you get a very strong buzz and no whistling sound in the buzz.

To ME, the ideal sound on the mouthpiece is about 60% of the buzz sound and about 40% of the air sound (the whistling).

Playing in different rooms only changes what you HEAR- it doesn't change what is coming out of the horn. Work on the buzz, on just the mouthpiece, and try and get the fullest sound out of just the mouthpiece that you can, with a good balance between buzz and whistle. Do this on just one middle register note and move things around (upper lip out a little more, close the jaw a little, lower the tongue, upper lip in a little more, lower lip out a little more, etc.) until the buzz becomes really solid and full - ON THAT ONE NOTE.

Next do the same on a low note, with just the mouthpiece, and again get the fullest, richest sound you can - on that one note. Next do the same with a high note - again with that one note. Do each of these notes 1,000 times to teach yourself the "feel" of these 3 notes.

Now, utilizing everything that you've learned from finding this really rich, full sound on 3 notes, on the mouthpiece, start buzzing glissandos from the lowest note to the highest note WHILE KEEPING THAT SAME SOUND THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE RANGE.

Now put the mouthpiece in the tuba and do the same thing. One note 1,000 times in each register. Then all valves down and glissandos throughout the whole range.

You should find that your sound has solidified and that your embouchure has become more air efficient as well.

The best thing is to do this working with someone else listening to you - perhaps your teacher.

Remember, the horn doesn't make any noise unless you throw it against the wall. If the horn is not giving you the desired result - get away from it and focus on the fundamentals. Gee, where have we all heard that one before?

Peace.
Roger

[tubatom91]

I checked the valve alignment and it was pretty bad. I need a better cork supply (anyone? a PM or Email would be great!) The corks I have are too small. I replaced all of the corks on firday last week and hadn't checked the valves since. I glued a little extra cork onto the existing cork (not a permanent solution, I know). That temporary fix seemed to help a little. I think the only reason it helped was because all 5 valves had the smaller cork in them. The fix helped to a degree... I think that I am going to try to find a decent donor mouthpiece and make a "visualizer" out of it. We did a thing at camp with a rim connected to a shank (no cup inbetween). I didn't fair so well with this test. It was in Professor Moore's toy collection. I am thinking that a school owned Bach mouthpiece will do fine. . In regards to overplaying, I havent really been practicing a whole lot this summer other than the twice a week rehersals for community bands and the weekly concert. I doubt that I am straining myself. I was perfectly fine at camp playing 6 hours or so a day then coming to my dorm and practicing a bit more. I have until the 18th of August before the audition so I should have time to help this problem.

I went to band camp last month and filled the hall with a huge, dark, and luxurious sound.

So, in other words, a "world class sound."

Just kidding.

It made me smile while I was playing (Really trying to not sound arrogant)

[The Jackson]

Those big halls really are addicting...



But I don't have a problem...

[iiipopes]

There is nothing wrong with being pleased with a performance. We all have performances we are pleased with, and also smile when we reminisce about them or listen to the recording, if one was made. A moderate self esteem is healty and necessary for good mental health, among other things. OTOH, we all should also take those favorite performances as departure points to start working on the next level knowing we all have issues we can work on.