How did you get started playing tuba?

[ThomasDodd]

Stared off playing trombone. Alway liked the sound, especially swing from Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman. Dixieland I really like as well. For som reason I never got a handle on slide positions. My mother had played baritone and valve trombone when she was in high school (She marched in the inaugral Football Hall of Fame parade, and lost her music mid parade). She suggested trying baritone since valves are easier than a slide.

Spring of 9th grade, I kept trying to get the director to let me play baritone, without much luck. After a month or two, they handed me a tuba. I realised how much fun it was, being at the bottom. This was just as "rap music" was getting popular, and heavy bass was the rage. And Metal was in it's heyday, again big on the low end.

20 years later I'm still playing tuba, and loving it. I occasionaly break out the tbone for a jazz group, but I still suck on it. I have learned a lot more about music being at the bottom, and I'm thankfull for that. College was a blast too. 20+ sousaphone evey year, and all of us more tha a little crazy. But we had the most full too, like of the dancing we did with the horns. You never see woodwinds or high brass do that stuff.

Starting my 9 year old on a bugle untill he's old enough to "safely" handle a trombone. Once his face is big enough, he'll be encouraged to to take up tuba. If not, there's a second one on the way

[docpugh]

"little girls play flutes and clarinets." Those were seriously her exact words.

Nice story, Lisa. We're glad you were a rebel and proved your old band director wrong!

[big_blue_tubist]

It could be said that I started on violin in the 5th grade. After playing there for a year, I decided I didn't really like the sound I was making (would you?), and when I moved on to Middle school, I was afforded the opportunity to join band. The decision to join band was my own, but tuba was my last choice. I was stuck with the instrument since my last name was near the back of the alphabet. I am a victim of my "T" last name. Something must have just resonated between the tuba and I, because I'm in college and still playing (a music major no less)

[big_blue_tubist]

It could be said that I started on violin in the 5th grade. After playing there for a year, I decided I didn't really like the sound I was making (would you?), and when I moved on to Middle school, I was afforded the opportunity to join band. The decision to join band was my own, but tuba was my last choice. I was stuck with the instrument since my last name was near the back of the alphabet. I am a victim of my "T" last name. Something must have just resonated between the tuba and I, because I'm in college and still playing (a music major no less)

[MaryAnn]

Weellll....just a little over two years ago, my friend who conducts the brass band in Tucson urged me to buy an Eb tuba because she didn't have anyone playing the part. So I did. It took a few months before the low range starting sounding anything at all like a tuba....but then I bought an F, and then I bought a CC, and now I "are" a tuba player, playing not only in the brass band but currently in both community orchestras. Being formerly a violinist (and more recently horn player) I like to befuddle the low brass section by playing the violin melodies by ear on the tuba (down a couple octaves, of course.) It's fun!

Mary Ann

[CJ Krause]

***

[KenS]

I started playing the cornet in 4th grade. I did ok but was nothing special. In 7th grade I was sitting in the 6th chair (of about 12).

Our band director was a real fan of the tuba. His son had played tuba in the Marine band. He was able to purchase 2 new Conn tubas for the jr. high. Only problem was that he didn't have anyone to play them.

For some reason I and another trumpet player volunteered. The school also had an old beat up sousaphone and stand the band director let me take home to practice. My folks could never get me to practice the cornet but I just loved practicing that old sousaphone on the stand.

Two weeks after we first blew on those Conn's, we played our first concert on the tuba. All the parts had figurings written but we played all the notes and were even asked to stand and take a bow!! That was the first concert the two of us played together, of the many that we both played for the next 6 years through HS....

Ken S.

[docpugh]

Weellll....just a little over two years ago, my friend who conducts the brass band in Tucson urged me to buy an Eb tuba because she didn't have anyone playing the part. So I did. It took a few months before the low range starting sounding anything at all like a tuba....but then I bought an F, and then I bought a CC, and now I "are" a tuba player, playing not only in the brass band but currently in both community orchestras. Being formerly a violinist (and more recently horn player) I like to befuddle the low brass section by playing the violin melodies by ear on the tuba (down a couple octaves, of course.) It's fun!

Mary Ann

Welcome to the world of tubas!!

[Biggs]

Like almost everyone else, I didn't start on tuba. I played piano (not bad if I don't say so myself) from kindergarten until fifth grade but found the trombone I started in 4th grade to be more to my tastes. Unfortunately, as much as I loved the trombone, I was a mediocre trombonist at best. However, the high school band had been sans-tuba for upwards of nine years and my band director recognized my naivete and gave me a large brass cross to carry. I played a Conn 15J (which now seems tiny) for the end of freshman year and began to really shine at an instrument that is far too often overlooked. Just last year my band director bought a MW 25 for me and now I hold down the bass like nobody's business. My lesson teacher encourages me to return to my sliding roots by learning bass trombone on the side. Unfortunately, my school does not have a dance band. Any suggestions on how to make this work out (without impacting my tuba playing that is)?

[Wes Krygsman]

This is my first time posting on the new Tubenet, so if anything goes wrong please bear with me...
I've been around music in some form all my life. My mom listens to all kinds of older rock & roll and I grew up encouraged to sing along with her and her records and cassettes. I believe that that had developed my ear a little. In 4th grade when we got to pick our instruments I had 2 choices because they were at my grandparents house left over from my father and uncles, saxophone or trumpet. I chose saxophone 1st because I took a liking to swing and big band music and thought I needed to play sax to be in one. My school's band had no brass players and eventually I decided to be the first of about 5 students to switch to brass. I took to the trumpet very quickly. I practiced alot and started sounding pretty well so my band director recommended a local private teacher. My private teacher was so great that I began playing at such a higher level than most my age...I had a great sound and crazy range...a clean 2 octave concert b flat scale by the middle of 5th grade. I had even been complimented by the high school section leader that I was better than half of his section. That's when I decided I wanted to be a big band trumpet blaster hitting all the high notes and really worked hard to get better. Then, right before 6th grade...I got braces!!! That killed any sound or range that I had and I hated playing trumpet from then on. I dealt with it through middle school and didn't practice anymore because I started playing bass guitar and started a rock band. Then when I got to high school I started practicing again and got some old sound back, but not my range. I was somewhere in the middle of the section(skill wise) of about 22. After marching band season, many of the smaller ensembles began and I wanted to be in brass band more than anything. I knew I wouldn't be able to play trumpet/cornet in it being a freshman, so I told my band director I'd play anything left over after everyone got their instruments. It happened to be the e flat tuba spot that was empty. I took it home and after about a month I really had seemed to have gotten the hang of it. The rest is history kind of. I permanently switched to just tuba right after that. I made Region and All-State Bands my senior year. Now I'm a freshman music ed and performance major at Montclair State University. I love playing tuba and bass. Sorry for the novel, wow I didn't realize that it was that long. Thanks for anybody who made it all the way through it.

[Tom Mason]

GREED

I was a 10th grade student in high school when I took a bariphonium home to play with over the summer. I was a clarinet player who wanted to get away from the little wooden horn during marching season. I soon learned that I could play it with little problem, since i had learned bass clef when I was 6, in piano classes.

I later discovered in marching band that I liked the idea of sousaphone over bariphonium. My band director liked the idea of 2 sousas over 1, and I took one home.
As I rolled around my junior year of high school, I was in the top 5 of the all-state clarinet section. That was cool for a university looking at me, but the big thing that colleges wanted at the time was sousaphones in marching band. Lo and behold, I could hold my own with the sections of the colleges I was interested in, and then
MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say, I was all for the money, so I practiced more.

I feel that the bass in me started to feel its rightful place when I explored tuba and string bass. Today, I get more gigs as a bassist/tuba (ist, er, ect...) than on clarinets or trombones (my degree instruments).

Tom Mason

[dopey]

I started out in 6th grade wanting to play the sax, but we didnt' own one, and my parents didnt' wanna buy one incase I didnt' stick with band so I had to play wat we had - a clarinet-

I hated it, as well to me I considered it a "girly" instrument, and wanted a "guys" instrument. Meanwhile I moved to bass clarinet thinking that be better, it wasn't *lol*.

Then in 7th grade bout a month til concert the director said we needed a tuba, I was like Tuba thats a guys instrument! so I got it. The thing was bigger then me!

Over that summer we got a sax in our pawn shop, brand new bundy II so I went back the next year wanting to switch to sax and my director wouldnt' let me. So I was -stuck- with tuba, which over the summer I had strangely gotten much better at. I continued to play tuba, and teach myself sax ont he side. I played sax in the jazz band and all the time wanted to switch.

and here I am now, a junior in highschool still playing tuba, and looking to buy my own for college now. I hardly touch the sax, cept for jazz band when we have one. I wouldn't switch now if I was given the choice to.

[smurphius]

well... it all started for me in the 6th grade. i started playing trumpet. was one of the "better" 6th grade players, but didn't really like it all that much. it was nice, but not real nice, you know? in the 7th grade (jr. high), i can remember, i always got so mad because our tuba player always sucked really bad, and acted up, and so i think it took me almost a month to beg (yes, i begged) my band director to let me play tuba. and i have ever since.

[tubatooter1940]

I was forced to take piano at age 10-hated it and was allowed to quit.
However,at eighth grade "join the band"interview I got to blow a tuba and
loved it. The parents forbade me to play anything because I quit piano,so
I sneaked and took lessons for a year.My band director was so desparate
for a tuba player,he kept my secret until the final concert of the year.The
parents were blown away (no pun intended) and I went on to first chair
all-state by my senior year.
I played drums in the Marine Corps and trumpet-trombone for 30 years
professionally until I lost four front teeth top and bottom,but I sang (with
dentures) and played electric guitar and bass until my dentist suggested I
get lower dental implants.
On a trip to Russia I found a tuba in a music store for 10 bucks. Hey I
had to have it.I found that with my implants I could play fine-no problem.
My best friend encouraged me and had me sit in with him and it was a
hoot (again,no pun intended).The Russian tuba kept falling apart in the middle of a gig and my friend and I were on our knees looking for fallen
parts,so I got a 1940 King E-flatulent horn off E-bay.Great horn!
So we formed a trio of guitar ,tuba and harmonica called John Reno
and the half fast creekers and recently cut a live C.D.at Fly Creek Cafe
in Fairhope ,Alabama. We played at the Tropical Isle on Bourbon Street in
New Orleans and we're hitting the road this summer.
The tuba plays most of the lead in our group (another hoot) and we have found a niche as a novelty group.

Dennis (at age 62 saying,"Hey lets start a band.") Gray

[saktoons]

I started on piano. Also played clarinet for two years (yuk!) but eventually settled on percussion. (Mallet percussion and plain old drums.) Off and on I also played bass guitar, saxophone, and ukelele (really!).

After my sophomore year of high school, my high school band director lent me a tuba and a method book for the summer with the words "You can read bass clef. You should be a tuba player."

To make a long story short, I woodshedded all summer (my poor parents' ears!) and came back to school in the fall as a tuba player. Been one ever since - coming up on 30 years (not counting that 21-year layoff from 1981 to 2002).

[docpugh]

A very nice discussion everybody! It seems like the common theme is "I started on another instrument but switched to tuba." As tubists, I'm sure there are things we can all do in our own communities to promote the tuba and have it be a first choice instead of a last choice.

[Leland]

Well, I'd rather have the tuba be a last choice than a first choice!

In other words, I'd rather hear these stories than something like, "Well, I started on tuba, but hated it, and switched to ......"



Besides, I always say that someone can only move UP to tuba, and they'll move DOWN if they switch to anything else. Once you get to tuba, there ain't nuttin' better.

[ken k]

So I was "lurking" around in my grandpa's attic when I discovered my dad's old trombone. I just had to play it. So I started in band the next year on the old Cavalier.(when I emptied the "spit" green slime came out. it was pretty gross.) Anyway I played trombone all through school including college and grad school. But I started to double in college and now I play tuba about 75% of the time. i get more gigs on tuba than trombone so what the heck. But I do love the sound. I am glad that I played trombone through school however, because I got to play in the jazz band, which was a big influence on my decision to go into music. If I were just a tuba player in band growing up that might not have happened.

ken k

[van]

After playing euphonium for 40+ years (high school and community bands), I found myself in a band that had no tubas but had three euphs. After trying to cover tuba parts on the euph with very limited success I decided to dust off an old York tuba that I had inherited from my father's garage and give it a try. I found that it was actually fun to play although the horn had many problems. I went on ebay, got a good used horn for a reasonable price and after a few weeks' practice I got up the nerve to bring it to band rehearsal. Wouldn't you know it, that week two new tuba players showed up. Instead of going back to the euph I stuck with the tuba because I had money invested in it and I had started to really enjoy playing it. I've since upgraded to a better horn and outlasted the other two players.

[tubachris]

i played trumpet for 20 years, no one in my band seemed to want to 'get good' at the tuba. this was a challenge to me, i also found I was hearing the bass line in my mind.. . so the switch was inevitable for me. and I've been playing tuba for the last 8 years. first on a woofy old BBb then on my current instrument an F.

I love every part of being a tuba player. I also play the baritone in our band. the bigger the better.