Various Questions.

[dopey]

While I can't say my skill is anywhere near that of many of the posters on this forum.

I will say, like most things, practicing will be the most help.

One thing to keep in mind when playing "Loud" down there is to really open up your mouth to be sure not to go -sharp-. Which is a very common to do so when trying to play loud.

I would just start by playing down there more, I know most of the pieces I play I dont' play that low. I do however regardless of the pieces I play make sure I warm up down there just as well as I do in my middle, and high register.

You can also take etudes or other pieces down a octave when you practice to help with your low range. Just continue to practice and remember to strive to be in tune, rather then louder. The loud part will come later.

[Mudman]

I haven't found tuners that work well in the sewer register.

What does help is sitting at a piano, and using sustained piano tones to help you zero in on the lowest tuba pitches.

Hold the pedal down.

Play a note on the piano an octave above the one you are trying to hit (ex. B-flat two lines below the staff on the piano while you play an octave lower on tuba.)

If it is in tune, you will know it by the extra resonance in the combined sound.

An excellent book for low-register work is "Low Etudes" by Snedecor. About $11 for all the low-note-hyperventaltion you can handle. 20 musically written etudes that are enjoyable to play.

Good luck!

[Dean E]

Later, Korg came out with the (super-inexpensive) CA-30, which beat the pants off of the TU-12H in virtually every aspect one could rate - including the ability to "hear" the very lowest pitches on the piano keyboard (even if played by a tuba).

I wonder whether electronic tuners are actually sampling overtones, but not the low frequency notes.

As for Ty's original musing about crisp attacks at the bottom end, get a copy of "Gene Porkorny Orchestral Excerpts" and listen to the Ride excerpt on playback equipment with a subwoofer and huge speakers (or at least good headphones).

[MartyNeilan]

[quote="tuba4sissies"]
Man none of you people know how to so Forum coding.
[ /quote ]

Perhaps not, but most of us can form intelligible sentences.

[winston]

.

[Alex Reeder]

Another vote for the CA-30. It really can read the basement pedal notes. Great price, too - I got mine for about 14 bucks. Although it is possible it is picking up the overtones, it gets the job done.

And didn't I hear once that in the pedal range there is so little fundamental frequency that almost all of what we hear is the overtones? How does this affect our percieved sense of pitch? (i.e.: Is pitch in the pedal range percieved and judged from the fundamental or from the pitch of the most powerful overtone?)

A question more for the Rick Denney types on the forum.