Philosophical help here

[sailn2ba]

I agree with the thumb ring observations. The position on my Cervenys hurts my thumb. I unscrewed it from my 686 and just don't use it on my 681.

[b.williams]

Hello.
My 1.5 cents.

Try to find a used Yamaha 103 tuba. 3/4 size. Three front action pistons. Capable of producing a good sound. IMHO, perfect for a young tuba player.

[pgym]

WARNING: The following opinion is not very "PC"...continuing to read may subject you to possible offense. You have been warned.

Having received no explanation of the term "GS" in the last post by the OP, I will now assume that it does indeed mean "grade school" (pretty obvious, since "HS" is used for high school) and will now offer my opinion:

You guys are easy. Look at this story.

A 7th grader who has 3 trombones (2 "pro level" instruments yet only the 42BO is mentioned - why the need for another?), has "pasted" his teachers (how rude), is "sought out" by many local groups (really? "many" local groups have spots for 7th grade trombone players?), and has been invited to play in a state-wide competition (what music competitions need to seek out and invite potential competitors?) for high school scholarships (huh? where in the world can 7th graders get money for high school by playing trombone?).

A grade school student (5th grade?) who is nationally ranked academically (what does that mean? there's a national academic ranking system for grade school students?), a good enough tuba player to be asked to join an adult group with at least two other tuba players who are already competing to be her next teacher (how long until they are "pasted" as well?), and is already getting equipment advice from the high school director who knows enough about tubas to tell a grade school student they will need a C or F tuba for college (sure).

Consider this...how many "band dads" would know what a Yamaha 641 is? How many would ask an adult player specifically what model horn they have? How many would write "CC" in reference to a tuba? How can he be so well-versed in the language of tuba models but not realize that anything that might fit a 5th grader's hand isn't going to be the last tuba a serious performer would need?

This is a community large enough to have "many" local music groups requesting the 7th grade trombone player but so small they need grade school support in the tuba section of one local band? That's REALLY hard to swallow. I call BS. This story is either a complete fabrication or ridiculous exaggeration. Either way, it's a waste of time making equipment recommendations for a 5th grader.

If, by some wild stretch of the imagination, I am wrong and the story is absolutely true, then my philosophical answer is...have her play the school horn. What's the hurry? She's in GRADE SCHOOL. Apparently she sounds good enough on the little Dynasty to garner high praise and yet she is "past" it...does that make any sense to anyone?

Or is the philosophical question this one...how outlandish a tale can you weave and still get well-meaning folks to try and help?

Given the indifferent logical coherence and indifferent spelling in the OP and the followup, the repeated reference to the HS band director, the fact that the OP's daughter is purportedly ranked nationally academically, and the immediate proximity of "G" and "H" on the standard keyboard, I think if far more plausible—to the point of being obvious to those who are not intentionally or maliciously seeking an excuse to attack the OP's credibility—that "GS" is a typo than that the OP's daughter is in grade school.

[cjk]

If I were you, given the information you have provided regarding with your daughter's health problems and diminutive size, I would buy her a very small tuba. It sounds like carrying around a YBB641 might injure her.

There's a five valve Mirafone 184 BBb for sale in the for sale forum here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=37142" target="_blank" target="_blank. These are also made in CC.

Other than that, I might look for a Yamaha YBB 621 or YCB 621.

I would buy her a BBb tuba if I were in your place.

[Bob Kolada]

A Weril might be a good combination of good horn/small size/affordable/keepable.

[Donn]

There is a wider variety of tuba's than trombone styles so its a bit more involved here.

Right. A bewildering variety of tubas - types of valves, sizes, shapes, really all over the place, and each with their own compromises. Many of us are big - it's a stereotype, but not a myth (how many of us wear size 13 or greater shoes, for example?) - and none of us really have any idea what will suit this kid.

Our philosophical advice may be good (like one of the Kens above I think you'd find a lot of advanced tuba players still keep one or more smallish, fairly economical tubas around because they're very useful for certain things, so you don't have to think about selecting the tuba for the next 8 years, only a tuba.)

... but our instrument selection advice could be awful. It sounds like she's in a pretty good position to pick something herself, if she can get physical access to the prospects. That one week trial period idea is nice, but I'd rather have 15 minutes a piece on two dozen tubas, than one week a piece on four tubas ... just seems to me, shipping tubas back and forth is liable to limit your options. Travel can be fun and educational, maybe there's some way to expand your geographical range. Meet a few Tubenet members in person, while you're at it - I'm sure Todd is eager to meet you two!

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Travel can be fun and educational, maybe there's some way to expand your geographical range. Meet a few Tubenet members in person, while you're at it - I'm sure Todd is eager to meet you two!

You're right, Donn...nothing would make me happier to be proven wrong in this particular case. At least we have confirmed that Grace is, indeed, in GRADE SCHOOL since her older brother is in 7th grade. Wow.

I remain extremely skeptical of the story, though. A 7th grader with the reach to handle a 50B2? Unusual, to say the least. WSMA gives scholarships for high school and college? I didn't realize that, and they don't mention it as a benefit of participation. Terra Nova results as a basis for "national academic ranking" in grade school? Absurd.

Since Grace is full-grown, that does solve some issues concerning horn selection. At the very least you can try a variety of horns to see what fits best or even brainstorm with some good repair guys about rigging an extension system for smaller hands - it's been done before with some success.

What is the ultimate goal here? Is it really a given that this young lady can't possibly learn any more or progress any further on the Dynasty she is comfortable with? As I asked earlier, what's the hurry?

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Your daughter will do just fine with the Caravelle, and CAN "beat" other kids with $15,000 tubas ( ' maybe even those with blokepieces...?? nah, that's just TOO MUCH of an advantage) if your daughter's work is focused and the quantity of her work is adequate (maybe three or four times as much as her competitors).

This.

The fact that two teachers and two "semi-professional" players around this young lady don't understand this is the biggest facepalm in this thread.

[Donn]

In fact this applies to most of us, true? We could excel with beat up, leaky tubas. Just need more focus, less dope, etc.

However, to the extent that I can reasonably afford to do so, I am happy to indulge my mediocre talent with instruments that are less beat up and leaky (particularly the latter, I actually prefer them to be somewhat beat up but that's neither here nor there.) If I had a daughter as described above, I expect I'd feel the same about her.

So far, we have not been talking about the $10000 audition-winner tubas, but even there - for a family that has that kind of money laying around, it's no different. The guy's willing to spend a certain amount of money on a tuba, and as far as I'm concerned, that's extremely cool! Tubas are good things, unto themselves and lead to good things for the people who play them, so more people should be like him. If he's just a victim of those would-be teachers and waiting for someone like you to give him the courage to say no, then fine, but honestly I don't get that from what I read, nor would I expect it as a matter of course.

Plus, you may not realize how difficult it is to find the large spoons required for amateur tuba dent work, in mom's kitchen in this day and age.

[tofu]

Check out these exceptional elementary school kids in Japan in this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9p0Acf-SbU" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

All from memory!