Flexibility in extreme-low register on Euphonium

[XtremeEuph]

The topic title being my issue, is fairly self explanatory. I am a 1st year undergrad Euphonium major, and for my jury I am performing the famous Vaughan Williams Tuba Concert (I love it!). I love what I can do with the piece when I play it at pitch on Euphonium. I play a Yamaha 842 Euphonium with a Schilke 51D mouthpiece. A great combination for me.

My biggest problematic measure in the entire piece is (which many of you are probably familiar with) in the second line of the first movement. After descending to a Pedal Gb and F, there is a quick 16th note run moving up From Pedal F-Gb-Bb-C-Eb-F and so on. I am able to hit these notes, but not without any embouchure shift. I know the embouchure shift is also an issue in the high register, but now I have found it in my low register. The lower I play, the lower I place the mouthpiece on my face, (for pedal F, almost to the point where my upper lip is on the outside of the mouthpiece, on top of the upper rim...with my lower lip doing the vibrating). TO everyone i've talked to this seems backwards, because the top lip is supposed to do the work. Why I do it this way, I dont know, throughout every range I do this, and my tone is fantastic.

As you can guess, I am having huge issues playing anything after the F and Gb, because I need to shift to a completely different embouchure to even finish the run. Yes, I have slowed it down and repeated the notes over and over and over, but the shift is so physical that I cant even make the next note in time. I guess to answer my own question, I need to practice playing these notes without shifting my embouchure. Thats the issue!! 2 scary words, (I cant!). No matter what I try, with notes below Pedal A, (and individually pedal C for some reason), The notes will not speak with a "normal" embouchure. The air seems to go nowhere, and I cant seem to push it through the horn.......Because of this I have become very frustrated. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the help

Kevin

[XtremeEuph]

Haha agreed, however what would you suggest if I had never told you what piece it was and it applied to Euphonium

[b.williams]

I have found that register to be tricky, especially when using a 51D. Continue to work on the problem areas out of tempo. Plan A: hope to have it up to tempo by jury time. Plan B: practice the solo up to tempo with those problem areas up an octave (measures 15, 27, etc,). The bouncy character of the movement will not be changed by a few alterations.

BTW, I find that I can play the pedal notes with both an upward shift and a downward shift when I use a 51Dish mouthpiece. I think that I need some sort of shift because the 51D will not allow enough of my lip to vibrate.

If possible try playing with a 60 or a Bach 1G. When I do that, I find a huge difference in the way the low notes speak. With a bigger mouthpiece the so-called shift is not as pronounced.

[Bob Kolada]

I think I know why tuba and euphonium players don't like euphonium players playing the RVW-
-tuba players don't like someone playing it without sounding like a wounded cow
-euphonium players don't like that it is light on the finger wiggling, "bWWah bWWAh sound", and doesn't have "Bonny Aire" or "Concertante" somewhere in the title


Work on being able to play the Gb and F with your regular placement with just a slightly more open embouchure. Don't worry about playing it loudly and play it as slowly as you need to, just get comfortable doing it. Do slurs down from a pedal Bb without shifting. Shifting for the low pedals will just make it harder.
Once you can do that you'll be fine; the C right above that will probably feel a bit weirder. Please, PLEASE figure a way to get that in tune (tuning comp 3 low or getting a kicker) as I absolutely hate hearing a terribly sharp low C and B on euphoniums.

Being able to comfortably play in the low as well as high registers is part of being a good musician especially on the euphonium since it is such a fine multi-task horn. It's also potentially the best brass instrument for playing solos since you can grab so much literature from other instruments- trumpet, trombone, bass tuba, as well as cello, bassoon,.....

The mouthpiece you have is fine. Though I don't have a 51D, I can play in the super low register just fine on my Wick SM3. Admittedly if I were going to play a lot of tuba register on euphonium (brass quintet,...) I would go to a bass or possibly contrabass trombone mouthpiece. I quite like my JK/Kanstul 2A and 2C in my contra, bass, and euphonium.