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[Manbrass]

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[Ben]

Practice is just like medicine: It is a treatment/regimen to correct and improve an imperfection in your current habits. Every person's routine is going to be different, and it should be! But first you must diagnose what you want you want to work on. You can identify these aspects by listening to carefully to recordings of yourself, but if you seek an instructor, you can get tips on what is the best way to get the improvement your seek.

Best of luck

[Tuboss2]

Technique eh...
Well, this is my 5th year playing as well. So I assume you're in high school. As am I(that is if your in HS). What exactly are you trying to improve? If its volume...I got ya covered...the guys here know what I mean.

[happyroman]

First, always strive to produce your finest quality of sound. It won't matter how fast you can play if it doesn't sound good.

Second, in order to learn anything, you must do it right more times than you do it wrong. Otherwise, you are teaching yourself to do it wrong. This means working in a comfortable register at a tempo where you can play whatever you are working on perfectly.

Break long passages up into short segments and perfect each, then string them together. Start at a tempo where you are comfortable and then gradually increase the tempo using a metronome, striving to maintain the same qualities of sound and clear articulation. Think of long notes like a loaf of bread and short notes like a thin slice from the same loaf. No matter how thin you slice the loaf, each slice still has all the same ingredients as the entire loaf. Short notes should have all the same sound qualities as long notes.

Finally, I believe that most "technique" problems are not related to the speed of the tongue. Instead, they are due to the lack of ability to produce the specific pitch vibrations in the lips. Arnold Jacobs taught that we do not fill the tuba with air, we fill it with vibration. The vibration is in the lips and the tuba simply acts like a megaphone and amplifies the sound we put in the mouthpiece. If the valve combination sets the length of the instrument to the correct overtone series to reproduce the pitch being buzzed in the mouthpiece, the correct note will come out. Play whatever you are practicing on the mouthpiece alone in order to make sure you are creating the correct pitch vibration for each note.

Here is a link to a video of Arnold Jacobs discussing various aspects of the tongue as it relates to playing a brass instrument.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxpvHGq0 ... eW&index=7" target="_blank

[swillafew]

There is saying, "the faster you want something to go eventually, the slower you should start practicing it initially". Get that Arban book and put the metronome on the eighth note, and even better when it's on the eighth note of the 6/8 study.

[Dan Schultz]

Technique eh...
Well, this is my 5th year playing as well. So I assume you're in high school. As am I(that is if your in HS). What exactly are you trying to improve? If its volume...I got ya covered...the guys here know what I mean.

Started playing as a sophomore, did you?

[The Big Ben]

BTW: In the "Tips" section here, there are some recorded lectures of Arnold Jacobs talking about a variety of ways to make good sound.

The "Tips" section is in the bar up by the "Tube Net" logo.

[Tuboss2]

Technique eh...
Well, this is my 5th year playing as well. So I assume you're in high school. As am I(that is if your in HS). What exactly are you trying to improve? If its volume...I got ya covered...the guys here know what I mean.

Started playing as a sophomore, did you?

6th grade actually. Going to be a Sophomore this upcoming year.

[The Big Ben]

Here is a link to a video of Arnold Jacobs discussing various aspects of the tongue as it relates to playing a brass instrument.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxpvHGq0 ... eW&index=7" target="_blank"

The person who posted this to Youtube posted a whole series of talks and demonstrations by Mr. J.

Check it out.

[euphoni]

Hello Everyone.

I'm posting this question because I've been playing the tuba for 5 years and it seems as if my technique isn't improving. My question is how do you enhance that? I've done arban studies but for some reason my technical ability is slow. Thank you for all your help.

Also this could be asking much from people but can someone set a model for how should be practicing. Thank you again for all your help.

There have been some good responses so far and I especially agree with the advice in happyroman's post about doing things the right way, with a higher standard as to only reinforce good habits. Here are a couple things to think about..

Everyone's body works differently and develops at different rates both physically and mentally, so don't get discouraged, just work harder.

At your age/level of development it's all about having an abundant amount of 'face-time' on the horn. If you want to be good at a young age you have to develop the thing that takes the most time, is the biggest limitation and is the hardest to develop... Control over all the facial muscles: The small, intricate muscles of the embouchure, the aperture, and even the big ol tongue. That's the biggest physical hurdle. And the only way to develop those is to just practice a lot! Practice all the time.. Instead of playing video games or watching tv, practice.

Routines are important. Have a 20-60 minute daily routine that consists of all your fundamentals: long tones (in all registers), lip flexibilities (x10), 2+ octaves of chromatic and major scales, single tonguing, double and triple tonguing, Arban and Rochut Books. Then take a good break. After you rest, continue with an hour+ of practicing music and etudes. Rest and repeat...

If you already do this but see no results and are hitting a plateau, it's time to shock your routine. Start doing things a little differently ... Add faster speeds, slower speeds (slow practice builds the control needed to perform the fastest technique), longer practice times, higher and lower octaves, more difficult music, etc.

Hope these ideas help.

[Roger Lewis]

Something that seems to work for my students is to really "learn" your scales and arpeggios. Music is a language and saying that you are a musician without fully knowing your scales and arpeggios is like saying "I speak Spanish, I just don't know any of the words". Music is a language and scales and arpeggios are the vocabulary of that language. My thoughts would lead me to believe that some intense practice on these would be very helpful.

What I think is going on is that you are still thinking about what valves to push down for each note - it isn't a reflex yet. Working diligently on your scales would get you past that and make everything easier and more fun.

Give it a try - you might see a big difference.

Best of luck to you.

Roger

[ztuba]

I agree, you can get stuck basically playing Bb Eb and F scales for a long time while working the Arban book. You must memorize and practice your scales separately. how much time do dedicate to long tones and Remington slurs?

[Jess Haney]

First, always strive to produce your finest quality of sound. It won't matter how fast you can play if it doesn't sound good.

Second, in order to learn anything, you must do it right more times than you do it wrong. Otherwise, you are teaching yourself to do it wrong. This means working in a comfortable register at a tempo where you can play whatever you are working on perfectly.

Break long passages up into short segments and perfect each, then string them together. Start at a tempo where you are comfortable and then gradually increase the tempo using a metronome, striving to maintain the same qualities of sound and clear articulation. Think of long notes like a loaf of bread and short notes like a thin slice from the same loaf. No matter how thin you slice the loaf, each slice still has all the same ingredients as the entire loaf. Short notes should have all the same sound qualities as long notes.

Finally, I believe that most "technique" problems are not related to the speed of the tongue. Instead, they are due to the lack of ability to produce the specific pitch vibrations in the lips. Arnold Jacobs taught that we do not fill the tuba with air, we fill it with vibration. The vibration is in the lips and the tuba simply acts like a megaphone and amplifies the sound we put in the mouthpiece. If the valve combination sets the length of the instrument to the correct overtone series to reproduce the pitch being buzzed in the mouthpiece, the correct note will come out. Play whatever you are practicing on the mouthpiece alone in order to make sure you are creating the correct pitch vibration for each note.

Here is a link to a video of Arnold Jacobs discussing various aspects of the tongue as it relates to playing a brass instrument.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxpvHGq0 ... eW&index=7" target="_blank" target="_blank

This is probably some of the best advice you could get as a young player. All too often I see frustration in my private students and in band rooms due to putting the cart before the horse. Many players sit and practice tough licks at break-neck speed and wonder why it does not improve...good stuff. take this advice and use it.