Want to learn.... Newbie..... Questions

[ilzho]

Hello:

I'm 43 in Dallas, TX and missing playing from my high school days.

I never played the tuba in school, but love low brass sounding instruments. I played Baritone in school (Treble Clef).
I started to teach myself/learn bass clef notes via internet recently.

I have always loved dixieland and jazz music and want to learn dixieland eventually.

I know this will take lots of hard work and time so here are my questions.

What kind of tuba? There are different pitches, not sure what kind to get?
3 values or 4?
I am assuming a 3 value b flat would work?
is there a style or design that is accepted more than others to play good ol dixieland/ragtime on?

Thank you for your advice,
David

[iiipopes]

A three-valve would work, a four-valve would be better - remember how 1+3 D at the bottom of the treble clef was always sharp when you played your baritone? Having a 4th valve deals with that. It's arithmetic: 1+3=4.

Two of the more popular tubas for community band work are the King 2341 or 1241 (the model number depends on when it was made), and the Miraphone 186, and other BBb tubas that are of a similar size, what we call "4/4" tubas.

Try to borrow or play on as many different tubas as you can before settling in to purchasing one.

If you're going straight into Dixieland or Trad Jazz, then a sousaphone is an alternative. Since most sousaphones only have three valves, you pull the 3rd valve and set it so that 2+3 Db and Gb are slightly flat so you can lip down the 1+3 C and low F. Conn 14K, King 1250, and their fiberglass analogs are the most common models. (You can always have the top of the 1st valve loop modified into a slide, but that is a discussion for another day.)

Mouthpieces: start with a lesser expensive Helleberg copy, like a Faxx or a Kelly, or a used mouthpiece of a medium size, @ 1.30 inside cup diameter and a moderately deep cup and medium sized throat, and get used to how it feels. Then as you develop a preference for your own mouthpiece, again, borrow others and see what you do and don't like as you compare them. Then you can narrow the universe to a few manageable choices.

There are many tubas and sousaphones out there, and everyone has their preferences. What I mentioned are popular, because they have relatively good intonation, are relatively mouthpiece insensitive, and are plentiful, both new and used. Everyone who posts after me will have their own take on it, and you may end up getting a different tuba altogether. Availability of tubas where you live will unfortunately be a major factor as to what you purchase. If you live near a large city with a music store dedicated to brass, you will have a wider selection than I did - I had to order mine sight unseen because the only instruments that were available were to borrow, not for sale. Fortunately for me, it worked out.

Finally, when you do go try out tubas, take someone with you who is knowledgeable, and can help you determine if it has good tone and intonation, as you will be under the bell and can't hear it well, and how it fits you ergonomically as well as tonally. The proverb is that a tuba finds you, you do not necessarily find a tuba.

Welcome to the trenches!

[NCSUSousa]

A three-valve would work, a four-valve would be better - remember how 1+3 D at the bottom of the treble clef was always sharp when you played your baritone? Having a 4th valve deals with that. It's arithmetic: 1+3=4.

...

Finally, when you do go try out tubas, take someone with you who is knowledgeable, and can help you determine if it has good tone and intonation, as you will be under the bell and can't hear it well, and how it fits you ergonomically as well as tonally. The proverb is that a tuba finds you, you do not necessarily find a tuba.

Welcome to the trenches!

+1 to the advice that iiipopes gave in his post. He said what I would have.

If you're looking at Conn Hellebergs (the one's made by Conn, instead of the copies), remember that the 120S is the normal size model and 7B is the smaller model. This is definitely worth shopping on price - there's not enough of difference from the Conn to the copies to be brand picky, at least until you've been playing a while and can feel the differences.

[bearphonium]

Your history sounds a lot like mine; didn't play tuba until returning to play music as an adult in my 40's. My first horn was a BBb 3 valve (Yorkmaster bell front, 3/4 size horn) that I bought on this website. I played it for a couple of years, and then bought a BBb 4 valve (VMI 201 3/4 size horn) also purchased here. The fellow I both the York from used it for stand-up gigs, which I never have. I also have a King sousaphone (BBb) that I play in marching band, and have used for Dixieland gigs.

It has been a fun adventure, and I hope you have as much fun as I have joining the tuba world. Several folks have chimed in with good advice here, so I won't repeat that. Have fun!

[Donn]

If you're looking at Conn Hellebergs (the one's made by Conn, instead of the copies), remember that the 120S is the normal size model and 7B is the smaller model.

They're different sizes, but really, they're both normal!

[bighonkintuba]

It's arithmetic: 1+3=4.

1 + 3 < 4

[edsel585960]

Welcome back! I too took a 20 year hiatus before taking up tuba again. I personally like the Conn 20J for playing Dixieland but strolling with it is out. Can't beat the sound and you can pick them up pretty cheap. Good luck.

[Donn]

On the choice between different tuba designs -- for starters, I don't think I'd suggest a sousaphone.

Not because they're poor tubas, they can have a great sound and of course they can be very effective, but simply because of what you hear when you're behind the bell. A sousaphone is terrible for that, which can lead to a couple of over-playing problems. A lap tuba is at least a little better - more of the sound comes around the bell flare to your ear, so what you hear sounds more like what others hear - and for this reason may be a better choice for someone to start with.

Of course that's just one factor, and for someone who's going to be playing on foot, the virtues of a sousaphone outweigh its defects.