suggestions for lyrical playing on a 6/4

[Levaix]

... More air.

Actually, I do have some semi-useful advice. Is it high stuff that's getting fracked? Really nail the low note and back off on the high note. Pretty unintuitive, but it works surprisingly well.

Also, more air.

[Levaix]

It's easy to think if the note is higher you need to hit it harder. Do the opposite. It's a tip my teacher would constantly repeat. I'm not sure exactly why it works. It probably has something to do with the player attempting to force his/her lips to hit the "high note." If you tell the lips to shut up and just let the air do the work, suddenly the problem note just pops out, no issue.

The other way to do it is practice the snot out of your lip slur/flexibility exercises.

[dougydoug]

I'm just took my brass methods class this year and I completely agree with the fact that the partials are easier to hit on horn

[eupher61]

You're thinking about the wrong kind of lyrics. Punk. Death metal. Even Dylan. Pitch placement won't be nearly as important.

[bort]

I don't play a 6/4 (not yet, at least), but on any tuba, its about control. On French horn, the partials are really close together, and it takes a totally different type of control. On tuba, it takes strength, air control, and good memory for repetition. That said, some tubas are easier than others, and mis-aligned valves and incorrect mouthpiece gaps can make this a lot harder than it would otherwise be.

[TubaSteve]

The last few years I have been doing a lot more practicing by playing by ear, and not reading music. This really helps train your ear and allows you to sing through your horn. I was recently at a clinic with Bobby Shew, a trumpet player, and he was talking about this same techinque. This time of the year, it is very easy to just play Christmas carols as they are songs that easily come to mind and you don't have to read them. Before you realize it, you will be playing in higher registers with ease as you are hearing the note in your head before you are playing it, and you don't have the paradigm of seeing high notes on the page that can be intimidating. You also can play lower notes and work on being lyrical as you know what the song should sound like, and again, you can sing through your horn. Other times through out the year, just pick some classic folk songs and start to play. Before you realize it, you are playing in keys that would be more difficult and they just lay on the fingers much more easily. Just find a starting note, and play. Once you can play in that key, start the same song on another note and try to get it to lay down under the fingers. It is fun, and your company doesn't mind hearing you blow your horn so much!

Steve

Steve

[Mikelynch]

Thank Heavens Joe--I was afraid it would be difficult....posting.php?mode=reply&f=2&t=64193#" target="_blank" target="_blank

[MartyNeilan]

That super deep mouthpiece that sounds so good on a 186/188 may not work as well on a 6/4.

Something with a more shallow bowl and with a modest backbore like a C4, Bobo solo, or Blokepiece solo may make the horn more responsive and easier to sustain a long phrase.

It is hard to be musical when blowing through a wide open horn that feels like a sewer pipe.

Resistance may be futile, but sometimes a little bit can also be your friend.

[windshieldbug]

Direction of airstream is also important (as my teacher was taught by the great William Bell), but you need actual demonstration and feed back, not internet text...

[Worth]

It's easy to think if the note is higher you need to hit it harder. Do the opposite...... It probably has something to do with the player attempting to force his/her lips to hit the "high note." If you tell the lips to shut up and just let the air do the work, suddenly the problem note just pops out, no issue

Great point. I've found this to be quite true although I discovered it myself through trial and error. I remind myself to not "overshoot" in this type of situation and thus land more securely on the correct partial.