"A feeble man should not blow a tuba"

[Dave Detwiler]

I came across this great quote in J. W. Pepper's Practical Guide and Study to the Secrets of Arranging Band Music, written by William H. Dana in 1878 - yes, 137 years ago! In his comments about organizing a band, he says this . . .

"In the selection of members for a band, some care should be exercised. Perhaps this has not been thought of in organizing many bands, to which can be traced the cause of their failure in advancing. What a man thinks he can do, is not always proof of his ability - and when a band is organized, some disinterested party who is a competent judge, should assign each man his position in the band. A feeble man should not blow a tuba, nor a man with heavy thick lips attempt to blow an Eb cornet, but this condition of things is found existing in many bands, and the writer often feels that he would like to go into their ranks, and put the leader in the tuba player's place, and make a cornet player out of a 2d tenor; and so change the performers, that each member should stand where nature designed him to stand. Prominent among the members of the band, are the leader, the tuba player and the bass drummer."

[eupher61]

Poom poom poom poom.

[swillafew]

Some of that album (Bill Bell and his Tuba) is on youtube; I was surprised last night to hear where he took breaths on the Mozart. His tone was better than I remembered from the record, too. Funny to see the photos of the rotary horns with recording bells, too. I wonder how many years since you could buy that new?

[Three Valves]

I think the point of the article in question is simply that allowing people to choose their own instrument is as silly and disastrous as marrying for love!!

[sugawi]

Practice will make it perfect...
http://youtu.be/4XE761zw4PY

[Dan Schultz]

Practice will make it perfect...
http://youtu.be/4XE761zw4PY

Hell.... I've heard grownups who still sound like that!