Cello Cushions

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Mark

Cello Cushions

Post by Mark »

I'm about 6'2" and many times the chairs that are provided at performance venues are too low to provide a good playing posture. I will sometimes carrying a folding piano bench to use instead; but that is just one more heavy thing to lug around. If the chairs are stackable, I can stack two chairs to gain some height. I know a trombone player that is several inches taller than me and he built a set of wood blocks with recesses for the chair legs and non-slip material under the blocks. These block raise his chair about 4 inches; but again they are a pain to carry around (and look a little bit scary). I recently met a taller cello player who had a cello cushion about 5 inches thick. I think this might solve my problem. It is lighter than the other solutions and may actually make some of the horrendously uncomfortable chairs easier to sit in.

Has anyone used a cello cushion while playing tuba and what brands do you recommend?
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Re: Cello Cushions

Post by acjcf2 »

I use a NASCAR butt pad. I'll cover it with a dark towel if I know I'll be in view of the audience. Never leave home without it. I adjust my tuba rest accordingly.

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Re: Cello Cushions

Post by Mark »

bloke wrote:These can be inflated for use and deflated for easy storage... :|

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roweenie
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Re: Cello Cushions

Post by roweenie »

bloke wrote:These can be inflated for use and deflated for easy storage... :|

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Re: Cello Cushions

Post by tofu »

Mark wrote:I know a trombone player that is several inches taller than me and he built a set of wood blocks with recesses for the chair legs and non-slip material under the blocks. These block raise his chair about 4 inches; but again they are a pain to carry around (and look a little bit scary). I recently met a taller cello player who had a cello cushion about 5 inches thick. I think this might solve my problem. It is lighter than the other solutions and may actually make some of the horrendously uncomfortable chairs easier to sit in.
How about those bed raisers they sell at Bed Bath & Beyond? They don't weigh much and wouldn't take up much space. I did that hauling the folding electric piano bench around too, but it was a PITA to haul with tuba. Fortunately most of my sit down tuba playing these days is at venues with great seats and the varied jazz gigs, where seats can run the gamut, I use a helicon and stand.
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Re: Cello Cushions

Post by scottw »

A friend uses a drum throne with an addition of a padded rest bolted onto the front edge. He has a fixed height of the chair and a rest that is perfect for him and the horn.Carries it in a bag along with the music stand.
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Re: Cello Cushions

Post by marccromme »

I am small, but are using a cello cushion for better sitting comfort, raising the back side of my hips. And it liftes the tuba down to the crrect heigth to. The cushion is about 2 inch higher on the back than on the front end. See here: http://home.earthlink.net/~vsazer/seating.html" target="_blank
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MartyNeilan
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Re: Cello Cushions

Post by MartyNeilan »

About 15 years ago I bought a dining chair cushion at WalMart. I keep it In the music pocket outside my Gigbag. Being on the shorter side, I will often sit on the cushion to have the leadpipe at the proper height. It also helps for those chairs with the scooped out butt that makes you fall in. The cushion was probably about $10, I think I got my money's worth.
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Re: Cello Cushions

Post by Erik_Sweden »

Anyone try something like this: https://www.thomann.de/se/millenium_st90.htm ?
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