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?
Cello Cushions
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acjcf2
- bugler

- Posts: 93
- Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:25 am
- Location: Port Royal, SC
Re: Cello Cushions
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.
Jim
Jim
"Keep Calm and Play Tuba."
Dillon 12915 5/4 BBb
Dillon Olka CB2
Conn Helleberg 120S
Jupiter 378L, used, beat, and leaky but still plays in tune.
Dillon 12915 5/4 BBb
Dillon Olka CB2
Conn Helleberg 120S
Jupiter 378L, used, beat, and leaky but still plays in tune.
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Mark
Re: Cello Cushions
Are these in BBb or CC?bloke wrote:These can be inflated for use and deflated for easy storage...![]()
- roweenie
- pro musician

- Posts: 2165
- Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:17 am
- Location: Waiting on a vintage tow truck
Re: Cello Cushions
"Even a broken clock is right twice a day".
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tofu
- 5 valves

- Posts: 1998
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 11:59 pm
- Location: One toke over the line...
Re: Cello Cushions
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.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.
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scottw
- 5 valves

- Posts: 1519
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 8:39 am
- Location: South Jersey
Re: Cello Cushions
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.
Bearin' up!
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marccromme
- 3 valves

- Posts: 279
- Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2015 4:42 pm
- Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Re: Cello Cushions
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
Yamaha YEB-321 Eb 4v TA tuba
Meinl-Weston 2141 Eb 5v FA tuba
Hirsbrunner Bb 3v TA compensated euph
Wessex Dolce Bb 3+1v TA compensated euph
Alto/tenor/bass trombones in various sizes/plugs
Meinl-Weston 2141 Eb 5v FA tuba
Hirsbrunner Bb 3v TA compensated euph
Wessex Dolce Bb 3+1v TA compensated euph
Alto/tenor/bass trombones in various sizes/plugs
- MartyNeilan
- 6 valves

- Posts: 4878
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:06 am
- Location: Practicing counting rests.
Re: Cello Cushions
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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Erik_Sweden
- bugler

- Posts: 85
- Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2014 7:59 am
- Location: Åmål - Sweden
Re: Cello Cushions
Anyone try something like this: https://www.thomann.de/se/millenium_st90.htm ?
Miraphone 497 Hagen BBb Tuba, PT-88
Besson BE2052 Prestige Euphonium, Dennis Wick SM3X
Besson BE2052 Prestige Euphonium, Dennis Wick SM3X

