Getting my chops back!

[bsmccle]

Good morning all.

After a 9 year hiatus, I took the plunge and purchased a used St. Pete 202N from some local folks. Much to my surprise, my tone is still fairly clean and rich (with some expected fuzziness and difficulty in the upper register ). Musically, I still remember all of the fundamentals, scales, technique, etc -- it's just a matter of playing consistently once again to get back in 'fighting shape.'

The one strange thing I've noticed, and I'm curious if anyone has seen or experienced this before, is I'm having difficulty getting out a middle G or Ab. I've only played for a couple of hours since purchasing the horn, but for some reason, am having one hell of a time getting any sound out on either note. I can crank out a lower G and Ab just fine, so I tend to think it may be my embouchure needing to be retrained.

Has anyone experienced or heard of this before? I'm planning on taking the horn into a local shop to be service in order to cross that off as a potential issue, but have not written off the horn possibly being part of the problem.

Also, any other guidance on getting back in the saddle would be great I'm probably going to run through some of the rudimentary books I still own, then move onto some etude books.

Thanks!

[Beervangelist]

Welcome back!

I'm sure there will be many very helpful posts from the board veterans.

I've made it back from a few hiatus - and the same fundamental seems to always hold true.

Play long and low.

I don't sweat the upper register and warm up with lots of long tones in the lower register. It seems to really help strengthen and acclimate. After a good warm up, the middle and/or upper register comes a little easier than it would have if you just jumped right in.

There also seems to be some debate on mouthpiece buzzing. I don't do it on the regular, but I think it's helpful in terms of just building some strength and getting good breathing habits back. This has included taking it with in the car and buzzing along while driving. You can't last very long just buzzing, but it's decent calisthenics, so your lips and lungs can be a little more prepared for when you get back to the horn for your next session.

Good luck!

[chronolith]

Find a local pro or a teacher while you are rebuilding things. Now is the best time to develop good habits, but importantly to avoid developing bad habits that are hard to shake later.

Welcome back.

[GC]

Have you tried slurring up to those notes from below or down from above? Do they quit on you when you do, or is the problem only when you try to hit the notes tongued?

[Voisi1ev]

I did the stereotypical band teacher thing and stopped playing my horn when I got out of college. Just got back into it after about 7 years. Took me about 6-months to feel like I was in "playing shape" again, so it took a lot of patience. Finding groups to play in that stretched where I was helped.

By "middle' G and Ab you mean at the bottom or top of the staff? Can you play notes above that? Trying a piano/drone app, buzz them, then go back to the horn.

[bsmccle]

Bottom of the staff. I can hit above them up to a high Bb -- I tend to think it's just a weak embouchure getting used to the 'feel' of notes in that range again.

I can still hit the Ab and G, just not very consistently -- I have to work for it.

[Beervangelist]

I never fail to wish to find out what Beervangelist has to say.

Some names are just too compelling...and I'm not even a beer drinker.

Haha - I'll do my best to live up to the higher calling...

[Donn]

Lots of possibilities -

• "I've only played for a couple of hours since purchasing the horn"
• terribly wrong technique that happens to work for low and high, but leaves you hung up on the fence in the middle
• leak or other issue in the tuba, that throws these notes way off.

I'm leaning towards the last one, but it would depend on what actually does happen when the notes don't happen.

[bsmccle]

In all honesty, I think it may just be my weak embouchure. I played around for a couple hours yesterday, and am finding that I'm really needing to get the 'feel' of the notes back again.

I won't even get into my breathing technique (or current lack there of ). This is going to be much more difficult than I'd anticipated, but I'm excited.