tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

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MaryAnn
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Re: tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

Post by MaryAnn »

Agreed that many, but not all, venues are "safe enough" to drop off your load and come back after parking. However.....I'd get a "buddy system" whereby someone else in the band would stand by my stuff until I came back to retrieve it. People will be delighted to help.
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bisontuba
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Re: tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

Post by bisontuba »

Nice idea, but doesn't work for large venues....at least in this area....
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Re: tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

Post by NDCompuGeek »

nworbekim wrote:i just don't take the chances... it's like Russian roulette. 5 of 6 times i may not have any problems, but that time i do... it costs... it may be in pain, medication, dr. visits, MRI's, or therapy.... but it makes me pay a price.
I once blew out my back picking up a piece of paper on a table, all because I twisted to see who rang the doorbell. I was on meds and physical therapy for a good 6 months -- between the pain of the injury and the pain of the therapy, I didn't know which was worse at the time. This is why I try and get to know the instruments they have in the band corral and simply use one that's already there. Community band / orchestra at the local university vs truly "professional" gig, so I don't necessarily need perfect (or "better through familiarity") intonation that I would get playing my own horn, but with enough playing I can figure out the quirks of that horn and still be pretty good (which is a step or two above "good enough"). I still want to do well, I'm just not willing to sacrifice my health and another 6 months of my life living in pain to do it.
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Re: tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

Post by Three Valves »

I always insist my contracts have a “tuba bearer” clause in them...
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Re: tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

Post by Donn »

I suppose I should know better than to step in this - myself with no back troubles whatever - but the lady of the house has had some issues with something called lateral listhesis, which if you read the descriptions sounds kind of like the beginning of the end. Had it pretty bad a year ago; now I never hear about it, because it's more or less gone. Now of course, it isn't really gone - that stuff doesn't really re-grow - but as best as I can make out, the muscle tone in her back has made the difference. And she did a couple of things to stop aggravating it: got rid of her manual transmission car, and quit exercising. That muscle development isn't the result of narrowly focused repetitive exercise, it's from doing stuff all day, much of it outdoors in a place with no comfy office chairs. I wouldn't guarantee that it would work for anyone else, particularly since hers is an asymmetrical condition that could benefit more than average from general back muscle development, but maybe something to think about. If it were me, unless I had some ambition to do another kind of thing with a lot of varied physical activity, I'd think about just walking places more and driving less.
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Re: tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

Post by Bill Troiano »

Ditto what nworbekim said. I'm constantly looking at lighter tuba options. I have shoulder issues, possibly from years of fitness distance swimming, and/or possibly due to my having hemochromatosis (iron overload disease). I never heard of that until I was diagnosed with it over 25 years ago. It can possibly cause all kinds of issues, joint deterioration being of of them. For me, it could be that I have hemochromatosis and the swimming eventually blew out my shoulders because it ate the cartilage. I had therapy and surgery and it never got good again. I can't swim free style anymore, which scares me if I was ever in a situation where I had to. I used to be able to swim a mile in the ocean. Not anymore. Plus, I can't lift my arms over my head, even without weights. Yet, I can bench press 135, 10+ times, and I weigh 165. And, I've had lower back issues, knee and ankle issues. Maybe I shouldn't even go to the gym. Plus, I like to play sousaphone standing. If anyone told me 10 years ago, that I'd be moving to Texas and playing a sousaphone for most gigs, I'd have told them they're f'n nuts. Yet, here I am, at almost 68 yrs. old, and playing a few gigs almost weekly. All of this makes me want to play a light instrument. It's not actually the playing of it, but more the packing it, unpacking it, loading it, carrying it, putting it in the car, and out of the car, etc. So, that's my issue and others could have different issues, but if you have pain in your main joints, dealing with tubas can be a pain !!
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Re: tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

Post by Three Valves »

All this talk is making me hungry. I have a calzone to pick up.

Wish me luck!!
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Re: tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

Post by Radar »

One of the bands I'm in rehearses in a high school and it's a long haul from the parking lot to the band room. What helps me in this case is I use a lightweight folding dolly, and a couple of bungee cords. It's easier on my back to roll the tuba up to the band room than carry it all that way.
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Re: tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

Post by greenbean »

I would love to be able to find 50-lb bags of concrete because - out here anyway - it is 60 lb or 80 lb. I have picked many 60-lb bags recently. I can handle that. I wouldn't dream of hauling those 80-lb bags.

After much back pain spread out over several decades, I finally put an end to it (?..) by getting into shape. Lots of "core" and overall strength training.

I also use gig bags when I can. My Mirafone 182 came in its original case. I think it was made by J Winter. A very nice case and not excessively heavy. But still, I bet it is 20-25 lb. I also have an old cordura RB bag that weights about 7-8 lb. It is a no-brainer.




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Re: tubas' weights, old guys, and bad backs

Post by bigtubby »

The ultimate old man tuba IMO. I worked in the trades enough to have some serious back problems at age 70, weight 14.8#

Absolutely great player but I don't think that the Chinese have cloned it yet.
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