What do you think?

[clagar777]

For all you multi-talented folks out there: How does playing other brass instruments (or any wind instrument) affect the quality of how you play your primary instrument? I know that many of us tuba players also double on bass bone but what about tenor trombone or trumpet? Do the different mouthpiece sizes do good things or bad things to your embouchure? I am thinking about getting more involved on tenor trombone but I am very serious about my tuba playing and dont want to cause any problems.

...The reason I am questioning this is because my high school band director used to catch me messing around on a trumpet or something and would get upset about it. Was that just because they were school horns or was he looking out for my young embouchure that was still developing?

[tubiker]

I sometimes have to play smaller mouthpiece instruments during the course of work and it kills my Tuba face, so if I have to do anything of importance I try to keep off everything else.
So, your Director was spot on keeping you off everything else, it does you no favours to swap around mouthpiece sizes unless you really need to.
Then there is also the small matter of personal hygene - do you really want to catch all sorts of infections etc etc from a "strange" instrument ?

pip pip

[tubatooter1940]

For years I played trumpet/trombone solos-sometimes both in one song.It only took a few weeks for the lip to settle in. Playing with the Creekers, tuba with an occasional trumpet solo is required and this is not a good combination.The mouthpiece sizes are too wide apart.
A teacher should be concerned when a young player blows a strange mouthpiece. The muscles of the new embochure are just now arranging themselves and too much of this can prevent a real true sound.
Starting off on tuba, I developed a soft lip and my range on trumpet was always a problem-even before the onset of Bell's Palsey parallysis. I would like to see a new brass student play two years or more before going to a radically different size mouthpiece.
Dennis Gray
principal tubist/trumpetist
John Reno and The Half Fast Creekers
www.johnreno.com/

[Arkietuba]

I've had absolutely no problem switching between my tenor "pea-shooter" t-bone and my tuba. I mainly play jazz and hip-hop on the t-bone and I've received many coments on how I have a "professional" jazz t-bone sound even when I was 15 years old. I made 1st band 1st chair on tuba at all-state the same year that I played t-bone extensively in my jazz band. I even beat a few all-state t-bone players at Dixie Band Camp and made 4th chair in the first jazz band that year.

[mTaUrBkA]

I play tenor trombone too in jazz groups and a ska band with some buddies. I don't think it has hurt me.... it has just opened me to more music which in a broad sense seems good to me. I had played tuba for about 3 years before teaching myself trombone.
When I started trombone I played on what I could get a hold of.... an FE Olds Ambassador at a yard sale for 35 dollars. It played mroe than great for that price. But when I went shopping for a new horn I figured I would prefer a large bore comign from tuba......but I actually prefered the medium bore.
Since I have staretd trombone my tuba playign has gotten better....but I think mostly because I practice tuba more now. Trombone has helped my higher register though.