Problems with holding the big tuba

[Kpen]

Hey tubenet, I was wondering what your solutions would be for a guy like me who can't afford a tuba stand. When I play my PT-6, I almost feel as if I'm in a wrestling match because I can't get the horn to stay where I want it. When I hold it up with my legs, it slowly slides down eventually causing me to have to readjust, and that just throws me off while I'm playing. I also can't rest it on my chair because my torso is unreasonably long so the lead pipe isn't high enough. It has caused a lot of tension in my playing and has given me some extra back pain to deal with. If y'all have any suggestions, let me know. Thanks.

[timayer]

I had the same issue with my PT6 occasionally. Though I have an unreasonably short torso, so it's interesting that we both experienced the issue.

The non-monetary way to deal with it that I used sometimes was to experiment with left hand placement. My horn did not require much slide manipulation, so I was pretty free to move my left hand around. Sometimes I put it through the horn to hold the first valve slide, sometimes I had it on the far side pretty high up. Sometimes on the far side but down where it touched my left thigh. It relieved some of the tension.

The monetary-but-not-tuba-stand-price ways could be to get a yoga block or foam block and put it between your legs on the chair to elevate the horn a bit. I also recently got a classical guitar foot rest for my lute playing and unconsciously started using it while playing my tubas (under my left foot). It's been an improvement to my posture I didn't know I needed. I don't have the PT6 anymore, so I can't say whether the foot rest would have helped with that, but it's been great with my 182 and 4/4 CC. It wouldn't necessarily elevate the horn much (but it will a little depending on how you hold it when you play), but it will stop it from tipping to the left.

[timayer]

I may well be wrong (and have been PLENTY of times),
but I've often suspected that

> those who suffer from mild-to-severe sciatica, as well as
> those will smaller upper thighs (which might define that the gracilis muscle - as well as the larger ones directly underneath it - are not particularly strong, and that anchoring the legs in place for longer periods of time - such as to support something on them - might be a chore)

are those who tend to migrate to tuba stands - due to issues with holding/playing this/that/these/those tubas.

There are exercises to strengthen the interior leg muscles, and those exercises (which - I suspect - not many who exercise include in their exercise routines) tend to be awkward.
I've done some of those exercises, and - from doing them - found out just how weak those muscles (even with larger upper thigh muscles in general) tend to be.

As to sciatica (lower back pain), simple walking and light stretching seem to be the most recommended remedies.

' sorry if I'm off-track, here !

Whoa whoa there, buddy. Kpen and I are obviously VERY STRONG and the fault OBVIOUSLY lies with the instrument. (Don't worry, Kpen, I got this...) As has been repeatedly proven, getting new toys and equipment solves all issues with playing. Science agrees.

All that aside. This is an interesting observation that would make sense if someone hypothetically had lingering lower back issues for almost his entire playing career and hypothetically should be getting more exercise anyway....Hypothetically.

[michael_glenn]

Baltimore Brass tuba stand. Problem solved.
I CAN hold my horns without it. But with it, I have zero tension in my legs. I find it makes a difference. 100% worth it in my opinion.

[Charlie C Chowder]

Many of us who play classical guitar, also have the problem with lap slide. Many of us get foam shelving liner to lay on our lap before placing the instrument. It comes in many colors as well as black. You may already have some in the house. Very cheap.

CCC

[tbonesullivan]

Wait, are tuba stands THAT expensive? I thought they were around $100 or so? Definitely worth it in the long run.

Another thing I have seen people do is to get those kinda sticky pads and put them on the bottom bow, which keeps the tuba from sliding.

[Charlie C Chowder]

Many of us Classical Guitar players also have the problem of lap slide. Easy and cheap solution is placing some foam shelving liner on the lap first. It comes in many colors as well as black, and takes up very little space.

CCC

[spirtuba]

I'm also using a pt-6 and had the same problem, horn was sliding down. It was worse with the pt-6p (which I sold), a bit better with the rotary version (that I bought instead). I solved it for me by using a very inexpensive car anti slip map which can be cut to the size I needed it. The tuba does not slide away anymore (I still felt those interior leg muscles for a few days). Hope that's helpful.

Flavio

PS: Sorry for my english, it's not my mother tongue...

[bort]

Just get a BBC tuba stand. I don't know your situation, but struggling with a $15k tuba for a $100 fix just seems silly to me. Sell some stuff to get the $ if you need to, or just save up a few dollars a week until you've got it.

[spirtuba]

There are reasons not to use a tuba stand. I have one but I felt I could not move the way I am used to during playing. Not that I move much though, but still... But you are right, Bort, the money should not be a reason in this case.

[tbonesullivan]

Just get a BBC tuba stand. I don't know your situation, but struggling with a $15k tuba for a $100 fix just seems silly to me. Sell some stuff to get the $ if you need to, or just save up a few dollars a week until you've got it.

yeah, this was my thought as well. It's like hearing people moan about buying a $300 case for their $5000 trombone. Or people with a really expensive guitar rig with all this fancy stuff, and not buying a power conditioner to protect it all.

[Tom]

Shelf liner will take care of your problem.

$6 online or at the big box stores.

Surely that won’t break the bank, right?

[Ann Reid]

I have a similar issue with balancing a euphonium.

A guitar foot rest can disrupt full breathing, but if you put a small foot rest (2’-3”) under BOTH feet/toes, you can raise the knees just enough to reduce the angle from the hip to the knee.

No gravity, no slide. Adjust position of mouthpiece to meet embouchure.

[Yane]

A second on the shelf/rug gripper suggestion, fixed problems similar to yours for my Eb. If shelf gripper doesn’t work, get a stand you can “stand”, I had to for my 1241.

[Rick Denney]

Try a drum throne--under $50 if you look around. Some swear by them.

I use a BBC Tuba Rest for my big tubas at rehearsals and gigs, or a K&M stand at home. At a hundred bucks it's worth it.

Some feel as though their movement is curtailed, and I'm thinking a stand gives me more movement options without worrying about whether the instrument will slip. Bloke talks about the stabilizing muscles in the pelvis area, which--he's right--are usually not strong enough. But even if they are strong enough, they have to be tensed to make use of that strength, and that will create tension whether or not we feel it. Maybe it causes a problem, maybe not. It takes a lot of work to strengthen those muscles (ask me how I know) and that is a longer-term solution than coming up with fifty or a hundred bucks.

One thing I tried before getting my first DEG tuba stand (I do not mourn its lack of availability) was a Stewart Stand, which was really a 'cello pin with a rubber floor pad attached to the back of the instrument using wide Velcro straps with non-slip stuff applied to them. The floor pad rests on the edge of the chair, with the positive effect of allowing the tuba to be in front of the edge of the chair. That allows all kinds of movement, including the type of movement that results in falling off the edge of the chair, with resulting injury to lips, if the chair is curved the wrong way. That's never happened to me with a proper tuba stand.

I don't use a stand with F tubas, or even with my new Eastman 534 (King 2341 clone), but for me they are essential for larger 4/4 and up contrabass tubas.

Rick "whatever works, but do it" Denney

[Kpen]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I'm probably going to go for the shelf liner just because I'd rather not have to lug a stand with me everywhere. I understand that it seems weird that a guy with a 15k tuba can't afford a tuba stand. College is taking up a lot of time and I find that I can only balance practicing and school without working. Next semester I will be working but that is a bigger fish to fry. I am extremely thankful for a family who is willing to support my career path financially. But as it stands I'd rather not ask them for more than what I've got, so that means saving money is the top priority. Thanks again!

[roweenie]

https://www.dillonmusic.com/deg-deg-han ... -rest.html" target="_blank

$50, compact, sturdy, and works great for me and my 6/4 tuba(s) (all the others don't need it).

(My legs are plenty strong enough - tried shelf liner, and although it works very well, my left knee has issues (an old war wound) that is exacerbated by weight placed against it for extended periods of time).

[GC]

I have a very short torso and was forced to hold tubas with my legs for years, which eventually caused me to have a hernia repair. I finally bought a horn short enough where I could rest it on a chair and have the mouthpiece at mouth level, not eyebrow level. It has saved me from a lot of discomfort.

Of course my waistline makes me hold the horn far enough forward where I have to turn my chair about 40 degrees to get a corner far enough to the front where the horn won't slip off. I think I'm going to try the cheap drum throne suggestion for a tuba stand next. There are some out there well under $20, which is a heck of a lot cheaper than the cheapest tuba stand. I'll see if "you get what you pay for" is true in this case; even a BIG tuba weighs a lot less than a drummer.

[panderdoti]

I occasionally play a 20j instead of my Holton sousie for alumni band sit down gigs. When I do I have a rubberized cloth that is used to keep rugs from slipping. I tuck it into my belt so it stays in place.

I tried a stand in college with my big CC 1290 and for me it didn't work well because I tend to move my horn around a bit to the music.

[bone-a-phone]

This is maybe a little more out-of-the-box that what's helpful, but I play my euphonium while sitting in a recliner. It makes everything so much easier (except turning the pages of the music). I'm careful not to lean back so far that I get condensation back in my mouth. Can't do that with trombone.