Arbans

[windshieldbug]

Actually, we're all in the same boat

True, but challanged or not, I can still swim faster than a viola!

[ThomasDodd]

I learned to play tuba and trombone. No one ever bother to teach me to make music

SOooooooo that's why those violas were always glaring at us!

I'm not sure how many of them were educated about making music eitehr. I know the entire Jr. and Sr. High band was only instructed in playing the notes on the page. That all brass and the woodwinds. Same in college. Marching season was all about the notes on the page, and concert season the same, at least in the group I played with. Maybe the "Symphionic Band" was better, but it was 95% music majors anyway, so they got that in other classes.

[windshieldbug]

Maybe the "Symphionic Band" was better, but it was 95% music majors anyway, so they got that in other classes.

Don't bet your life on it; majors were either trying to keep their heads above water learning teaching or learning what to-do/not-to-do on their axe. A HUGE amount of it was technique. There was no "music" class per se. I remember some real yawners of senior and graduate recitals; you either had it or you didn't...

[Mark]

i don't understand what the problem is with playing a BBb tuba reading CC fingerings if it's all concert pitch anyways ... right? so when you see E you play second right? Bb is open... and G is 1&2 or have i said something dumb?

Some, but not all, of the excercises are designed to teach or enforce certain fingering patterns. For the tuba book, those excercises were transposed to work with a CC tuba.

[ThomasDodd]

Maybe the "Symphionic Band" was better, but it was 95% music majors anyway, so they got that in other classes.

Don't bet your life on it; majors were either trying to keep their heads above water learning teaching or learning what to-do/not-to-do on their axe. A HUGE amount of it was technique. There was no "music" class per se. I remember some real yawners of senior and graduate recitals; you either had it or you didn't...

So where does one learn this stuff? Like I said, I was never taught chord structure or progressions. I picked up some of it reading guitar mags (and attemption to play the transcriptions). But where do people learn to look at a score and just see that that a Gm chord with the 2 inversion? Or play the peice and know the chord?

Thomas- a player who want to be a musician

[windshieldbug]

So where does one learn this stuff? Like I said, I was never taught chord structure or progressions. I picked up some of it reading guitar mags (and attemption to play the transcriptions). But where do people learn to look at a score and just see that that a Gm chord with the 2 inversion? Or play the peice and know the chord?

Oh, some of THAT you can learn in music school, in theory classes and ear training, but not that way, and not enough. But to learn how make music, to be musical, if you don't have it, is left to people like your private teacher to communicate. Who probably is the ONE person who should concentrate on technique. Which is why people are so indebted to their teachers if that happens...

[Chuck(G)]

So where does one learn this stuff? Like I said, I was never taught chord structure or progressions. I picked up some of it reading guitar mags (and attemption to play the transcriptions). But where do people learn to look at a score and just see that that a Gm chord with the 2 inversion? Or play the peice and know the chord?

I have a couple of suggestions.

There are some online music theory courses that attempt to address some of this. For example,

http://patsy.cis.rit.edu/Audio/theory/theory.html
http://www.easymusictheory.com/lessons.html
http://www.musictheory.net/

But--

I think Joe S. has mentioned this, but I'll second it-- one important thing is to learn to play the piano. The technique of reading keyboard music is quite different from that of single-note instruments--it's more of a "whole word" approach than "single-letter". You also get a view of the whole work, not just the bass line or the melody.

And--

Arranging music is another very powerful learning tool. Many major composers earned their stripes by arranging other people's music (yes, even Bach started out this way). You're basically taking a work apart and reassembling it--it's hard not to learn something that way.

[ThomasDodd]

There are some online music theory courses that attempt to address some of this. For example,

http://patsy.cis.rit.edu/Audio/theory/theory.html
http://www.easymusictheory.com/lessons.html
http://www.musictheory.net/

Cool. I'd seen the musictheroy.net site but not the others.

I think Joe S. has mentioned this, but I'll second it-- one important thing is to learn to play the piano.

If only. I never could get the hang of that. Same with guitar. I have a one track mind, and doing melody , counter melody, and background at once never worked. Moving one had for a completely differnet purpose than the other is a mess. Of course short fingers doesn't help any at all.

[HashBrownJM]

In the end, it's your call, but I recently bought an Arban's book for tuba, and it's doing fine for me. I bought it per my private lesson teacher's reccomendation, so, just my two cents.

[MartyNeilan]

So where does one learn this stuff? Like I said, I was never taught chord structure or progressions.

Many high schools offer one or two years of music theory classes (obviously a little late for you.) Most colleges with music major programs will offer, if not require, about four semesters of music theory and related ear training classes. Many schools like Lee University also have separate Commercial Music Theory classes that teach you what you need to know in the real world (2-5-1 progressions, Nashville numbering, tritone substitutions, chord-scale relationships, writing lead sheets) instead of rehasing sonata form and the neopolitan six chord. One or two semesters of Jazz Improvisation will also teach you way more theory then you ever thought you wanted to know.
I try to incorporate some basic theory in my private lessons: for example if a student is struggling with notes "jumping all around" in a Koprasch etude I simply show how those two measures are outling chords, and play the chords on a keyboard both together and broken. Even padding the chords while the student playes the measures.
Hope you decide to go back to college, Thomas - you will discover that it is worth the sacrifices. (And you will probably appreciate it a whole lot more than many of the ignorant 18 year olds who just take it for granted, and kick their butts academically and musically.)

P.S. My music ed degree got me two job offers in the last week, so I guess it will pay for itself after all! (Now, if I could only figure out how to teach in two different school systems at the same time - then I would make close to what most other majors are making.)