To be flat or to have my tone suffer, that is the question?

[Ryan_Beucke]

How about another type of mouthpiece? This can often help intonation issues. Or maybe cutting the tuning slide down so you can push it in more? But wait for a more knowledgable answer on this before you cut anything

[tubaman5150]

Do you use any extension bits in your bugle leadpipe? They can lower the pitch drastically.

[Anterux]

You dont need to play low.

If you are playing low probably the horn is too big.

cut it.

[Lew]

I found that my Besson 983 played about 5 cents flat with the slide all the way in. I think that part of it was just getting used to playing an Eb horn, but I switched to a slightly shallower mouthpiece and find now that I can play in tune with the slide out about an eighth of an inch. You could try a shallower mouthpiece to see it that helps.

[Dean E]

Hello All,
Since I started Drum Corps. I been having this problem. Everytime I played, I would be 20 cents flat. I'm always at metal with my slides.

Which horn(s)? If school horns, do you see the same flatness when playing different horns? Which temperatures? Which registers?

[windshieldbug]

I'm always at metal with my slides

No problem. Just go in a little further...

[TubaRay]

Right!!!!!?

[Bob Mosso]

Possible problems & fixes:

1) Is it you? Have someone else check your horn/mouthpiece combination.

2) Is the mouthpiece too big? On some smaller bore horns the largest mouthpiece you can use is a 6.5AL (or 48). What is the brand/model of the horn, what size mouthpiece are you using?

3) Are you using a moutpiece adapter?

4) Any other possible problems with the instrument? Significant dents? Valve ports are aligned? Has it had significant repairs in the past?

5) If everything else is okay then you may have an instrument that was built too long, it must be shortened, have a reputable repair shop decide where and how much.

[windshieldbug]

Since I started Drum Corps. I been having this problem.

On what horn? Drum Corps horn? Not? What make? How old?

Might not be you at all...

[Leland]

Never heard of a corps horn that had an extension bit for the mouthpiece... that would be beyond uncomfortable.

It's possible that you're now playing as open as you should have been all along, and now you've discovered that your regular horn is built too long.

Or, you're trying to play too open for the instrument and pulling the pitch down.

Try other mouthpieces, try other players on the same horn. If nobody else can play it in tune (not impossible), or if they can play it in tune but its tuning slide is much farther in than on their own horn, then you've got an equipment issue.

What comments were you getting from the staff at the beginning of the corps season? Were they having you open up & darken the sound? If so, they may have been breaking your bad habits that came from dealing with a too-flat instrument, such as pinching & straining to stay up to pitch.

Obviously, it could be a bunch of things.

[Bob Mosso]

To quantify the difference with mouthpieces I just plugged a couple mouthpieces into my old Buescher and Yamaha 321. Similar results on both instruments:

11C 0
Yamaha 48 about -5 cents
Yamaha 51D about -20 to -25 cents
SM4B about -20 to -25 cents

[Bandmaster]

When I started playing contra in a senior corps a couple of years ago a had a similar problem on the K-90 they gave me to play. No matter what I did it played flat with the main slide all the way in. I finally took the horn in and had the tuning slide cut. This year I bought a Kanstul 3v G contra and it had the opposite problem. I had to take it Zig in Anahiem and have them make a longer main tuning slide. The more I played with the corps the more I was pulling out the slide on my concert tuba as well.