To Stand or Sit?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:32 pm

In every euphonium recital I have seen and in every euphonium solo performance I have seen the the euphoniumist stood.

TubaRay · Post by **TubaRay** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:37 pm

I agree with Mark.

Ryan_Beucke · Post by **Ryan_Beucke** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:52 pm

I agree, I've never heard of the "only stand if you memorize your music" thing, but standing is good for breath and for connecting to the audience. Unless it's tuba, which I feel distracts the audience because it looks so odd to stand playing a tuba. They're waiting for you to drop it or topple over!

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:21 pm

FWIW I think you should sit or stand, whichever you are most comfortable with. If you're changing instruments, it should not be distracting to the audience (although I suspect you have special insight into the poor composer's intentions...

). Regardless of posture or piece, one should always know the music well enough to have it memorized. Having a stand, as a reminder or as a jog for any unintentional slip, is again up to the performer.

Highams · Post by **Highams** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 5:21 pm

I always stand;

http://charley.myphotoalbum.com/view_ph ... recital16e

but just be comfortable with what you do.

CB

Rick F · Post by **Rick F** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:23 pm

I think standing is always the best way to play a featured solo or recital. You connect with the audience better when standing.

Besides - I know I breathe better when standing.

Dean · Post by **Dean** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 7:07 pm

You can do what you want. Really, how you sound is all that matters.

As for me, I will always stand while performing a euph solo. I am so used to it now that I feel no fatigue holding the horn.

I sometimes use standing as a teaching method as well. Too many euph students hold the horn in an awful sloppy way when they sit. Make them stand, and they have to hold the horn corectly. I still have to fix tension problems they may have in their hands and shoulders, but thats about it.

Also, there is virtually no difference in the way I hold my horn when I am sitting, compared to me standing.

Tubaryan12 · Post by **Tubaryan12** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:19 pm

Get a stand like THIS and sit.

BopEuph · Post by **BopEuph** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:22 pm

If you rest the horn on the lap, something needs to be under it to keep your posture up. I don't use anything like that; I hold the horn the same way while sitting.

You shouldn't need to use your right hand to support the horn, anyways. It takes away on efficiency of the right hand. You should be able to hold the horn freely in the left hand and still use the left index finger freely for the fourth valve while letting your right hand just rest on the valves.

Nick

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:26 pm

I've certainly heard of slings being used while marching. If they help there and you can maintain the proper angle/support, I don't see why not!

quinterbourne · Post by **quinterbourne** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 1:13 am

1) Whenever you practice, do a bunch of reps lifting your instrument. Do it each hand seperately - lifting it that is. Start off with a few reps and gradually increase. Do this while practicing to give your chops a rest. You'll eventually get used to the weight of the instrument.

1a) When practicing, play the first 10 minutes sitting, then the next 10 standing, then next 10 sitting, and so on.

2) Try pressing the instrument against your body a little. This will place some of the weight on your body, instead of on your hands/arms. Developing a good "beer gut" will help

Just ideas, but remember what matters most is the music. If standing makes the music suffer, then it isn't worth it. What the audience will remember is how you played, not whether you were standing or sitting.

I am a tuba player, so I'm used to the weight. So, when I play my YEP-321 (which is quite light, being non-compensating, compared to many euphs out there) standing, it really isn't all that difficult.

pg · Post by pg » Mon Dec 05, 2005 1:13 pm

I prefer to stand but am recovering from a broken arm so I've converted my music bag to a sling like you are mentioning. I like it so much I think I'll keep using it once my arm is all better.

The trick is coming up with something that will hold your horn high enough. I solved this by shortening the shoulder strap of the bag and putting the lower bow of the horn in the front pocket of the bag. In playing position, I put my head and left arm through the strap. I'll get someone to take a picture of it in action if you like,

--paul;

ufoneum · Post by **ufoneum** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 3:15 pm

euphba wrote:
Tubaryan12 wrote:Get a stand like THIS and sit.
After I got tendonitis, I bought one of those stands..it worked VERY well for a while, but it would slide down lower and lower while I played. Well, not even a month of playing with that stand, it broke. My euphonium isn't famous for being a "heavy" brand, the stand was poorly made. It was WAY too much money for what I recieved. One would have better luck making thier own stand.

Yeah, I second that. I have played around with the Stewart Stand a while back and it is a great idea on paper. They often compare it to a end-pin for a cello. But, if the end-pin slid everywhere, broke easily, and cost $100 they might think twice about buying one. You can make one of these yourself.

- Pat Stuckemeyer

oh, yeah... definitely stand and sit. You should be able to play comfortably doing both. I use the same posture while sitting as I do standing. PM if you want more details.

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 4:45 pm

when I perform on violin, I stand, because sitting hurts my back.

when I perform on horn, I sit, because standing hurts my back.

when I perform on tuba, I sit and it sits because both of us would have hurt backs otherwise.

MA

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 9:28 pm

I have always used a full support stand-first for my sousie in high school that only came off the stand for football games and parades. My tuba resides on a stand in my music room and the stand goes everywhere except rehersal. Why pack all that weight? The stand also allows me to quickly pull a guitar into my lap and switch back and forth from tuba to guitar and vocal in comfort.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:43 pm

Euphoniumsong wrote:I got the sling idea to work!!

Way to go! It's all about the sound, not the way someone thinks you should look.

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:20 pm

Euphoniumsong,
I am so happy you found a design that is comfortable and gets your mouthpiece pressure where you want it.
You can make one out of fabric, plastic with stainless or monel fastenings or get a good shoe shop tech to cut you one out of leather.
I love a wide,black leather strap for my guitar. Narrow straps gave me arthritis in my left (freting) hand.
Looks like we have a by-the-water gig for four or more nights a week for possibly months duration. I always wanted to rig two straps from the ceiling to the tuba so as the tuba would swing in only two dimentions. The microphone could be centered inside the bell with some type of bungy arrangement and run the mike chord across the ceiling and down.
One could walk up to the tuba,wearing a guitar and blow a solo with one hand on the horn and then give the tuba a big shove and have it swing out over the audience. We would have to be really sure that there is nothing in our setup onstage that would get clobbered on the backswing.
When you get old and ugly, you have to dream up stunts to get and keep your show visually interesting.
I been thinking about this. It sure would be fun. I just don't want anything else to happen to my old King Efer.
Happy tooting,
tubatooter1940
www.johnreno.com/

XtremeEuph · Post by **XtremeEuph** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:02 pm

Rather old thread I know but i noticed something rather strange. During Jazz Band we all stand , but in concert band we all sit of course. The strange this is that i dont like standing because i seem to breathe BETTER sitting which doesnt make sense. I think im tensing up when i stand or something and i cant even fill myself up with air half the time. O ya and anyone know anyone know any really good breathing exercises (apart from intaking over so many counts then releasing the air over another given amount of measures) ?

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