correct way to hold sousaphone?

[tubage]

can someone give me a clear, definitive method to this? Or is it whatever floats yer boat?

I see people using many bits, and their valve angle is terrible, the bell is covering half their head, or a combination of both. Balance seems to arrive when using less bits, and letting the bell point forwards and upwards, rather than at a 90º angle. Thoughts?

[Dan Schultz]

IAN! Stand up straight!

[Michael Bush]

.

[David Richoux]

Check out pages 2-48 to 2-50 of the US Marine Band manual.

However, in the bands I play in, it doesn't really matter much. Even with 8 Sousaphones we all carry and play however it seems comfortable to each of us.

One of the Sousaphone players in The Carnival Band of Vancouver plays with the horn on his right shoulder, neck and bits turned outside the main loop and bell turned to balance and project forward. I have tried this position a few times and it is not bad! His reason for the position was to allow him to take the horn off ond on quickly as he also did juggling, dancing and singing... sorry, can't find any pictures.

[eupher61]

The most important point, which Ian missed totally, is the mouthpiece should go to the player, not the player reaching to the mouthpiece.

[Wyvern]

Very interesting thread.

Here are couple of pictures showing me carrying sousaphone with Wessex Military Band. Any suggestions for carrying better appreciated.

Although it looks like I am getting it nearer right than wrong?

[_marshall]

I always end up holding it so the valves are sorta-kinda on my hip, then adjusting the neck and bits to reach my mouth.

Do y'all have a trick for getting the right bell angle? I always end up playing with it so that it aims the right direction while the horn is on my body.

[WilliamVance]

IAN! Stand up straight!

Sadly, I lean with my jumbo like that... So heavy! My back is still recovering from TubaChristmas!

[sloan]

On Land (2012):

SaylesHallMedium.jpg

On Ice (1970):

skateI.jpg

[Rick F]

On sea?

[Wyvern]

On sea?

Playing to whales?

Jonathan 'who has wondered about playing tuba to elephants and seeing their response'

[Dan Schultz]

... Jonathan 'who has wondered about playing tuba to elephants and seeing their response'

There is a fellow who lurks on this forum who once had his tuba snatched out of his hands by an elephant. He was returning to his 'sleeper' after playing the last circus performance of the day.

[Dean E]

All rules have exceptions. Look for them.

No tuning? No rehearsing? No ramrod posture while performing with heavy instruments?

A normal horn on a big player looks and feels small. A small horn might cause acute shoulder, neck, hand, wrist, and elbow pains if motion is restricted to a tiny range. Do stretches and extensions with the hands. Do some dancing and isometrics to keep the blood from pooling in the legs.

Burning Band Tubas Fr Qtr 2012 red70.jpg

Keep loose, and shift the dead weight on your shoulder, and shift your own weight from foot to foot when standing. When in a military formation, do not get noticed shifting your weight.

thCA7Z98YU.jpg

Your results may vary depending on your group's style.

[pjv]

Sorry, gotta disagree with all of ya.

Even though I prefer the front to back posture I won't go so far as to saying this is the CORRECT way. I don't believe there's a correct way.

The bell, neck and bits are adjustable. ADJUSTABLE. Thats part of the beauty of being an adult in a free country; you can wear it however you want. And seeing as we all our born with different body types it's great to have the adjustability to get that darn mpc to lips (more than I can say about my tubas).

I'd say, try it all out and find out want feels best. When I used to own a Martin Mammoth the front to back wasn't comfortable for my body. The mpc was to high and had to be angled downward to reach my lips. Yes, I could've put out the $$ and had a custom neck made, but wearing it left to right solved the problem for free. It also allowed me to pull the 1st valve slide at a more comfortable angle.

And as long as I'm at it; if you want to put your hand on the mpc or neck; go ahead. It's YOUR horn.

I play with my hand on the mpc and lay my finger just along the top by my nose. I've noticed while moving around the sousaphone also moves around. Ever so slightly like a pendulum. The movement of the mpc on my embouchure is kind of a box ball effect; you don't notice it till after the fight. My finger works as a buffer adsorbing the blow.

Good luck

-Pat

[TubaRay]

On sea?

OK. So, how does it work on Bb?

[JCalkin]

And as long as I'm at it; if you want to put your hand on the mpc or neck; go ahead. It's YOUR horn.

I'd venture to say that the majority of sousaphones being played in this country are not owned by the people playing them.

Our college band marches a set of mid 1960s 20Ks. Every one of them has ill-fitting necks that are no longer held in place by the screws. Because 50 years of previous players decided to hold the mouthpiece when playing, now the players HAVE to hold the mouthpiece to keep the necks from spinning away from them.

[Donn]

There is a fellow who lurks on this forum who once had his tuba snatched out of his hands by an elephant. He was returning to his 'sleeper' after playing the last circus performance of the day.

Mean.

[Rick Denney]

There is a fellow who lurks on this forum who once had his tuba snatched out of his hands by an elephant. He was returning to his 'sleeper' after playing the last circus performance of the day.

Mean.

That's what the elephant said. Maybe the elephant was a music lover.

As to correct way to hold a sousaphone, my response is...as little as possible. I never found a way to carry a sousaphone that wasn't painful. I always had to hold the instrument up with my left arm.

When the mouthpiece bits curve into the mouth from the right, the instrument will sit at an acute angle across the shoulder, and the bell edge will rest on the player's head. When the mouthpiece bits curve into the mouth from the left, the instrument will cross the shoulder at close to a right angle, and the bell does not bang the player in the head. All those old pictures of the guys who played these professionally show them wearing hats. When I marched with a sousaphone, I wore a Stetson (part of the uniform) with a 3" brim. Holding the instrument the way I see commonly done these days would make that impossible.

Helicons were not just made for horsed musicians, of course. But the horseman needs one hand for the reins, so if the instrument prevents one from extending the left arm forward, say, to turn music or bop the trombone slide out of the way in a fouled-up countermarch, then it's wrong.

Rick "whose sousaphone is most comfortable when hanging on the wall" Denney

[iiipopes]

Check out pages 2-48 to 2-50 of the US Marine Band manual.

This. I understand the other views expressed herein, whether for shoulder comfort or demands of the particular show or performance, but this is how they were designed, this is how they are best played, whether a 32K or a 48K, and this is how it just has to be.
The fact my high school band director was Navy band might have something to do with my opinion.

[Jack Denniston]

I go for comfort. I angle the bell on my old King BBb sousaphone to the right until the horn balances itself. I twist the gooseneck to the right and angle the bit so it curves back in to meet my face squarely. I use a Kelly mp. Last weekend I got to play the bass part on Trumpet Mambo- one of the best times I've ever had!