Mouthpiece throats, dimensions and air management/lung capacity

[royjohn]

Well, today I tried all my mouthpieces to see if any of them required a little less air, because I'm having trouble getting through more than 2 measures of the Getchel #1 study (at MM=60) without a breath. Using the Bobo Symphonic (throat=7.5mm), the Loud LM-7 (8.35), the Benge 24AW (8.84??), a Helleberg 120 (8.1), a Yamaha 65 (8.35) and a few others, I can't really tell any difference. Slurred, a little less air than detached, but not enough to net me another whole measure. This horn (Karl Ziess Master Modelle) may not have the tightest valves, but it is quite playable, so I guess it's just all the air I've got is all the air I've got.

I had a big diaphragm surgery 10 years ago...6 inch diaphramatic hernia...recently had to see pulmonologist over a suspicious spot on my chest Xray...apparently I have above average lung capacity (over 3.5 L) for a 74 year old, but my diaphragm is a little high on the left side where they cut on it, so maybe some loss of capacity there.

So the questions:
1. Is my playing capacity normal or pretty reduced? Is it going to improve with practice and better efficiency? Need to go back to trumpet?

2. Am I right that all tuba mouthpieces are about all the same as far as air use is concerned?

Thanks for your thoughts.
-royjohn

[GeoffC_UK]

Good morning,

If I were faced with a shortening of breath, and I played the tuba, which I do, the first thing I’d do is be thankful I played tuba.

Why?

In many ensembles, if not all, the tuba sound arguably carries to the listener more easily than any other brass instrument.
But trumpets and trombones point forward and tubas point roughly upwards (well, mostly) so what’s the point I'm trying make?

It is true that the sound heard by the tuba player will not project as these other instruments in clarity, for example, but it does carry more easily to the listener. John Fletcher in his tuba lectures on YT covers this topic better than I can.
For example, when I play in an orchestral brass quintet I need to ensure that I do not play at full volume, so as to encourage better ensemble balance.

Anyway, if I was short of breath, I would reduce my overall volume.
Further, I would not be that worried about taking more breaths, but I would attempt to reduce the noises associated with taking breaths, plus, shape the notes either side of that breath with some degree of style.
Then, consider where I do my home practice and whether there's a better location, acoustically, so I don't need to work as hard.
May be look at a circular breathing techniques and how these may provide some respite.
I would also look to play in ensembles where there is more than one tuba, so that my colleagues could help to provide necessary cover.
If these weren’t enough, I would look to change my tuba to one whose characteristics require less to fill.

People may not agree with the above, but I am simply articulating what I would do if faced with this problem.

Best of luck in sorting this out whichever path you decide to follow.

[TubaBeage]

For every octave you go up you need half the amount of air. So if you can play 4 bars "up the octave" then that's what you have.
I'm not familiar with the part you name, but if you post up a photo of it we can all have a go and report back how many bars we manage.

[Doug Elliott]

I probably have a different perspective than most people here. I play a little bit of tuba but I'm primarily a trombonist, brass teacher specializing in embouchure problems, and mouthpiece maker.

I totally agree with the previous post.

The real key is to promote efficiency in every possible way. My teaching is all about efficiency - having a very efficient buzz, and getting maximum resonance with minimum air. I do Skype and Zoom if you're interested in exploring that. The other thing is mouthpiece choice, with the same goal, maximum resonance with minimum air. Contact me if you want specific advice - I would need to see you play.

[happyroman]

Here's a link to some of Arnold Jacobs' breathing exercises , published by one of his long time students, Don Little.

https://tuba.music.unt.edu/sites/defaul ... grev20.pdf

One thing to consider is to try and make sure that you are getting full use of your diaphragm. The natural position of the diaphragm is raised. When we inhale, it lowers and displaces the internal organs in the abdomen resulting in the stomach protruding (some of more than others). When students needed a visualization to help with this, Mr. Jacobs would tell them to go from looking emaciated to looking pregnant. In other words, when we blow out, pull the stomach in as far as possible and when we inhale, make the stomach protrude as far as possible.

He would often have his students take different shades of gray and make them black and white through really exaggerating a movement like this until it becomes natural and we don't have to focus on it.

Finally, late in his career, Mr. Jacobs capacity was about 2.5 L due to his lung illnesses. After he had a heart attack, his doctor made him get serious about losing some weight, and he dropped quite a bit. The result was that most of the weight lost was fat inside the abdominal cavity. The weight loss gave his diaphragm more room to lower so he ended up being able to take larger breaths, and discovered his capacity had increased to more than 3.0 L, which was a huge increase for him.

If you are like many of us and carry extra weight around the middle, anything you do to reduce it will increase your lung capacity.

[Snake Charmer]

Sam Pilafian told me : "Don't be afraid of breathing often! It is just important for your life!"
He had a small lung capacity lifelong...
It is normal to lose some capacity with age, but playing tuba will help you to stay in a better shape with your breathing.

[Tubatooter]

Personal experience.....the bore of the tuba has something to do with it. I've had BATs just suck me dry while an Eb or an F does not present a problem. So what are you playing on, and have you tried a smaller bore size, or a shorter bugle?