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11-07-2006, 10:13 PM
| | | | Anyone here double on the "brass bass"?
Hi,
I played french horn for about a year as a kid before switching to bass (so I know a little about brass instruments), and am thinking about trying to pick up the sousaphone. My university has one that I can practice on. There are a few guys in New Orleans who double on both, and I'm wondering if anyone here does and if you have any advice for someone interested in starting.
Best,
Will
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11-07-2006, 11:14 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Mexico City | | | TB to Mark Rubin, TB to Mark Rubin...
__________________
When I was a lad I was a little bit shy. Something came along and caught my eye. When I heard the jazz band strike up, I swear I had my mind made up. Boy, gotta do that thing!
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11-08-2006, 03:40 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Maui | | | I used to play a bit of sousaphone, though I prefer tuba. I was a trumpet player at the time. Kinda cool, but.... jeez, the frickin' mouthpiece feels like it's swallowing your face. My hat's off to folks like Howard Johnson and Rich Matteson, who can tear it up on the big horn. |
11-08-2006, 07:06 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Central, OH | | | I love the tuba, but in college we used to refer to the sousaphone as a "farthorn." For obvious reasons, if you have played both. |
11-08-2006, 07:24 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Central, OH | | Get a teacher!!!  Sorry, that just popped out, it's just the standard reply, I figured it applied to all types of basses.
First make sure the school horn is in good condition and then get yourself a good mouthpiece. I'm partial to Schilke myself. A Conn Helleberg isn't a bad place to start though. And be prepared to push a lot of air. The only thing sousaphone or tuba have in common with french horn is that they're brass instruments. The horn gives you a lot of back pressure because of the size of the bore so your air supply can last quite a long time even on a smaller breath. On the tuba, especially the big, fat, low, fun tones, the air is used up quite rapidly. I would suggest when you start that you incorporate a lot of long low tones in your practice routine to develop a good sound and breath control. Quote: |
Originally Posted by WillBuckingham Hi,
I played french horn for about a year as a kid before switching to bass (so I know a little about brass instruments), and am thinking about trying to pick up the sousaphone. My university has one that I can practice on. There are a few guys in New Orleans who double on both, and I'm wondering if anyone here does and if you have any advice for someone interested in starting.
Best,
Will | |
11-08-2006, 08:14 AM
| | | | Thanks for the replies!
bpclark: I was just gonna find a fingering chart and start noodling around. Do you really think this is a bad idea, or is the teacher comment just a joke?
-Will |
11-08-2006, 08:57 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Central, OH | | Well, mostly it's a joke, which why I put the Big Grin in the text. Get a teacher just seems to be the standard reply to many questions. If you're just picking it up for fun and not too serious about it then there's no big need to get a teacher (It's not like DB where bad technique is likely to cause you an injury). On the other hand, if you're intent is reach a high level of proficiency, then just like DB or any other instrument the fastest, most efficient path is through a good teacher. Quote: |
Originally Posted by WillBuckingham Thanks for the replies!
bpclark: I was just gonna find a fingering chart and start noodling around. Do you really think this is a bad idea, or is the teacher comment just a joke?
-Will | |  | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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