Is it hard to learn to play the tuba?

[AlexanderB]

I searched for "tuba" here, and found surprizingly few discussions. The thing is, there might be an opportunity for me to get a really cheap tuba (well used).
Is it a hard instrument to get "OK" competent on? (Playing bass lines, not concert pieces!!!) I have played flute for some years, but otherwise, electric bass is what I play today.

Thanks!

 

[ElectroVibe]

As long as your neighbors are friendly.

 

[two fingers]

I searched for "tuba" here, and found surprizingly few discussions. The thing is, there might be an opportunity for me to get a really cheap tuba (well used).
Is it a hard instrument to get "OK" competent on? (Playing bass lines, not concert pieces!!!) I have played flute for some years, but otherwise, electric bass is what I play today.

Thanks!

The valve positions are what they are. Any wind instrument is all about the embouchure. I would suggest a few private lessons to get started with that. Other than that you should be fine.

 

[chuck3]

I was reading up on the early days of jazz in New Orleans. In the good weather, the bass player played the tuba and often walked or marched with it outdoors. In the bad weather, the bass player played the "string bass" or what we would call the upright, indoors. Being a player of the upright, this intrigued me. Then I saw a tuba for sale right in the neighborhood. So I made an appointment to go check it out.

LOL - forget it! You're sitting inside like 16 linear feet of metal tubing that has only three keys and you're supposed to do the rest by means of the "embouchure" which is essentially the skill of making farting type noises with your lips and breath. Tuba is a beast! I respect the heck out of those who play it.

 

[AlexanderB]

As long as your neighbors are friendly.

My neighbour knocked on my door at 3am yesterday. Can you believe it - 3am! Luckily, I was still up playing my drums!

 

[AlexanderB]

Thanks, guys!

 

[Jhengsman]

Figure that another class of middle school kids can pick up at least 1, 5 in most keys every year it is doable. And at least in my area schools face the theft of their tubas and sousaphones there is a market for players and the types of bands that utilize them.

 

[Volker Kirstein]

I searched for "tuba" here, and found surprizingly few discussions. The thing is, there might be an opportunity for me to get a really cheap tuba (well used).
Is it a hard instrument to get "OK" competent on? (Playing bass lines, not concert pieces!!!) I have played flute for some years, but otherwise, electric bass is what I play today.

Thanks!

Once you get the lips and valves down, you should be able to play root and 1-5 stuff fairly easy. Walking bass lines are another story, and require some (much?) knowledge of the scales.

Also, if you read music, tuba parts are written as played, not transposed up an octave, so you'll have to become very familiar with notes below the staff.

 

[Bushrod Johnson]

The hardest part is the lips. It will take the longest. Get coaching from a brass horn player if you can.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I was reading up on the early days of jazz in New Orleans. In the good weather, the bass player played the tuba and often walked or marched with it outdoors. In the bad weather, the bass player played the "string bass" or what we would call the upright, indoors. Being a player of the upright, this intrigued me. Then I saw a tuba for sale right in the neighborhood. So I made an appointment to go check it out.

LOL - forget it! You're sitting inside like 16 linear feet of metal tubing that has only three keys and you're supposed to do the rest by means of the "embouchure" which is essentially the skill of making farting type noises with your lips and breath. Tuba is a beast! I respect the heck out of those who play it.

I agree totally. I also tend to be excruciatingly correct about names. Inside 16 linear feet of metal tubing describes a different instrument. Either way, I just can't envision myself playing either. I played trumpet in my teens and I was terrible.

TUBA

16 feet of tubing: Sousaphone

 

[mrcbass]

It was simple for me coming from baritone, trombone and trumpet in H.S. We can't say it if it will be easy or not for you.

It really is a pretty simple instrument only 7 possible fingerings (on 3 valve models which is by far the norm). It's all about the embouchure and air flow control.

 

[Gorn]

I dabbled many years ago. I played it after already playing trumpet for a while so it wasn't very difficult. It's easy to make vaguely musical fart sounds. Memorizing positions isn't difficult. Getting it to sound good takes time.

 

[squarepeg]

I played baritone horn in a marching band when I was in high school. Played bassoon in the high school band. Horn was much easier.

 

[getbent]

As someone who's played upright bass, tuba, and bass clarinet in addition to electric bass, tuba is fun (especially feeling the whole thing vibrate against your body), the valve fingering system isn't too bad, but it requires real practice and physical stamina.

All things considered, electric bass is pretty easy: build up some callouses, limber up the fingers, turn up the amp and away you go. Tuba requires a lot of breath, lip control, attention to intonation, and a ton of practice just to build up the stamina.

The upside is you'll probably open up some opportunities of new people to play with, and if you've got a sousaphone, you're a mobile party starter, no more standing in the back with the drummer.

 

[dangevans]

I played tuba before bass, but I also teach beginners on both.
Like anything else, if you don't sit down and develop good fundamentals, TAKE YOUR TIME WITH IT, it won't work out. I would say that if you can buy a cheap one to learn on, go for it- do lots of "buzzing" your lips on the mouthpiece first, and try to make the pitch of your buzz go lower and higher like a "siren". To get the lower notes on the horn, you might need to work down from a higher note first- kind of common to a lot of people starting out. Occasionally, someone can get the low notes right away, then have to work up to higher notes by using more air/tighter lips. Takes effort at first, but eventually becomes 2nd nature.
Get a hold of a beginning band book to get the fingers of the notes... I bet once you get to page 10, you will have a grasp of what to do on it. As far as bass lines go for dixe/polka/jazz, if you played bass, you know what kind of line to construct- it is a matter of putting it all together with 3 valves, buzzing lips, and a hunk of brass!
Good luck, have fun!

 

[Gorn]

On a side note, if you're getting a very used and cheap tuba, it's probably gonna be disgusting. Years of another person's saliva is gonna be in that thing, along with rust and maybe the remnants of any number of animals that lived and died in it. I'm not exaggerating. Used, cheap brass instruments can get really gross.

 

[Tosh]

I was in high school when I played the Sousaphone in marching band (french horn in the jazz band and orchestra). I didn't find it to be very difficult, and the mouthpiece was 3 times the size of the french horn mouthpiece, so in effect I developed 2 embouchures. It was fun!

Playing a concert tuba, however, was more difficult for me and after I was out of school, my tuba phase ended

 

[BtaylorTheRogue]

Also, if you read music, tuba parts are written as played, not transposed up an octave, so you'll have to become very familiar with notes below the staff.

Always hated that about bass. I picked up bass before tuba, but I picked up reading tuba music before reading bass music (go figure).

Having to correct all my bass music, since it was written in a different octave, is/was a constant source of frustration.

 

[staurosjohn]

My 14yo self sez 'not too difficult' … my 58yo self sez ''

(14y/o self)

 

[SLO Surfer]

Lung capacity and breath control are probably the biggest hurdle for tuba.