Re: More orchestral questions...


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Posted by sam on December 15, 2000 at 21:33:55:

In Reply to: More orchestral questions... posted by SirC on December 15, 2000 at 01:51:17:

Well, here is my opinion:
I believe that, for the most part, the tuba should be the bottom voice of the orchestra (like the "boyz" reference). I think that sometimes tuba players get into thinking that the people in the ensemble or in the audience are only there to hear the tuba part. Ya know, nobody is exclusively listening to the tuba part except other tuba players in the audience and the trombone section in the orchestra. Of course, you want to play like a soloist when the part calls for it. That is when everyone is listening to the tuba part because they can't help it. Ask any composer what they think the role of the tuba is in the orchestra and I bet they will tell you that it "provides support to the ensemble" not that "it should be heard as a solo voice" all of the time.

About dropping the jaw - When you first started playing the tuba your teacher probably constantly told you to drop your jaw in order to play low and loud. When you got accustomed to it you didn't have to worry about it as much and got adequate results. By the time you get to college you shouldn't be thinking about that stuff anymore. You already know how to produce sounds on your instrument. What needs to be stressed in college is "thinking musically" and all of the technical problems will slowly disappear. Buzz in the center of the pitch and use relaxed, yet fast moving, air and your sound will be plenty loud and will really carry across a concert hall. Dropping your jaw will make your tone sound harsh, will cause the sound to become dead as soon as it escapes your bell and it will sound like you are thinking about dropping your jaw and not thinking about the music and how it should sound. (and of course, you will be rediculously out of tune and not balanced with the the tromone section)

If you play a few notes in between switching horns in an audition, it would tell me that you are not a musician but a technician still trying to figure out how to play the instrument, and not thinking about how the music sounds. If you have melody going through your head at all times, you won't need to play a few notes, you would be able to just play what you hear in your head. This takes a lot of work studying the piece that you are playing and internalizing it so you play it as if it were second nature.

F horns should not be played like CC's. All you have to do is what I have mentioned above and the correct sound will be produced. Buzz in the center of the pitch where the horn rings and sing. It is all conceptual.

Okay, now I will get off of my soap box. I hope some of these opinions were helpful.


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