Posted by Keith C. on January 16, 2003 at 09:57:48:
As a recreational player in a couple of community orchestras, I am often asked to play the string (double) bass part. This will happen if the tuba does not have a part for the piece being played of if there is no string bass player available.
So, I find myself having to imitate a string bass. It’s Ok for the most part, but it becomes a bit of a challenge to play the pizzicato parts, especially at low volumes –pp and ppp. I try to sound more like a string bass than a tuba to blend in with the wire choir. I concentrate on attacking the note to make it speak at pp and ppp, but often end up with something the sounds like a weak fart.
Any ideas, tips or hints on how to play pizz at low volumes and still keep my self-respect?