Re: Re: Re: DOH tonguing


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Posted by Joe Baker on May 21, 2001 at 07:17:02:

In Reply to: Re: Re: DOH tonguing posted by Dominic Marino on May 19, 2001 at 10:19:24:

I normally shy away from topics that touch on pedagogy, because I don't consider myself sufficiently trained to comment in most cases. But the effect of 'DOH' should be fairly obvious to anyone who's ever played a tuba. You have two components in the syllable, the attack and the timbre. 'D' will give you a lighter attack (in my experience this is called for WAY more often than a hard attack) and the 'oh' will give an open, round sound, or in my case at least more open and round than 'ah'.

As far as recordings, I doubt if anyone has included a discussion of their tonguing technique on the liner notes of their album, but do you have a means of recording yourself? Play a simple etude and a couple of scales using 'Dah', 'Doh', 'Tah' and 'Toh', and see what sounds best for you. If that turns out to be something other than 'Doh', I don't think anyone will mind. But there is nothing specious about advocating 'Doh' as a thing to try for improving one's sound. I believe you owe Mr. Northcut an apology.

Joe "Who thinks Homer Simpson just might be a tuba player" Baker


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