Posted by Cheryl Drewes on September 04, 1999 at 19:34:21:
Hi everyone.
I just got my Meinl Weston 30 (four rotary CC) out of lay-a-way three days ago and have been playing it a lot. Previously, I had been playing a large bore three rotary BBb (possible Ziess) exclusively for twenty years. I knew ahead of time that I would need to work with the change in timbre, bore, and key. I just wonder if any of you have any suggestions on how to make the transition easier. How long did the adjustment take for you, if you made a dramatic change. The first day of practice was fun, but now I am playing sharp, nothing feels right, and progress is slow. Maybe I'm just trying too hard. I have culled the archives and have noted that a gentle air stream alleviates stuffiness (it worked for me), that Bach mouthpieces work well with the horn (I'm using a Schilke 67 at the moment), and it is a reasonably good tuba. I plan to spend one-two hours a day with the horn.
Thanks a million!