rass Clinic This is an edited version of a tuba clinic recorded in Jan ry, 1973 at the annual Tennessee nological University Tuba/Ew jonium Symposium in Cookeville, fennessee. The audience was made ‘of approximately 150 tuba and whonium students and many id directors representing a nine: te area. The central theme of the inic revolved around fundamen- is of playing the tuba, a subject ich probably cannot be overly fscussed with young students is year's Tech Symposium sched. id for January 25, 1975, will ture guest artists Earle Louder, yphoniumist, and, for the third f, Harvey Phillips and his tuba. R. Winston Morris ening Comments As the youngest member of the ss family, the tuba has suffered F many years, primarily because wster_ composers did not write F the instrument. Composers like eli, Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mo- t, and Beethoven preceded the ba and thus never knew ofthe in- jument. Lam certain these com- ers, given the opportunity uld have written many works for je tuba. When we have borrowed jerature from such master com sers, we have met with criticism 3m a few purists who seemingly k upon the tuba as an instru ent for comical effects. Person. ly, I have neither patience nor ime for those who would deny us is literature For the past twenty years the ba has enjoyed a renaissance Winston Morris, Assistant Profes: of Tuba/Euphonium at Tennessee thmological University. directs the versity Brass’ Choir and the Tech tba Ensemble. He holds degrees from it Carolina University and Indiana versity, where he was a student of late William Bell He ts the author the Tuba Music Guide. published by Tnstramentaist Co. wurice Faulkner, Contributing Editor A Tuba Clinic with Harvey Phillips R. Winston Morris which continues togrowand broad: the young tuba player — the be- en. Important composers are writ. ginner? ing more and more major works ‘The most basic problem is pro- for the tuba recitalist. (They're ducing a good controlled sound. 1 even getting away from cute titles!) believe in an embouchure that is as The level of tuba playing has risen close as possible to that which na- so rapidly in the last ten years that ture gave us. Every person, unless Tam convinced we will someday he is physically malformed, has a havetubaartists who compare very perfect embouchure for tuba. All favorably with the great artists of you have to do is make the corners any other instrument. of your mouth firm and you have There is every reason to study an embouchure. It is very impor- diligently and to develop your tech-_ tant for the student to understand nical skills and musical artistry. from the very beginning that we do The future for tuba is brighter than not distort our facial features when it has ever been we play correctly. Three bad habits to watch for and avoid are pulling back the corners of the mouth (smiling method), cheek puffing Clinte Questions What are the basic problems for If it were a painting, it would be the Mona Lisa. Like any classie piece of at the L70 clarinet is unique There’s a special kind of mystery instilled in the personality of this ortist-caliber instrument worked into the bore Playing resistance, and overall character.» so the the pure, compact sound pires to. The 70: Not just another Clarinet. A work of art Leblanc @ amuse ieee nermonoaaist 51ut TRUMPETS e feel tae O FLUEGELHORNS e M MODELS TRUMPETS & CORNETS ST ae ately priced instruments and Rouen Pir a ee et through in Trumpet and Cor- ce Dee ce ees eet ts ast eg Se mt ats eo Reece Pe Miran rennet iss Re Ue Tactaed MIIA - Bb Comet ieee ree Rea MOUTHPIECES ee en) CeCe eit Mi eral a acon Byte a fee OM youd Eee PLEASE SEND. Instrument Catelog Mouthpiece Catalog Nome Address Cay Store 52 me ms and articulating between the lips. 1. Pulling back the corners. No ne, no matter how well the world is treating him, walks around with a perpetual smile on his face. If he did so, he would be pretty tired by the end of the day. And yet some tuba players will sit down for the duration of their practice session ‘or performance and approach thei instruments in just this way. The then wonder why they have so lit tle endurance. When you pull back the comers of your mouth in a smile, you pull the skin and flesh against your upper gum and you reduce contact with the outer (side) edges of the mouthpiece. Thi temptation is to use more and mor pressure, particularly in the upper register, and you end up with no cushion whatsoever. Nature pro: vided us with a nice cushion for the mouthpiece if we will use it Don’t pull back the corners of the mouth when playing a brass instru 2. Puffing the cheeks. Cheek puff ing is probably the worst and most. common bad habit of tuba players It generally eliminates the firm cor. ners of the embouchure and hence control. Also, unless the cheek pul er puffs his checks throughout his range, he most certainly will de velop at least two embouchures. 1 have quite often encountered stu dent tuba players with three em bouchures: one for the low register (puffed cheeks, loose corners), one for the middle register (reasonably correct), and one for the upper register (corners pulled back, much pressure). Needless to say, they sound like a different player in each register and lack both flexi bility and endurance. Pulfing the cheeks will also bring on the bad habit of tonguing between the lips, causing the tongue to move about es further than it needs te ich articulation. Obviously his practice will slow one's tech nique considerably. The worst characteristic of the puffs his cheeks is the uncentered ‘woofy” sound which is an inev itable result of check puffing. Do yourself — and those who hear you — a favor. Don't get in the habit of puffing your checks in any register player who A better way to approact low register is to keep the oping h si jin place while « the lower jaw. This app, Poet oe eae teeter ee ieee oi Infedertecaay ater dae Imari eae Perera fan Ticlecate puoi eral saree Fattdicap to developing good scxtd Wetierai eek dale ce on se Uteriatsd enel over te ta Tierehee et ecreleted aeolian bel eae oen ee eiicecrceprot oat va eter aren terran) Ie eestaredieralcoat ara eal ill yesteeae some esisat natch etree the lungs. I would ask the stucent to remember what it is like to fill his lungs with air while run’ then explain that weneed tobi deeply and fill the lungs 10 pla tuba — not in the way we do when walking down the hall but the 21 we do when running on the oth letic field. I would then a student to breathe with me 1 think and feel what it's like 10 fill the lungs with air while sicing relaxed with the tuba. It is in 00r tant that the student unders’ ind both breathing and relaxatic being comfortable while pla There must be no tension, 9° stiffness, no contortion. 1 ask the student to practice h me — to see how long he can his breath. There are many bre ing exercises we can use prove capacity and control. Ce of the exercises that I use just one minute: relax and ther hale evenly for 20 seconds; holdbreath for 20 seconds; exhale ily for 20 seconds. This is a it exercise. Next, I would endeavor to get s 10 the student my conce; that the tuba is a “vocal” in- iment — that once he covers his uth with the mouthpiece the on- fway he has to communicate, to Wy how he feels, is through (not ) the instrument. | would point i that if you want someone to rand understand what you are fing, whether you are speaking ily or whispering, you must pro: you must send the sound out, Mo get the beginner to produce a ind, I ask him to relax, take a p breath, make contact with the uthpiece, make the corners. of ‘mouth firm, and then project fr through the lips while articu- fing the syllable soo. 1 do not I the student where his tongue uld be positioned or where it jould make contact but simply to ynounce, on the air stream, the llable ¢o0. This approach should jccess{ully lead to a pleasing und. Quality of sound is the most portant consideration for any ass player. I is essential that a student- icher relationship be developed at allows for maximum growth. 1 ways try to establish a feeling of artnership and to work toward a | that is common to both teach- ‘and student. This goal is to have that student become the finest tuba layer possible. If the teacher can velop such a parinership with ch student, there will always be free exchange of ideas and con: spts — even on the beginner level. [Above all else the student must know that his teacher is genuine, that he is teaching from his mind Jand heart and not just from a book It is more important to inspire ini iiative and confidence than to re late information and methodology What suggestions do you have for developing the extreme registers of Whe tuba — the upper register ‘especially? Most of the difficulty in the up- per register is a matter of breath support and embouchure place: ‘ment. Be sure you aren't substi tuting muscular contraction for support. 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