Mr. Mayo’s Resources

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Considerations For Those Looking to Play The Tuba

  • The tuba is perhaps the most important instrument in band.  It usually provides the lowest pitch of the band and/or brass section. 

  • This instrument can take a great deal of air to play.

  • Students need to be dedicated, hard working, and willing to work on fingerings away from the instrument, as most schools do not have tubas for students to take home. 

  • Tongue manipulation (flat vs. arched) is required to develop on this instrument. 

  • Solid tuba players usually get a pretty decent bit of scholarship money to college.

  • Ultimately, students who work hard, practice consistently, and are driven to better themselves will likely have the greatest success no matter the instrument.

 

Considerations When Buying A Tuba

  • Most students start on a Bb Tuba

  • There are different sizes for tubas – 3/4 size, 4/4 size, and 5/4 size are common.  The best option depends on the size of the player.

  • Beginner –Beginner instruments are designed to get a fundamental sound while being durable; this is so that the student can get used to handling the instrument.  They normally have a lacquer finish. They are mostly machine made and have a different metal composition than the upper models. 

  • Intermediate – Intermediate instruments sometimes have a fourth valve, which allows for some notes to be played between in tune and for more range on the instrument.   Intermediate instruments usually have a wider bore (tubing size), higher quality of metal composition, are handmade in some areas, and are usually silver or gold plated. 

  • Professional – Professional tubas are usually almost entirely handmade and a fourth valve.  They have a larger bore size, are made of high-quality brass, and are usually silver or gold plated.  They can have specific features, such as different bore sizes, finishes, valve types, and bells. 

  • Simply put, as you progress from beginner to intermediate to advanced, the instruments are made of higher quality materials, progress from primarily being machine made to handmade, slightly larger bore size (tubing), better tuning from note to note, and better resonance.  Beginning instruments are built more to get a basic sound and stand through durability so that a musician can learn to take care of it.  Intermediate and advanced instruments are more focused on the sound of the instrument.

  • If you do not know what these differences are or know if they would be valuable to you, consult a professional. I am not claiming to be a professional, but you could contact me as well. A simple google search can also inform you of the basics. 

 

Recommended Mouthpieces

  • Beginner – Bach 18, Conn Helleberg

  • Intermediate/Advanced – Bach 24AW, Conn – Helleberg, Laske 30H

Recommended Brand of Instrument

  • Yamaha

  • Miraphone

  • Besson

  • Wilson

Recommended Listening

  • Øystein Baadsvik

  • Patrick Sheridan

  • Roger Bobo

  • Carol Jantsch

  • Sam Pilafian

  • Velvet Brown

  • Gene Pojorby

  • Arnold Jacobs

  • Alan Baer

  • Howard Johnson

  • Brielan Andersen

 

Some Recommended Method/Technique/Etude/Collection Books

  • Rubank Elementary Method

  • The Rubank Intermediate Method

  • The Rubank Advanced Method

  • Voxman – Concert and Contest Collection

  • Voxman – Selected Studies

  • Rubank – Supplementary Studies

  • Arban – Complete Method

  • Tyrell - 40 Advanced Studies

  • Theo – 32 Etudes

  • Bordogni – 43 Bel Canto Studies

  • Blazhevich – 70 Studies

  • Beeler – Method for Tuba

  • Kopprasch – 60 Selected Studies

  • Butterfield – Etude Books

  • Snedecor – Low Etudes

  • Fink – Studeies in Legato

  • Fritze – Twenty Characteristic Studies

  • Kuhn and Cimera – Method for Tuba

 

Tuba Literature/Books

  • Phillips and Winkle – The Art of Tuba and Euphonium Playing

  • Johnson – Brass Performance and Pedagogy

  • Farkas – The Art of Brass Playing

  • Farkas – The Art of Musicianship

  • Boda – Sonatina

  • Gordon – Brass Playing is No Harder than Deep Breathing

  • Fox – Essentials in Brass Playing

 

Some Solo Literature

  • Williams – Concerto

  • Vaughan Williams - Concerto

  • Newton - Capricio

  • Ross – Concerto

  • Monti - Czardas

  • Broughton – Sonata

  • Koetsier – Sonatina

  • Arnold – Fantasy

  • Barnes – Concerto

  • Bozza – Concertino

  • Ewazen - Concerto

  • White – Sonata

  • Concertino - Wilhelm

  • Bencriscutto – Concertino

  • Grundman – Rhapsody

  • Hartley - Sonata

  • Hartley - Sonatina

  • Sibbing – Sonata

  • Presser – Three Miniatures

  • Haddad – Suite

  • Telemann – Adagio and Allegro

  • Telemann - Prelude and Allegretto

  • Telemann - Adagio and Allegro

  • Frackenpohl – Concertino

  • Presser – Capriccio

  • Williams – Six Studies in English Folksong

Recommended Stores For Instruments and Equipment

 

Recommended Websites

Recommended Apps

  • Bandmate Chromatic Tuner

  • Tonal Energy Tuner

  • Sight Reading Factory

  • Smart Music

  • Intunator

  • StaffWars

  • Tunable

  • Master Ear Training

  • Theory Lessons

  • Tenuto

  • APS Trainer

  • tuneUp

Must Have Accessories

  • Case

  • Cleaning Cloth/Swab

  • Slide Grease

  • Tuner/Metronome - app or physical device

  • Music Stand

  • Pencil

Additional Possible Accessories

  • Breath Builder

  • Instrument Stand

  • Korg-TM 60 with clip on attachment

  • Berp

  • Mutes

YouTube Channels to Follow

Instagram Accounts to Follow

  • Patrick Sheridan – @patricksheridan68

  • P Blake Cooper - @tubalifela

  • Anthony Walker - @blackbeardtuba

  • Malachi Elmore-Davis - @just_euphonium

  • Riley McMahon - @tubachronicals

  • Tom Stone – @tombstone_tuba

  • @jplaystuba

  • Chris Combest – @chriscombest.tuba

  • Canadian Brass - @canadianbrass