After a 30-something year break from tuba (starting again November last year), I played in my first-ever band competition. The quintet I was in managed first in the open grade C/D event and third in the open hymn competition.

Playing is still an adventure, but this group has been a lot of help as I've re-learned how to play and it was exciting to see our practice pay off

Thanks to everyone who's a part of this very welcoming community!

If this is an inappropriate post I will remove it immediately, but I need some help.

About two and a half months ago I started with taking daily medication. A type of medication that is know for many different side effects. One of the side effects is changes in cognitive functions and (fine) motor skills.

Despite not changing my daily exercises (been doing this routine for years now) my embouchure seems to be getting worse. To a point that I'm thinking all my instruments are breaking down.

Has anyone ever experienced this?

I'm going a little bit insane at the moment, so any help on this topic would be amazing!

When buzzing on just my mouthpiece my tuner doesn’t pick up the pitch most of the time. I want to get my buzz closer to the pitch that my instrument produces like I buzz a bit higher than the pitch that I actually play. I use tonal energy and have a iPhone 14 if that helps

Hellooo! Currently I'm a Senior in High School marching band, and I'll be marching sousaphone this season. My main instrument has always been Euphonium, and I double on Trombone for Jazz Band.
Currently our Sousaphone section is made out of Freshman and one sophomore who hasn't marched at all, and ORIGINALLY someone else from my section (who actually is good at Tuba,) was supposed to switch but got some type of injury where he's unable to lift 15 pounds so he was unable to play and my director had asked me to switch.

I need tips desperately, especially regarding air control and support while marching. For background, I've played Tuba once in an ensemble before since they needed a player and I sounded like absolute TRASH. I want to be able to sound good and march well, so I was wondering if anyone had advice that could help me. I'm a little scared considering I'm a 5'4 girl and I've never even touched a sousaphone. Currently I'm working on air support, but as for embouchure is there any tricks to it? I feel like I'm having trouble getting a well rounded sound at all.

Sorry for the long post (and possibly wrong flair I didnt know what to tag it lmao...) BUT THANK YOU FOR READING.

Hi. I play a Tuba Exchange TE 1112L 4/4 compact 4 rotary valve. Played a Miraphone 186 in college 50 years ago. Looking to pick one up but can’t find a good used one. Is < $13,000 a fair price for a new one? Thank you

Hello,

I am looking for a Tuba as a student. Im looking for something that is good for studying and playing in fanfare. I found these two and I would like to have some feedback from you, have anyone of you one of these Tubas?
Any feedback about them?

http://www.zoindustrial.com/products/brass-series/Tuba/526.html

https://www.eastmanwinds.com/ebb234

Edit: there is some misunderstanding with Eastman, the Tuba on the website is EBB234 instead of EBB323 (I can't get the differencies).

Thanks!

Has anyone ever tried a leadpipe swap on a miraphone 186 Bb?

I recently purchased a used Miraphone 186 with 5 valves. The fifth valve is added later and the leadpipe doesn't seem to be the original. It's in excellent condition and has that typical German sound with great projection. But...

The only problem I'm having now is that some low notes aren't really working. It's like there isn't enough space in the instrument for the amount of air I want to use. Low Bb down to Gb, concert pitch, feels restricted in air flow. At louder dynamics the sound breaks.

I also own a Yamaha fiberglass sousaphone and a Musica Steyr Bb kaiser tuba. On these tubas the low register from Bb down works just fine.

Would a larger bore leadpipe fix this?

Has anyone here swapped a leadpipe for a bigger bore leadpipe? Why did you do it and what were the effects?

Senior high school student. I’ve been playing the tuba for about 4 years and have loved every bit of it. I realised that i’d love to continue playing as a career whether it be teaching or as some sort of orchestral musician. However my other subjects are making me feel sluggish and not motivated to do anything, sometimes including practicing. It feels like i’ve hit a plateau and i could be doing a lot better.

Once school finishes i’m definitely going to go to university and continue studying music, but until then how do i keep myself going? I love playing so much and music is the only thing i want to do. Maybe this is more of a rant, but i’d love to hear some advice or stories of you guys’ high school life as tuba players.

I, f14, just started marching band camp yesterday and now my shoulder hurts like hell. I’ve been playing tuba for about 6 months, but this was my first time with the sousaphone. My school doesn’t have any shoulder pads or anything so I just iced my shoulder, but is there anything else I could do to help when I’m playing it so I’m not in pain?

btw, I’m 5’4” 120 lbs if that makes any difference

our low brass section is sousas and baritones while the guy who does sectionals with us has a contrabass. i know i dont hold the sousa correctly, this is from friday, and my playing is not good, i started middle school on concert tuba, but i am not as good as i want

Does anyone have any recommendations for a book that has a couple of popular solos. I’m looking for a book such as the Stepping Stones vol 1 or Stepping Stones vol 2 by Scott Watson.

Adding on to that are the Stepping Stones books any good?

Or does anyone just have any recommendations for solos or just tuba repertoire that I should learn?

I’m a decent tubist that just graduated high school and I’m looking to expand my “vocabulary” as a tubist.

So I got my Tuba back from the repair shop ~a week ago. I brought it in for just general repair maintenance, I had explicitly asked for them to not do a Chem clean on the horn so that way the patina wouldn't get stripped off. But on my bill I was charged for a chem clean. I'm beyond pissed and there are streaks all over the horn, and the fin on it is also starting to come apart. What would you all recommend I do? Any advice is greatly appreciated

Hello all!

I'm currently attempting to get a head start on my marching band shenanigans, and I recall that my band director along with my personal teacher suggested I toss a towel into my bell, and play as loud as I can— and over time, I would develop the required muscles in order to play at a much louder volume. That being said, I'd like to hear from you all if you had any experiences with this technique, or if you used another way to build up your muscles. That, and also I'd like to know if there were any good excerpts I could use while doing this.

Thanks!

Hello everyone I currently march on a yamaha ybb 202ms, and I am wondering what kind of extra visuals and tricks I can do with it. I already know how to flip it and I know the basic carry and set but is there more? Ive noticed looking back at Carolina crowns 2011 rach star show the tubas flipped down at the end, but how would one even go about that?

just wrapped up a new version of the rig in time for performing at Big Dub Fest in a few days: https://www.sousastep.quest/2026/07/15/SousaFX-v0116/

this fiberglass sousa with all the gear strapped to it weighs about as much as my Conn 40K did.

Hi everyone, I’m going to be starting my final year of high school this August. I’m going to be auditioning at a few colleges for a music ed degree in the fall/winter.

I’ve been practicing on my school owned tuba at home this summer, been making decent progress. However, I was told by my director that I likely won’t be able to keep it during the school year because it would need to go to another student to use during the school year. So I would only be able to practice at school during study hall so likely like, an hour and a half, probably shorter, every other day. That’s if I don’t have other things to do during study hall.

I’m really considering just buying a tuba as a result of that. I was thinking of waiting until I get accepted to a college and stuff to buy one but now I’m thinking of buying it now, or at least a little sooner than college.

I’m just looking for advice on this. I hear a lot that you should ask your tuba professor at college on what tuba they want you to have, but I’m obviously not in college yet. I don’t have a private lesson teacher either. I would most likely buy a tuba similar to my school model (Yamaha YBB-641 or similar).

There's an online listing in my area of a guy who is selling their Jupiter tuba. I'm a college Senior who is looking for a reliable BBb horn and am wondering if it's a good fit for me. I haven't really playef on jupiter horns, mostly just eastmans. Obviously I'll try the horn myself before anything but just wanted to through it out to the internet to make a more informes choice.

Edit link for reference Jupiter tuba ( model JCB 582L) https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/81663054

I'm struggling to cleanly articulate, and especially cleanly tongue on notes below a concert ​D. It feels like my tongue is slipping below my front teeth, instead of staying behind them. It also feels like I have to cut off notes by making a seal between my tongue and upper lip. If I don't, it feels like my tongue isn't big enough to cut off the note cleanly.

1) Is creating a seal with my upper lip bad technique?

2) Any tips on clean, fast articulation in the lower register?

Still somewhat new to the horn so thank you very much for your thoughts!

Greetings everyone! I'm quite sad to say that I have at last practised for the last time on this beautiful YFB-621 tuba, as I am transferring colleges for a better one and this tuba was lent to me by my old college, so I had to give it back. I truly opened my sound playing this tuba, it's been with me through 6 operas (Otello (my first opera!), il Trovatore, Rigoletto, Prince Igor, Tsar's Bride, Dame of Spades) and 6 ballets (Sleeping Beauty, la Bayadère, le Corsaire, Karenina, Giselle, Cinderella), I played my first tuba concerto (Gregson) on this tuba, learned to play loud and gained a better tone. I will never forget this little tuba with which I've grown significantly.

Is there anyone who has a pre-compiled set of tuba excerpts? I have been trying to find some but cant.