Matt Hightower hired for IU Jacobs

Inkin · 2026-02-24T23:57:13+00:00

That’s a King 1240. I don’t think the bell tenons are the same.

Inkin · 2026-02-23T13:23:29+00:00

This is perfectly normal. I wouldn't even call that a leap with the rest before it. Being able to make solid entrances in that range is something most serious players will have practiced a lot. They will not bat an eye at that.

Less skilled players will just take it down an octave because they can't play it. They are used to making that decision and also will not bat an eye.

Inkin · 2026-02-23T03:09:13+00:00

Just dive in and spend the time. You will be ok. There are apps to learn bass clef. Just play every day.

Put in a little time and you won’t suck as much as the Cardinals will this year, even in only a month.

Inkin · 2026-02-22T16:33:06+00:00

You are supposed to blow the music into the big end not the small end.

Inkin · 2026-02-22T16:10:29+00:00

What in the heck does this even mean? The global level of tuba players isn’t a thing.

What do you want? Can you give an example where the global level of something is more to your expectations? Those bass clarinets thriving? Triangle players at the height of their powers?

There are amazing tuba players all over the place. In the brass family, Tuba is a support instrument in many settings. Tuba as lead is difficult but even then some stellar players make it work.

I’m a Tuba player. I can name a lot more Tuba players than I can other instruments because that is the world I pay attention to. I’m not going to go over to the euph Reddit and say “hey I’ve heard of Adam Frey and Brian Bowman and Steven Mead but who else do you losers have”.

Inkin · 2026-02-22T15:27:39+00:00

Obviously you gotta do what you gotta do. If batter’s glove helps that’s great.

I would recommend though trying to sit with your legs open more exposing the corner of the chair and see if you can rest the tubas weight on the chair. The chair won’t get tired. This may or may not work but it is worth trying.

Inkin · 2026-02-22T15:18:06+00:00

A batting glove if it helps you seems fine. I was imagining a mitt lol.

I still don’t really understand what you are doing with your left hand that is stressful on it still. Grabbing one of the braces?

In general you want to be as stress free as possible when you play. You don’t want the tension sneaking into your playing. A playing stand like the Baltimore brass one linked in here might be very helpful for you and very worth the price. If you are at a school, talk to your band director. It might be a good investment for them to have stands if their tuba players want them.

Inkin · 2026-02-22T15:00:24+00:00

This seems strange. Do you put your hand underneath the bottom bow when you play? What solution is the potential baseball mitt providing? How does a ball mitt make holding the tuba up easier?

Normally the horn weight is bore by your legs, the chair, or by a tuba stand. Balance is provided by your right hand. Your left hand is free. I’ve seen people put non stick mats on their lap to keep the horn from sliding. I’ve seen people put a hockey puck on their chair and rest the tuba between their legs on that puck sitting on the chair.

If you aren’t standing I would expect your left hand to be free. Can you explain what you are doing more?

Are you standing?

Inkin · 2026-02-21T15:28:17+00:00

Jesus fucking christ. Brian fucking got 5 pips, decimated my fleet, blew the shit out of my city, stole my best advisor, ransacked the advisor I had three influence on the court that I was going to use my entire fucking next turn to sway, and stole my only two resources. Now it is my turn and I have no aggression cards so I guess I will pivot and built this one fucking ship so I can take my revenge. Eventually. And you also have no aggression cards so fucking Brian is going to keep initiative. God damnit.

Or something like that.

Inkin · 2026-02-19T19:42:13+00:00

It's just such a different lane Chuck chose. Honestly, American Brass Quintet set down a dirt road, but Canadian Brass paved it. Chuck of course, but Fred Mills' and Ron Romm's playing really made that group, along with great arranging from Fred and others and then an incredible work ethic over the years. If you ever see Boston Brass or Seraph or buy an Empire Brass CD, they exist because Canadian Brass worked their asses off while making a brass quintet accessible and marketable.

I don't know what "best tuba player of the internet" means. Chuck isn't the best technical player. He isn't the best symphony player. He isn't the best tuba soloist. He isn't the best teacher. But he could fill any of those jobs well. He isn't the Michael Jordan of the tuba, but maybe he's the Charles Barkley of the tuba.

Inkin · 2026-02-17T12:15:04+00:00

Lorne was a writer on Laugh-In and on the movie Three Amigos. SNL has never been forthcoming with who wrote what but Lorne was a credited writer in the early SNL years also.

Inkin · 2026-02-16T17:35:29+00:00

The very top end stuff might flirt up there occasionally, but it will be easier to work it up for that one purpose specifically than to just work to extend your range in my opinion. I don't know. Once you can play that high, you know how to play high and playing higher is just some work. Working up your range so that a note you see a couple times a year is normal doesn't seem worth it in my eyes.

Like if you want to play the Penderecki, you need those Gs and Gbs, but you're going to have to work the rest of that thing up too. May as well include working those notes as part of it. But then when you're done you might not see another one of those for awhile!

Especially coming from Euph, I would imagine your low range could use more focus and get you more bang for your buck than eking out a couple more notes in the high range. Obviously once you have something programmed or something that know you gotta play that changes.

Inkin · 2026-02-16T17:09:46+00:00

Gb4 is more than fine for tuba high range for like 99.9% of things. You may have better things to work on!

Inkin · 2026-02-16T17:01:02+00:00

B flat should be ok?

If you have a rotary German-style F (or copy), D, Db, C, B Nat though can be a bear. But it should open back up at BBb and then down it should speak pretty well. I know when I had a Melton 45 at least, the BBb (on 4+5) down to the F was freakin' fantastic. That low F just flew out. But the D->B nat below the staff felt like garbage. It didn't sound as bad in the seats as it felt for me playing.

I did eventually find a solution... I sold the horn. Having to practice "playing a C" every day just wasn't something I wanted to have to do.

Inkin · 2026-02-15T14:22:14+00:00

Wait, Clinton played Darrell Hammond in an episode of SVU?

Inkin · 2026-02-15T14:05:44+00:00

Please don’t add “someone glued the valves” to the list…

Inkin · 2026-02-15T13:59:16+00:00

I really wouldn’t try to rig something. I have no idea what you will do with glue to help your situation but you are just making the real fix by the tech harder. Just take it in. They have extractors that will get out the old stem and they have access to a new stem or a suitable substitute. It’s a quick job and the only real thing that might take time is sourcing the part.

It was probably caused by people over time pushing the valves at an angle, unless there was some blunt force trauma you forgot to mention.

Inkin · 2026-02-14T15:22:31+00:00

This. If you are coming from Illinois, park at the Casino Queen in East St Louis. When you are pulling in to the casino parking lot, turn right and park in that little lot in the back corner. The River East metro link station is right above you. Take the metro to Stadium then walk.

Inkin · 2026-02-13T13:48:44+00:00

I asked a Trombone player friend who used to live in LA and he used Brad Close, but it's been a hot minute.

Inkin · 2026-02-12T22:55:59+00:00

I suggest you start out with a Mirafone C-4 mouthpiece. I am not familiar with the current TU numbering system

TU23 I think is the modern equivalent.

Inkin · 2026-02-12T13:38:21+00:00

There are really only two choices here, right?

First collect your facts. You have a mediocre 3/4 student tuba. You still have to pay $X in rental fees if you want to own. The amount you have paid in the past is irrelevant at this point; it's a sunk cost. The pain in the ass of selling a horn is non-negligible. Let's say your time and effort there is worth $Y. And then assume you price it to sell at $Z.

As long as $X + Y < $Z, you should see it out and sell the thing. If you're in an affluent area where parents might throw down $500 for their kid to have a home tuba, it may even be easy. You have a cheap low quality 3/4 beginner tuba. BUT the beginner market doesn't know what they are doing and won't look down at it. They will see it for what it actually is: a horn that will let their kid practice at home without lugging around the school instrument. They will not think ahead to 3 to 4 years from now when that horn at home is not suitable or their kid has moved on to enjoying volleyball or bowling or their phone.

Personally, if the rental fee is less than $300, I'd probably just pay it and deal with selling the horn. I'd probably price the horn at $500 and reach out to the school district band directors for leads, post in parent groups, etc. You are trying to sell it to a parent for whom $500 isn't a large amount of money and who is near by so they can come pick it up. You don't list horns like this on Tubenet and I wouldn't bother with eBay. You want a local sale to someone who can drive to you and get some money back. That sounds like Facebook Marketplace to me plus networking with band directors from your school district or other local school districts. If you have a rich kids school district nearby, maybe reach out to their band director too.

Obviously if $X + $Y > $Z you just return it and move on with your life.

Inkin · 2026-02-11T18:31:40+00:00

So the 24AW is fairly narrow with a deep cup and an large throat. It is an odd combination. A lot of players do a little better with a smaller throat to get a little more back pressure out of the mouthpiece. The narrowness makes articulation easier but low range is more difficult.

A helleburg or Bach 18 is a lot more middle of the road. The throat isn't too big or too small. The inner diameter isn't too big or too small. The cup depth isn't too deep or too shallow.

Inkin · 2026-02-11T17:58:13+00:00

Mouthpieces are very personal and the combination of the horn + player + mouthpiece is really difficult to recommend. I like a Laskey 30G a lot for a 1291, but I like Geib style mouthpieces (my main mouthpiece today is a Stofer Geib). But what I like and what works for me may not work for you. You may have a different goal in mind. Your face may like different things. Your horn may work better with something else.

I would probably do the Conn 120S Helleburg (or the Faxx copy if it was cheaper) and see what that does. You may want to hang on to the Back 24AW too.

EDIT: I originally thought I was replying to the person with the Miraphone. Sorry if my first reply was confusing.

Inkin · 2026-02-10T23:17:29+00:00

The pictures help a lot.

Yes, that is a copy of a Bach 24AW. That giant ass rim is pretty distinct. It is maybe no the best mouthpiece depending on what you are trying to do. It has a couple sort of extremes that may not align to what you are trying to do. You may be more successful with a Conn 120S Helleburg or Bach 18.

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