Switching to brass

[piojon]

im a flute player that went to bari......i suggest it..most people are scared to go for it so they hit up the mellos......less competition .....look at some div 2 corps...or even some lower tier div 1s...thats what i did

[JimF-LowBari]

im a flute player that went to bari......i suggest it..most people are scared to go for it so they hit up the mellos......less competition .....look at some div 2 corps...or even some lower tier div 1s...thats what i did

Is there something about mouthpiece size that WWs go to Bari instead of a smaller horn? Thru the years almost all switching I've heard about has been to Bari.

Maybe WW players are smarter than I give them credit for (kidding). :P

Edited October 24, 2006 by JimF-xWSMBari

[tubajoe]

Any woodwind player can switch to any brass they wish...

The consideration (and rule of thumb is)

The smaller the horn, and the higher played on it, the more musculature strength / time to build it -- will be involved.

Saying that, lead trumpet will take longer to learn because of the chop building needed. Lower trumpet wont take quite as long, as is with mellophone, and so on.

Baritone and tuba are a bit easier, as the sheer amount of muscle strength (within the embouchure) is considerably less (generally)

And in a related issue, the embouchure needed for the lower instruments tend to interfere much less with woodwind embouchures. (generally, again)

Baritone tends to be the easiest overall, probably because of the larger embouchure combined with the fact that it typically spends most of its time playing (its *tessitura) in the "middle" (easiest) range of the horn. Baritone uses only half the flow rate of the tuba.

Fingerings are always the same on all brass instruments, so that is never an issue. Dont feel like you are relegated to an instrument of the same range as your woodwind. Pick whichever one your heart desires.

Moreso than embochure, the issue with "switchers" tends to be flow rate and pich accuracy.

Regarding flow rate:

Flute uses the highest flow rate of all the woodwinds (considerably more than any other woodwind) and is almost as high as the tuba. ...but is an exception in the woodwind family.

Double reeds have the lowest flow rate, and single reeds are higher, but less than brass instruments.

Regarding pitch accuracy:

Many sax players are used to a "push and play" situation -- where the horn takes care of the pitch.

Playing a brass instrument is much more (almost completely) player controlled, as to where the player themself dictates the pitch, not the horn... so the responsibility is different.

And, as always, go for a medium-large, standard model mouthpiece, regardless of the axe.

*tessitura - the word most often misused by judges. Usually confused with register B)

[Martybucs]

Fingerings are always the same on all brass instruments, so that is never an issue. Dont feel like you are relegated to an instrument of the same range as your woodwind. Pick whichever one your heart desires.

Moreso than embochure, the issue with "switchers" tends to be flow rate and pich accuracy.

While the same fingerings produce the same concert pitch, the trumpet, horn and mellophone are transposing instruments so the fingerings for the written music will differ.

Concert C is fingered 1-3 or 1, (depending on octave) on the trumpet, for example, which is actually the trumpet D.

The fingering 1-3 on the tuba, for example is actually C and noted as such.

[tubajoe]

While the same fingerings produce the same concert pitch, the trumpet, horn and mellophone are transposing instruments so the fingerings for the written music will differ.

Concert C is fingered 1-3 or 1, (depending on octave) on the trumpet, for example, which is actually the trumpet D.

The fingering 1-3 on the tuba, for example is actually C and noted as such.

...presuming that the player is playing a Bb trumpet, F mellophone, and Bb tuba.

(those assumptions will make the bugle purists furious! )

B)

[JimF-LowBari]

...presuming that the player is playing a Bb trumpet, F mellophone, and Bb tuba.

(those assumptions will make the bugle purists furious! )

B)

Oh ####, the first season playing a valved horn you're just reading the fingerings you wrote on the sheet music anyway. :P

s/ Guy who went from trombone to Bari bugle a loooooong time ago....

[Martybucs]

...presuming that the player is playing a Bb trumpet, F mellophone, and Bb tuba.

(those assumptions will make the bugle purists furious! )

B)

Those presumptions would be pretty safe, though.

Bugle is even more confusing. written C sounds concert G, but Bb trumpet A. (hence, the third valve trick)

[soccerguy315]

Regarding pitch accuracy:

Many sax players are used to a "push and play" situation -- where the horn takes care of the pitch.

Playing a brass instrument is much more (almost completely) player controlled, as to where the player themself dictates the pitch, not the horn... so the responsibility is different.

good woodwind players adjust their pitches while they are playing, just not with slides.

[TickleMeElmo]

This thread rocks my socks!

Hopefully I'll be auditioning on contra for the Blue Stars. If I can't hack the tuba then I'll do Baritone. If not Blue Stars then I'll be at the Pioneer Camps. Actually, I really don't care what corps I get in, I just wanna march.

Edited November 1, 2006 by TickleMeElmo

[tubawarrior]

since you seem to be looking in the WI area, might I suggest Capital Sound if your div I hopes are not realized.