Miraphone model 98 B-flat playing characteristics and learning curve - VIDEO added on PAGE 10

[humBell]

Or perhaps...

Walrus

that'd be a fine name.

When it's played, you should see how they run like pigs from a gun.

That as the original reference, but these days Donny who Loved Bowling is strongly associated with that song.

But more useless thought went into the suggestion...

"The Twin Isles of Walrus Island and Mermaid Island. Don't mix them up." is a recent media reference (spoiler: it is the walruses that sing beautifully)

And maybe i am thinking of sea lions, but there are apparently epic battles for dominance of a particular beach front property which take place, where size is at least a serious advantage if not usually the deciding factor...

[bloke]

As big around as it it, perhaps "WalMART, Jr."...(??)

[barry grrr-ero]

I'll add my unsolicited zwei Groschen. I'm guessing the reason that "Siegfried" hasn't caught on in Europe while "Fafner" has, is greatly for practical reasons. A lot of players over there 'do' opera, and opera pits are notoriously crowded. Also, European players tend to travel between cities a lot. As Bloke has pointed out, "Siegfried" is not exactly a joy to cart around. Many of the buildings and conservatories have stairs. Also, not everyone is driving around in a big SUV, like here. Are those enough excuses yet? . . . . I'd sure like to hear the Dragon solo from "Siegfried" played on a Siegfried. But if a fellow can play it almost as well on a "Hagen", and you can go from your home to the hall and back with your "Hagen" strapped on to your back in a nice bag, which one would you choose?

[bort2.0]

Interesting thoughts, Barry.

I'm guessing the sound of the 198 may be divergent enough from the typical Kaiser sound, that it's just not what players over there are looking for. I'm not certain the Fafner is a true Kaiser sound either, but I do think it might be closer than the 198. And a bit cheaper. That might be as much of it as anything else.

IIRC, that placement (or similar) of the 5th valve is something Alan Baer had recommended to Miraphone long ago when he was working with them. Except that he kept getting stonewalled and told "no", for no other reason that "because it's not the way we do it." So he booked it and left for MW. For quite a while after he left Miraphone, his press photo for the NY Phil had him with a very clear Miraphone logo on his tuba bell. I asked him about that, once. After the length response, I wish I hadn't asked.

[bloke]

Having played both of them (Siegfried / Fafner), neither one of them are a super-tall skinny bell classic “kaiser” B-flat.
The guy in the Vienna State opera Orchestra has his own version of the Fafner with an 18 inch bell (versus a 20 inch), but that’s still not a 16 or 17 inch bell.
They are both pretty big fat tubas, and about the same height.
The Miraphone might weigh a little bit more than the Fafner, but most all of the rotary Fafner models do not have a fifth valve, and the Miraphone is handmade - so even with five valves and being a B-flat, it only weighs 27 pounds.
I stated this earlier, but I’ve had several opportunities to pick up a Fafner for less than I paid for the Siegfried, and - having played both models - have passed on all of those opportunities. This is also redundant, but I like the piston version of the Fafner much more than the rotary version, but it sounds too much like my C tuba – a model 5450.
——————
As far as an update, and not just a bunch of rhetoric…
I am figuring out more intonation alternatives and workarounds towards perfect tuning on this instrument. I’m going to do some fairly significant alteration to the #1 slide circuit. It’s not going to reduce its tuning range – even though I plan to shorten its length in its shortest “closed” position, but it’s actually going to increase the tuning range.
I’m also going to go ahead with what I said I was going to do originally, which is to shorten the main tuning slide bow. It “just” plays at A=440 not warmed up (minuscule pull when warm), but think of what time of the year it is - and most orchestra jobs are in the fall and winter, are they not?
All of that having been said, I’m sort of pleased with my progress in mastering playing the thing.
I just have to remember to take gigantic breaths instead of large breaths. I’m pleased with my improvement in my B-flat reading ability.
Venting the valves will help my good-sounding-to-me slurs sound even better to others (those who decide whether or not to hire me back).

[bloke]

UPDATE on "B-flat tuba reading proficiency"

I'm pretty proud of my progress.

The WORST thing, though, is reading quick-moving orchestral excerpts.
I've beyond-memorized most all of them (ie. "know" them), and actually reading them and mashing the "wrong" buttons presents a bunch of cognitive dissonance.

[Doc]

I've beyond-memorized most all of them (ie. "know" them), and actually reading them and mashing the "wrong" buttons presents a bunch of cognitive dissonance.

We are creatures of habit, patterns, etc., and breaking out of those sans brain farts can be a bit of a challenge at times. It requires a different part of the brain to fire up and work, or so it seems, to step out of those old patterns.

Kinda like using the 4th valve on a 3+1 tuba. Sometimes, I have to think ahead slightly to make sure I push it down (with the wrong finger, according to old patterns) at the appropriate time, and I also have to remember to let it up, particularly with finger-busting faster passages.

[bloke]

When I was playing weekly in those cruise ships' lounges - and I realized that I was playing silly solos (making people laugh), while actually mashing that 4th button "over there" when I meant/needed to - I felt sorta proud o' myself.

[Doc]

When I was playing weekly in those cruise ships' lounges - and I realized that I was playing silly solos (making people laugh), while actually mashing that 4th button "over there" when I meant/needed to - I felt sorta proud o' myself.

I find that I don't have too much trouble when playing by ear, BUT... the problem creeps in when I'm reading. Apparently, concentrating on reading must use up too much brainpower for my little bean.

[P@rick]

Would love to have chance to play one some day...can only dream of owning one ;-)

Name it: Mons Meg

[bloke]

This was an over-the-top splurge, but I worked it out by selling some of my (fine instruments: all of them) personally-owned (not Mid-South Music-owned) dust collectors, so as no money would leave savings.
Some would argue that this is no time to be spending a lot of money on stuff, but others would argue that it’s just the time to get rid of all fiat currency, since those who rule over us are doing everything they can do to make it all worthless.
The things that give me pleasure are my family, my pets, my friends, and playing a “regular forte” low E on a tuba - having it sound like twenty bowed string basses.

[Three Valves]

..... since those who rule over us are doing everything they can do to make it all worthless.

Does this look as if they care??



https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-b ... may-24-31/

[bloke]

https://i.imgur.com/FJVHyhA.png

[bort2.0]

..... since those who rule over us are doing everything they can do to make it all worthless.

Does this look as if they care??



https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-b ... may-24-31/

Well, there's no attrition, because 1 family out is replaced by 1 family in...

But I see all those home sales and do think there are a lot of people who have waited (too long?) and decided now to get TF out of there.

[Three Valves]

Well, there's no attrition, because 1 family out is replaced by 1 family in...

But I see all those home sales and do think there are a lot of people who have waited (too long?) and decided now to get TF out of there.

Don't worry, their are plenty of "replacements" on the way. They just don't live in this neighborhood.

[bort2.0]

At least in that area, I can understand what those people "do," and where their $ comes from (so many government jobs, and government contractor jobs).

I see people out here buying homes for even "just" one-point-something, and I wonder, what do these people DO?

[Three Valves]

Whatever it is, I'm confident it contributes more greatly to society than what the people in my neighborhood do.

[cjk]

At least in that area, I can understand what those people "do," and where their $ comes from (so many government jobs, and government contractor jobs).

I see people out here buying homes for even "just" one-point-something, and I wonder, what do these people DO?

Yeah, I wonder the same a lot. There's a neighborhood around a golf course nearby. Some of the houses are just stupid huge and finished like museums.

[bloke]

@cjk
One of my first cousins lives in a mansion (two very large houses on top of each other, basically, and very “stately”) with her husband, and - yes - it’s located on a golf course in a northern suburb of Atlanta. Her father (who worked for SEARS, and was a person who negotiated purchases of land for shopping malls - back when those were a thing) hooked him up with selling Allstate (formerly: SEARS owned) insurance, and he made a fortune doing it. Her brother went into the same business, is a person with a little bit quieter personality, perhaps didn’t make quite as much money in the insurance industry, but still lives in a very nice house in the Atlanta area and does quite well. (All of these people are retired.)

With no implied criticism, I believe the people who make the most money are the people who don’t actually produce anything. I also believe this has always been the case.
—————-
Going a bit farther - and tying this post more into the general theme of this entire forum, it seems as though people in the arts have always resented wealthy people – people who are actually their only significant patrons, as people who produce things (lower/middle income) and people at the bottom of the income range really don’t have significant money to throw at “the arts“ (perhaps occasional ticket purchases, but little more than that). “Arts“ people also seem to think that government should underwrite what they do, but they don’t have any political clout (which - of course - is what is required to get a bunch of free money from the government). It seems as though it occurs to most people in the arts to teach children (ages 5 -25) during the times when they are not involved in their art. It seems to me that - rather that resenting wealthy people - people in the arts could take advantage of the fact that they have the attention of wealthy people, become successful real estate agents, and sell properties to wealthy people for tens of thousands of dollars per closing, rather than teaching lessons for tens of dollars per lesson, eh?

Even in my own life – when I play some music, and almost never play music without being paid – I sort of consider myself to be an “amateur“ (as the word means “for the love of it”), because the truth is - if I spent the time that I spend earning money playing music on my main business - that I would make more money.

At least in that area, I can understand what those people "do," and where their $ comes from (so many government jobs, and government contractor jobs).

I see people out here buying homes for even "just" one-point-something, and I wonder, what do these people DO?

Yeah, I wonder the same a lot. There's a neighborhood around a golf course nearby. Some of the houses are just stupid huge and finished like museums.

[Three Valves]

Her father (who worked for SEARS, and was a person who negotiated purchases of land for shopping malls - back when those were a thing) hooked him up with selling Allstate (formerly: SEARS owned) insurance, and he made a fortune doing it.

Preparing for an opportunity, recognizing it and being first can pay off!!

I guy I know was forced out of Sears management and into Allstate as a punishment back in the 70s.

Him;