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During these Covid times, I have used the Canadian Brass Books and the Marine Band Sousa files, along with the digital recordings to practice with to make up for the ensemble playing I have grown accustomed to. Are there other collections that I could use? I don't mind buying books, but I would especially like something that has digital recordings as none of the computers in our house have CD-ROMs, nor do we any longer have portable CD players.

I have used SmartMusic. The old version was a software download. The new version is all web based, which is a bit less responsive, but there are still tons of titles in many genres (orchestra, band, string orchestra, jazz ensemble, vocal, etc.) along with solid recordings to play along with. It is mostly aimed at school age, but has warhorses like Festive Oveture, both of Holst's Suites for Military band, etc. A yearly subscription is $40 I believe.

You can select any instrument you'd like. I play double bass parts in string orchestra pieces, etc...

Is there a cheaper and more reliable way to get Canadian Brass parts that match their recordings than buying them one piece at a time from their web site? There are a few that I can play along with by ear, or find imslp parts that are close enough (like some Bach stuff), but that's a little frustrating.

jtm wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 2:56 pm Is there a cheaper and more reliable way to get Canadian Brass parts that match their recordings than buying them one piece at a time from their web site? There are a few that I can play along with by ear, or find imslp parts that are close enough (like some Bach stuff), but that's a little frustrating.

I buy the quintet books. I have the Intermediate, Advanced, and Christmas books for tuba. I get the recordings on YouTube.

York-aholic wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 1:47 pm I have used SmartMusic.

It offered a free trial, so I signed up so I can see what they have to offer. It sounds interesting.

I would like to be able to outline my practice strategies, but - by the time I begin to think about doing it each day (even with yet another cup of coffee and a wake-up bath) - I fall asleep.

bloke wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 4:13 pm I would like to be able to outline my practice strategies

I thought your practice strategy was to not practice.

basically.
I am one of the world’s great procrastinators.
If stuff is readable, I’ll practice it at the gig.
If stuff concerns me a bit, I’ll probably look at it a week ahead of time, and then a day ahead of time.
If something is just plain old d@mn hard, I’ll probably look at it three weeks ahead of time, and get it all wigged out.
I tend to play the horn more at home when it’s the dead of winter, soggy wet out, I’m all caught up on repairs, and I’m temporarily burned out on “projects“ - as well as temporarily burned out on slicking things out to sell.
Of course, new-to-me instruments prompt more playing, but (not bragging, just being truthful) there aren’t any instruments that I would want to own, other than those that I do own...
...so I’m going to need to come up with some other type of strategies to spark my interest in practicing. Again, “gigs chocked-full of hard music“ tend to be about the only motivator, these days, and there aren’t many of those.

bloke wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 6:47 pm
If stuff is readable, I’ll practice it at the gig.
If stuff concerns me a bit, I’ll probably look at it a week ahead of time, and then a day ahead of time.

Those are about the only two types of music I encounter anymore. The music in community band is pretty much readable. The church stuff is can be quite challenging at times, but mostly readable. I don't have many of those other reasons not to practice anymore, so I practice instead of staying in my recliner in front of the TV. I still have projects, and I can hit them hard....for about an hour at a time perhaps 3 times a day. It keeps my mind sharper than not practicing and it is a physically healthy activity, I believe. I am still thoroughly enjoying my 186, although, I do think a 5th valve would help. I am considering clearing out a lot of the not so great and wall hanger horns from my stable, but I am still having fun with a few of them.

I just noticed that the arrangement (encore) of S&SF that I'm playing on the brass choir concert (in two weeks) has the tuba (ha-ha-ha...so funny-funny-funny ) playing the piccolo part.

When hired as a ringer in community bands - and that piece is programmed, I ALWAYS absolutely refuse to play that, because (well...) it's @$$h0Le-ish to take that away from any band's or orchestra's piccolo player(s)...but (well...) since
1/ it's in the part, and
2/ there ARE NO piccolo players...
I suppose I'm playing it.

There are a couple of European marches programmed that have a bunch of sixteenth notes "flourishes" in the tuba part, but they're scales/arpeggios, and I can play/read scales/arpeggios...so I'll probably practice that mess at the rehearsal.

...yeah...I'm signing off, I need to run through the RAYFF Vaughan Williams "Romance" a few times, to keep it memorized...but (honestly) I believe I actually just "know" it -which is sorta beyond "memorization", yes?

bloke "Truth be told, I'm way more interested in [1] finishing that barn project, [2] running about 250 feet of cedar privacy fence along the property line (adjacent to those new gates)...because someone gave me a whole bunch of still-in-good-shape cedar fence (8'-tall) sections (holes already dug, and new posts flopping around in the them - waiting for concrete), [3] running some underground pipe (in two places) along with a fancy underground water valve and a hydrant (for the new fenced-in garden, and for something else), [4] running some more electricity, so I can use two amazing 25-feet-tall (parking lot style) very inexpensively-acquired hollow square steel light poles to light up the ponds at night (which - being water - will reflect a bunch of light) to facilitate night-fishin', [5] patching up the fences around Mrs. bloke's other pastures, [6] go back and put some finishing touches on our new deck railing (which was hurriedly erected to comply with code, and to keep our insurance in force), [7] building a chain-link and barbed-wire (materials already bought, and post holes already dug) large "dog run" (in the woods), which will be shady in the summer, and sunny in the winter), so some of the dogs (which aren't Mrs. bloke's "work" dogs) will have a place to run and play, [8 through ∞) etc, etc..."

With apologies for the long previous post, I was just trying to express that I’m struggling to find ways to get motivated to be interested in practicing again. I would like to be interested in doing it. I do play a little bit better when I’ve been practicing.

bloke wrote: ↑Fri Oct 02, 2020 7:56 am I was just trying to express that I’m struggling to find ways to get motivated to be interested in practicing again.

Exactly the reason I made the original post. I like achievable challenges.

Stryk wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 3:13 pm

jtm wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 2:56 pm Is there a cheaper and more reliable way to get Canadian Brass parts that match their recordings than buying them one piece at a time from their web site? There are a few that I can play along with by ear, or find imslp parts that are close enough (like some Bach stuff), but that's a little frustrating.

I buy the quintet books. I have the Intermediate, Advanced, and Christmas books for tuba. I get the recordings on YouTube.

I also like their "Favorites" book.

...a colleague of mine...

https://brittanyhendricks.com/blog