Legato Etudes for Tuba – Based on the Vocalises of Giuseppe Concone

The following Etudes have been transcribed to enable the tubaist to become proficient in both facility and interpretation of the Legato Phrase. Key signatures, time signatures, dynamics, breath marks, and phrase lines have received special attention. Legato means smooth and connected. A Legato Phrase on the tuba must SOUND just that way – smooth and connected. Your close attention to the following details will assist you greatly in this style. The writers believe there are three major areas to be considered and that each complements the others; the head chamber, the breath, and the tongue. The Head Chamber. Your mouth, throat, and tongue assume a particular feeling when you YAWN. Try it! Maintaining this ‘yawn’ feeling when you blow will help to produce a full, beautiful tone. The Breath. Think of blowing a steady column of air through the horn and out the bell. The breath must be kept moving rapidly at all times, as this projects the tone. The Tongue. The tip of the tongue must brush the roof of the mouth lightly, as if saying a soft ‘doo’, on repeated notes of the Legato Style.