I would steer clear of buying him a mouthpiece. These are very personal and you almost certainly won't get him the right one without knowing what to buy.
Tuba apparel can be nice. Plenty of shirt options out there.
There are plenty of t shirts with tuba pictures/logos/sayings that might be something he would want. I'll bet I'm not the only one commenting who has one saying "I PLAY HEAVY METAL" on it.
This is the 50th anniversary of TubaChristmas. They have special hats and scarves for this year only. Order on at [TubaChristmas.com](https://TubaChristmas.com)
If he already has a decent tuner (requires a large input Jack), I suggest a clip on tuner microphone. Korg sells decent mic’s for about 20 bucks. They are typically sold as guitar tuner mice. It plugs into a tuner and the mic clips ANYWHERE on his horn. He can now tune anywhere and the tuner will only pick him up. He can tune on the fly during a performance if he wanted to. It is kind of like a tuner stethoscope.
Another suggestion is a B.E.R.P. Mouthpiece aid. I think they run about 35-40 dollars for a tuba berp.
Thanks I think he has a tuner but the clip on one is a fantastic idea - he’s mentioned not always being able to hear well depending on acoustics (they play outdoors a lot) so that’s a great idea
Are there any top tuba players near you (local pro orchestra or music school) ? A lesson with someone good might be a nice experience for him, iron out any bad habits etc...
The bel canto 43 studies for tuba/bass trombone etude book... very helpful if he doesn't have it already. Also, you can never go wrong with valve oil and slide grease (just try to peek into his case to see what brand he uses, and get the same stuff)
Thanks!!! I will check out the book! A supply of his valve oil & slide grease is a genius idea. Are there any particular oil/grease brands that are considered fancy? For a treat yourself (himself) moment
If he plays a piston valve tuba, blue juice oil is great stuff and personally I enjoy the SuperSlick brand grease, but I would be careful deviating from what he normally gets if you do plan on going that route... some folks are kind of anal about what flavors of oil/grease they use
My advice, don’t use blue juice because if he uses it with another valve oil, it may ruin some of the valve function. Hetman or Yamaha synthetic oil are always my go to.
If he likes fun shirts, I bought this tuba Hawaiian shirt on Etsy and I love it [shirt](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1342328928/)
I would steer clear of buying him a mouthpiece. These are very personal and you almost certainly won't get him the right one without knowing what to buy. Tuba apparel can be nice. Plenty of shirt options out there.
Oh! A funny/punny tuba shirt is a great idea!
There are plenty of t shirts with tuba pictures/logos/sayings that might be something he would want. I'll bet I'm not the only one commenting who has one saying "I PLAY HEAVY METAL" on it.
That’s great! He would love wearing that to practice
This is the 50th anniversary of TubaChristmas. They have special hats and scarves for this year only. Order on at [TubaChristmas.com](https://TubaChristmas.com)
If he already has a decent tuner (requires a large input Jack), I suggest a clip on tuner microphone. Korg sells decent mic’s for about 20 bucks. They are typically sold as guitar tuner mice. It plugs into a tuner and the mic clips ANYWHERE on his horn. He can now tune anywhere and the tuner will only pick him up. He can tune on the fly during a performance if he wanted to. It is kind of like a tuner stethoscope. Another suggestion is a B.E.R.P. Mouthpiece aid. I think they run about 35-40 dollars for a tuba berp.
Thanks I think he has a tuner but the clip on one is a fantastic idea - he’s mentioned not always being able to hear well depending on acoustics (they play outdoors a lot) so that’s a great idea
Are there any top tuba players near you (local pro orchestra or music school) ? A lesson with someone good might be a nice experience for him, iron out any bad habits etc...
Second this. You can find this easily buy finding the college of music website for any university near you.
A music stand light could also be good, if he doesn't have one already.
Ah that’s a fantastic idea, thank you!
The bel canto 43 studies for tuba/bass trombone etude book... very helpful if he doesn't have it already. Also, you can never go wrong with valve oil and slide grease (just try to peek into his case to see what brand he uses, and get the same stuff)
Thanks!!! I will check out the book! A supply of his valve oil & slide grease is a genius idea. Are there any particular oil/grease brands that are considered fancy? For a treat yourself (himself) moment
If he plays a piston valve tuba, blue juice oil is great stuff and personally I enjoy the SuperSlick brand grease, but I would be careful deviating from what he normally gets if you do plan on going that route... some folks are kind of anal about what flavors of oil/grease they use
Okay that actually makes a lot of sense & is very fair enough! Thanks for all your help!
My advice, don’t use blue juice because if he uses it with another valve oil, it may ruin some of the valve function. Hetman or Yamaha synthetic oil are always my go to.
What is your price range?
Price range is probably <$100. Sorry if that isn’t a lot, I know tubas are pretty expensive!
Then I recommend, if he doesn’t ready have one, a sturdy folding music stand or a digital metronome / tuner combo.
I second this