Tuned In - Tuba: Tuba Method Book

Balmages and Herrings built this book on what actually works in rehearsal rather than what sounds good in theory. The pairing of comprehensive studies in every major and minor key with over 30 chorales gives you real flexibility to address intonation problems as they emerge in your ensemble, not as a separate curriculum. The free downloadable drones in every key remove the financial barrier that often keeps intonation training off the menu for stretched budgets.

Systematic and grounded. The comprehensive approach across all keys and the inclusion of melodic chorales alongside technical studies create a sense of both rigor and musicality. This is intonation training that doesn't sacrifice the joy of singing through harmonic progressions.

Band directors working with any tuba section where intonation consistency is a priority, from middle school through collegiate level. Teachers without access to expensive drone technology or those seeking portable, flexible intonation resources will find immediate value in the downloadable key-specific drones and supplemental structure.

• Start with the chorales early in the season before complex repertoire demands full attention. Block chord studies reveal tuning issues that dissolve into unison playing.
• Assign the key-specific studies as individual practice material for a week before ensemble work in that tonality. Students internalize the pitch relationships before they encounter them in band parts.
• Layer the drones under your current repertoire during the last five minutes of rehearsal. This contextualizes intonation work within actual performance material rather than isolating it as drill.
• Rotate through keys systematically rather than clustering around comfortable ones. Consistent exposure to all twelve keys prevents the common trap of strong intonation in predictable tonalities and loose tuning elsewhere.

Use this as your warm-up foundation during concert season, rotating through a different key each week to address tonal preparation alongside intonation. The chorales make excellent material for sectional rehearsals, building tuba section cohesion before full ensemble work begins. Consider assigning studies from this book to individual students during weeks when your main repertoire is particularly demanding, keeping intonation development active without adding rehearsal time.

• Reading and playing with consistent intonation across all major and minor keys
• Harmonic tuning within block chord progressions
• Listening and adjusting pitch within a section
• Melodic line singing through chorale literature
• Interval recognition and predictable intonation of common harmonic functions