Thanks! The Miraphone is easy to play.

Danke!

Thank you. I want it to sound correct and proper.

@@buffalobillh You are welcome my friend ! I am professional bass trombonist and I am not a native German,but I spent a lot of years in Germany working as a trombonist and once again, Bravo ! This music is about joy, delicious food and German beer 😁 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/grh7jNaVr6_NpIE.html

@@showingYOUtheworld Agreed. Thanks for the link!

Thanks!

Danke!

Thank you! I’m honored that you like it.

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 Christoph Moschberger and Alexander Wurz.

Thanks!

I have to surmise that blasmusik (as you and I know it) is either unknown or uninteresting to musicians here, save for small circles. Finding musicians who actually try to play that style (especially drummers) is nearly impossible. I’ve never read anything about blasmusik style from anyone in the US or from Germany or Austria either. I’ve thought about writing something about the style, but I’m not someone academia would recognize as worthy of publishing, and I’m certainly not in the league of players like Albert Wieder, Peter Laib, Herbert Hornak, etc. But it would be nice to bring more attention to music and to the playing style. The style is quite different than any of the various styles we typically play here in the US. And if nothing else, videos like this can invite critique of my own attempts while having some sort of creative outlet. Thanks for your kind comments. The big, tall horns are fun to play in all kinds of settings. We just need more of those settings!

Equally as wrong - I didn’t have a bier either! 😢

Greetings and thank you!

Thanks. I’ve thought about doing something like that. Maybe some kind of mashup that features all of them or use all of them for different parts on a large project.

@calfaouri I have been playing blasmusik for years, but because of changes in my job, I’ve had very few gigs in the last year and a half. It has also been difficult to make KZfaq content. But I’m still playing as much as I can. Stay tuned, and I will try to have some new stuff soon. When I first tried the 496, I was thrilled with how it played and responded. It definitely had a WOW factor. Unfortunately, the 495 did not have any wow factor. It played fine, as you would expect from Miraphone, but for me, there was nothing special or outstanding about it. It did not “reach out and shake hands with me.” Apparently, a lot of other folks had similar experiences. The 496 and 497 live up to the hype and were highly impressive, but not the 495. I’d much rather have a vintage 186 for a 4/4 BBb. I haven’t tried the 494 3/4 BBb, but I am told it has that same wow factor and is an excellent player with a big sound. Hopefully, I will get to try one next month and report my findings.

@@buffalobillh Bill - thanks so much for your insight. Sorry to hear work has been keeping you from as much gigging and posting as you’d like, it sounds all too familiar. I do hope you get hold of a 494 and can post about it; that was the one I was interested in at first, but started thinking I should go bigger, thus my curiosity about the 495. But about the only review of it I could find was on TubaForum when Don simply called it a “stinker”! What in the world did that mean, I wondered? I am recently back to playing after 35-ish years away, and picked up a (well) used Miraphone 184 BBb 2/4. It was sold sight-unseen as a 3/4. Its been great to get me back in the game, but it’s awfully small and has issues; my local tech advises not to sink any more money into it. So, been considering options for a new horn. i’m really impressed and liking how Daniel Ridder plays and sounds on his Hagen 497. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/abWCiLajqsmVgp8.htmlsi=RBlLJfnTcSx37SvV I reached out to him, and he also told me the 495 wasn’t special, but could recommend the 496 100%. You were the only player I could think of who had much content with it. I played 186s and 187s in high school and college, and don’t have the wind I had then. I’ve never tried a horn larger than those 4/4 instruments, and am super curious about trying a 5/4 to see if I’d be able to do a 496 justice. Do you find it fairly easy to fill?

@@calfaouri I think the 496 is easy to play. The response is immediate, and it has a deceptively deep sound. Those Miraphone valves are exceptional. Physically, it’s a big horn, but it doesn’t play like a big horn. I understand that some folks think large bore horns tend to be air hogs, but I don’t feel that way. I think that’s more about the player’s efficiency more than anything else. I don’t feel that I have to work hard with the 496, but if I want to stomp the gas pedal, the horn really goes to work. The 496 will be quite a change in size from a 184, but if you don’t try to work too hard, the 496 can be played easily. Just relax, buzz the notes into the mouthpiece and let the horn do the work. Or so it seems to me. I think the 496 is definitely worth trying to find out for yourself if the 496 will work for you.

@@buffalobillhthat’s very encouraging and exciting to hear! Thank you so much for engaging, its very helpful to hear impressions from someone with years of experience with the horn. Did you order your 496 with the ‘loose’ first slide? I’m wondering how necessary that is. Do you find you need to adjust for its intonation much? I see yours has the 5th valve, which on the Hagens I believe is dependent on the 4th valve. How crucial do you find it? From what I’ve read, adding the valve really affects how it handles - the weight and balance - so I keep hoping that I don’t really need it. But to me, tuba is all about low register, so maybe adding one is a must to cleanly access those really low notes.

@@calfaouri I bought the 496 without having any work done on it prior to shipping. My slides moved, but I had to lap them to get them smooth. The first slide really needs more lapping, but I only need it to move on a couple notes: C in the staff needs a push (I can also play it 4th valve with good response) and a slight pull for Eb in the staff. I don’t need to pull it in the low range because I have a fifth valve, and the fourth valve slide is easier to access. I also vented my valves myself, but I could have asked that to be done prior to shipping. The fifth valve is independent, and I am really glad I opted for it, as I do lots of low range playing in brass band when playing Bb bass. The intonation with it is spot-on. If you aren’t spending much time in the pedal range (or playing pedal C or B very often), the fifth valve may not be worth it for you. Just pull the 4, 3, and maybe 1 slide to make it work. And it will certainly work. I didn’t experience any significant difference between the four valve and five valve models. There might be some actual difference, but it certainly wasn’t enough to deter me from getting the benefit and convenience of the fifth valve. I think it’s really up to each player to decide what they need and what works for them. If you could try them side by side, that would be huge. For me, it’s not too top-heavy. I also play it on a stand. It’s a tall horn to start with, so an extra pound or two is not going to be a make-or-break factor for me. Your experience might prove to be different. Trying is believing.

Greetings and thank you. I don’t have any written notes, but I could write them out for you if that is helpful.

Innsbrucker Bömischen is a wonderful group to practice with!

@@buffalobillh just found a direction, not the best quality but it will work for play Tuba. Thanks for the offer to write it. I only can play with notes. Do you play without notes all the time?

@@Chris-cd8cv Occasionally I will have a chord chart or a lead sheet (melody notes), but most of the playing I do is without notes. Most of the music I read is at home while practicing.

It’s kinda flappy sometimes. 😂