Instructions

"A great gift!"
Instructions

Although this instrumental support system is easy to assemble and use, it may be best in the beginning to assemble it before positioning it on the chair that you will be sitting on to practice or play your horn. So--take the largest piece in hand [the Tubassist base] and loosen the black knob just enough so that it turns easily. Then take the silver polished rod and insert it into the hole in the clamp on the Tubassist base [where you loosened the knob]. Ease the rod about half way into the clamping mechanism and tighten the knob enough to hold the rod. As you will be using this knob many times in the future, try to remember to never over tighten the knob and the clamp. Next, take the bow cup [the molded, rubber padded part that your horn fits into], and press the metal connector extending from it into one of the holes found on the black arm of the polished rod. Assembly is now complete. Set the Tubassist on your chair and secure it by connecting the hook attached to the velcro strap to the back edge of the chair, and pulling the strap snug.
High school student using Tubassist while playing his tuba.	Now you can sit on the chair and at the same time you will be sitting upon the base of the Tubassist, making it a firmly held support for your tuba. The bow cup will be positioned between your legs, very close to the same position the bow of your tuba would be if you were are holding it in your lap. By loosening the knob again, you can raise or lower the bow cup, and you can bring the cup nearer to you or push it further away from you. The bow cup can also be placed in one of the other holes in the adjustment arm for fine tuning the most comfortable position for you to play your horn. Now, tighten the clamp, and then pick up your tuba and bring it into position to play by setting it into the bow cup. Play a few sounds and scales, and otherwise get the feel of the position of your horn as it relates to your body position, line of vision, freedom of movement and posture. If a few small adjustments are yet needed, set your horn off the Tubassist, loosen the knob, make the adjustments, tighten the knob, set your horn back into the bow cup, and test play it again for height and position. After a few repetitions, assembling and using your Tubassist will become a routine part of playing your horn for everything from individual practice sessions to your concerts and other types of formal and informal group playing.
There are quite a variety of chairs that musicians are expected to sit on. The Tubassist instrument support system adapts surprisingly well to most of them. A chair with a padded or covered flat seat works best. If the seat of the chair is wood or plastic, and is curved, contoured, or molded, it is helpful to place a folded cloth or towel upon the chair seat before placing the Tubassist on the chair. The thickness of a folded cloth or towel adds stability to the areas of contact between the Tubassist and the curved surfaces of the chair. It also protects an otherwise unprotected chair surface from being scratched or marred from the aluminum Tubassist seat surface.
A young tuba student demonstrating how easy it is to use the Tubassist	Two additional remarks: Sitting on the aluminum seat surface of the Tubassist can become uncomfortable for some. To prevent any discomfort, find a small but adequate pillow to place between you and your Tubassist. The pillow in combination with a Tubassist makes playing an instrument as large as a tuba an easy and pleasant experience. You should also find a sturdy bag just the right size in which to carry your Tubassist. With the right bag, you can keep the parts of your Tubassist all together in one place, and carry it with you wherever you're going to play your tuba.

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