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Thread: beginning tuba player

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,368
    Note the bunch of small BBb tubas (Besson and Yamaha) that suddenly popped up on Ebay. 'Tis the season.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  2. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by ghmerrill View Post
    Note the bunch of small BBb tubas (Besson and Yamaha) that suddenly popped up on Ebay. 'Tis the season.
    And don't forget... a small tuba can make the perfect stocking stuffer!
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  3. #13
    I've got a 3-valve EEb and several BBb tubas. The EEb is good for me down to around Bb below the staff, (fingered 1 and 3 on my EEb, open on my BBb) but I can't reach much below that on the EEb. Perhaps a fourth valve would help. So one question to answer would be what range do you need for the music you intend to play? I can certainly reach higher with my EEb than with my BBb (with ease), but I find that most of the music I play reaches low much more often than reaching high.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,368
    This is exactly why I originally moved from an Eb to a BBb. And it's a genuine consideration. It's also why my PRIMARY horn now is the compensating BBb (which can easily handle that low range). So questions that need to be asked initially are: What music do I intend to be playing (for the most part)? Solo and for my own pleasure? Small group (quintet, etc.)? Dixieland? Large band or orchestra? How much do I want to spend before I know for sure how much I'll be using the instrument?

    For several of these, a small/medium used or student Eb is a good answer. And I'll note again that many Eb horns (my Buescher is definitely one) have excellent false (or "ghost" tones) and can play in the contra range in tune and with presence. This includes, for example, the low passages in such pieces as Holst's "Second Suite". They're not ideal for this, but they can cover it.

    However, if I were concerned about being the only tuba in a reasonably-sized (say 35 or more) community band, I would (other things being equal, such as cost and my resources), choose either a compensating EEb, like my Wessex, or a small/medium BBb. If I were facing that choice (which in some sense I was a few years ago), then given the resources, I'd choose either the Wessex or Mack Brass large EEb horn, or that small front-action BBb horn from Mack Brass -- unless something quite nice popped up used. But I'd also have to consider any physical issues. And that might dictate either an E/EEb or a small bore BBb (like that Mack one or an older Conn, King, Martin, Reynolds, Olds, ...).

    One approach that could be taken is to just -- even for a few minutes -- try a couple of horns of different sizes and see how they "feel". This won't be definitive, but might be useful. Ask your neighborhood friendly tuba player to toot on his horn a bit. He'll probably let you.

    Addendum: Don't be too concerned with high range issues on a BBb horn -- especially a relatively small or small bore instrument. You can get all the high range you'll need out of the BBb horn. My high range on my BBb Cerveny and my 1928 Buescher was basically the same and easily covered anything I encountered in community band parts or quintet. It simply takes a bit of practice and development, and reasonable mouthpiece choice (don't go overly large on a mouthpiece in any event). It's just that on the BBb instrument, it doesn't sound as nice up there.
    Last edited by ghmerrill; 11-26-2014 at 08:43 AM.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  5. music

    Quote Originally Posted by Pat View Post
    I've got a 3-valve EEb and several BBb tubas. The EEb is good for me down to around Bb below the staff, (fingered 1 and 3 on my EEb, open on my BBb) but I can't reach much below that on the EEb. Perhaps a fourth valve would help. So one question to answer would be what range do you need for the music you intend to play? I can certainly reach higher with my EEb than with my BBb (with ease), but I find that most of the music I play reaches low much more often than reaching high.





    Thats what i don't know i know that my dream is to be a professional musician but i don't know yet what i want to play for musicwise.


    Thanks
    holly

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