Picking a low reed instrument

[windshieldbug]

How about bari sax in a brass quintet (tuba parts) on selected pieces?

[MartyNeilan]

FWIW, Bob, it is my opinion that it is better to be very good on a couple instruments than kinda good at a whole bunch. When I re-entered college at age 30, I knew I was going to do tuba, but not sure what else. Piano was mandatory, but I had a strong background in it and liked it anyway. That left me two options - do tuba, piano, string bass, electric bass, bass trombone, and whatever I could get my hands on, OR, do tuba and become very proficient at bass trombone, do the minimum piano, and leave the other instruments to their respective experts. I chose the latter and do not regret it. Now, with very limited practice time, it is all I can do to maintain some semblence of tuba and bone chops. I would hate to have to keep another two or three instruments under my wing as well.

[Chuck(G)]

If you wanted to experiment, you could pick up a bass rackett and join a renaissance band. One of the very few bass woodwinds that you can carry in a lunchbox.

[LoyalTubist]

Many tuba players of the past and the present double on Bari Sax. Min Leibrook (1904-41), who played with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra in the 1920s (and was Bix Beiderbecke's best friend)doubled on Bari Sax because Whiteman didn't want Min playing tuba all the time. If you remember, Whiteman's group was unique in that it always had TWO tuba players on its roster. One did most of the playing and the other doubled on double bass. Mike Trafficante was a decent tuba player who didn't play much tuba with Whiteman. I did some study of this group for a book I was planning to write. It seems there was some reason why, if you look at the seating of the Whiteman Orchestra had the tubists sitting on opposite sides of the room.

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Tubists who double on Bari today include Jonathan Dorn and Howard Johnson.

[Chuck(G)]

One did most of the playing and the other doubled on double bass.

Would that make him a quadruple bassist?

[LoyalTubist]

I like that. Mike Trafficante, quadruple bassist.

In the picture I posted, Mike is "playing" double bass. Min's head can be seen under his sousaphone bell.

[iiipopes]

If you must, bari sax. A guy in our community band has an exquisite BBb bass sax, Even though it sounds great, frankly, it's even heavier than a tuba, and there's nothing written for it anymore. He tried to play bass clarinet parts, or even contra clarinet parts on it, and the way those parts are scored, it just got muddy on the bottom. If he tried to play some of the parts "as written," instead of bringing them up an octave, there were times he was below the tubas, and it really sounded strange. It's too bad, because he is an excellent player. He finally gave it up after a couple of years and bought a Selmer contra clarinet to play instead. As bloke said, and from being spoiled in a high school band that had not only alto and three bass clarinets, but all three of the others as well: bari sax, Eb contra clarinet AND BBb contra clarinet, the Selmer sounds great. But outside of concert band, there is really no practical application, if you could ever call a contra clarinet practical.

So, with bari sax, you can play in concert band, fulfill a definite requirement in jazz bands, which most, as we all know, don't use tuba, opting for upright or electric bass instead, and...hold on...in a pinch, you can play Eb tuba brass band parts.

Please stay away from bassoon. Unless you pick one up at an early age, have fingers that can spread wide for the keys, and have a significant overbite to deal with the double reed, it just won't work for the average tuba embouchure. Unlike a saxophone, it's not an instrument to pick up casually. We have, (insert disdain) three in our community band, and the director finally had them put crocheted caps, kind of like miniature open weave golf head covers, over their bells so they would finally blend.

For other options, http://www.contrabass.com

I don't know what would happen if you showed up with a sarrusophone.

[Dan Schultz]

My first choice is bari sax.

2nd choice is:



All jokes aside.... I've been playing a variety of Eb and BBb tubas for some time. I also piddle around a bit with saxophones. It's fun to switch around but I would be a much better player if I spent ALL of my time with one instrument.

[ArnoldGottlieb]

I sound like a broken record saying this over and over (and agreeing with Marty N and Bloke), if you want to work and you're a tuba player, bass trombone is a great double, string/electric bass is a great one also. If you must play a woodwwind, bari sax is cool, but playing tuba better than you already do is even better.
Peace.
ASG

[tbn.al]

Picking a low reed instrument

For a brass player wouldn't that be somewhat like picking your nose. You may want to do it, but someplace totally private, where nobody else knows.

[windshieldbug]

Actually, a bari is a pretty good substitute ophicleide if you use a bass trombone mouthpiece instead of a reed mouthpiece. Full Boehm system, and a LOT easier to get ahold of.

[iiipopes]

I don't remember the exact figure, but a friend of mine in Shrine band helped a widow sell her late husband's Selmer bari for many thousands of dollars, substantially more than she could have gotten without help. He told me it was the finest bari he had ever played, and he's played a few in his decades of band experience.

[Wyvern]

The contrabassoon player in my orchestra plays an instrument which was entirely hand made himself by the previous player in the orchestra. If one looks closely, it is possible to see it is not professionally made (not quite the finish), but it sounds good. I really enjoy it when we double, the contra an octave below the tuba - that is a wonderful sound and feel. The vibrations from the contra seem to get picked up by the tuba.

I always wonder why contrabassoons are not more used in Wind bands? Somehow it would seem to make more sense than string basses!