What's the highest note you can play? (With a good sound)

[tubashaman2]

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[punktuba]

There is a tuba player at the Shepherd School of music named Sarah Herald that can play a triple C above the treble clef on a Meinl Weston Thor with a Gold Schilke Geib. She studies with Dave Kirk, though.

[Matt G]

Tough to ask a question that has both a quantitative (how high) and qualitative (good sound) variable. Most pros will tell you "high enough". That's about all that needs to be said.

[Rick Denney]

I think a better question should be:

"What's the highest note you would play during a live recital performance aired on TubeNet?"

If you can tell what note it'll be and nail it, you get $500. If not, you give $500 to your favorite charity...

Bb. The one on the staff.

Rick "reasonably sure of hitting that note without a running head start" Denney

[Biggs]

As I said, I played the high Q once. Granted, I was using my bassoon embouchre to play the accordion, but I played that high Q dammit!

[windshieldbug]

All kidding aside, tuba playing is a musical endeavor, not just a physical one.

Asking how high you can jump makes about as much sense.

How musically can you play is another thing altogether!

[windshieldbug]

The nice thing about playing high, is that they've made LOTS for higher tubas...

[MikeS]

I think a better question should be:

"What's the highest note you would play during a live recital performance aired on TubeNet?"

If you can tell what note it'll be and nail it, you get $500. If not, you give $500 to your favorite charity...

I went to a Clark Terry masterclass many years ago. One thing he said that stuck with me was; "The top of your range is not the highest note you can squeak out in a practice room. It's the highest note you know for a fact you can hit at the end of a three-hour gig."

That said, when I want to play much above the bass staff, I've got a euphonium. When I want to play below the bass staff, I've got a tuba. Roger Bobo sounded great playing "Morning Song." I've heard dozens of other players try it and mostly sound like eighth grade horn players. I know I'll catch some heat for this, but even good euph players playing between F at the bottom of the staff and pedal Bflat make me wish they had a bass bone or a tuba. Believe me, other musicians (non-tubists) are not impressed that you can play note X or Y. They are only impressed if you sound good.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Is there really a point in playing higher than the Bb in the middle of the treble clef staff?

A good reason to play a bit higher would be to make the Bb you reference more confident and comfortable. If it's the highest note you can possibly play, you're going to have a hard time with it if/when it crops up in a performance situation.

[Nick Pierce]

Is there really a point in playing higher than the Bb in the middle of the treble clef staff? That is the highest note I've seen in literature.

The fourth and final movement of the Woodward Concerto calls for the C directly above that. If memory serves, this piece in it's entirety was called for the final round of the Tuba Artist Level at the Falcone Festival last year. Looking at the part, this happens five bars from the end of the piece, which (again if memory serves) is between fifteen and twenty minutes long, a considerable portion of of which is spent above the staff. Also, I believe the bugle exercises in Sam Pilafian and Pat Sheridan's "Brass Gym" book reach to those same heights. It can be done, and at least a few people seem to think it should be done.

[Roger Lewis]

High range, like low range is an interesting subject for me. For high range I have to agree with Mr. Herseth's practice regimen. He would practice every hard lick, in every key, through the entire range of the horn. He would also practice a 4th ABOVE THE HIGHEST NOTE HE WOULD EVER HAVE TO PLAY.

When you can play to the highest note in a piece - you're only renting! If you practice to a 4th above that note, then you OWN that note.

By the way, there is no Rent To Own in brass playing.

Roger

[Getzeng50s]

on any keyed tuba: F 2 octaves abover the bass cleff staff