cool hard rock arrangements for tuba

[Paul S]

...after all a tuba IS heavy metal

"It's not heavy metal, it's weighty brass!"
I do Love Weighty Brass (Heavy Metal) Tuba though
Long Live Opus - Rock Tubist

a little plug for Sam Gnagey and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic too

[tubajoe]

The tuba is a great rock instrument. Best thing to do is make your own arrangements.

[Steve Oberheu]

I actually did a transcription of "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)" by Cliff Burton that is on Metallica's first full-length album, "Kill 'em All." It was a tune that was all bass solo and then the drums join in about halfway through. It actually works decently on tuba by itself, but would be really cool if the tuba were miked and run through a distortion box and wah-wah pedal....also helps to keep being drowned out by the drumset (I'll never make that mistake again!).

Best thing about that transcription...it was easy. All I did was go into a guitar shop, buy the Kill 'em All guitar tablature book that has the bass solo in it and transcribe it.

In my opinion, the rock world (including metal, rock, jam bands, hip-hop, electronica, etc.) is a big realm of untapped resources for brass musicians as far as new arrangements for chamber music and for inspiring new ideas for totally new pieces. I have a piece in my hands (haven't performed it yet) by a friend of mine who basically listens to a lot of metal and wrote a tuba/piano piece that was inspired by a mixture of Celtic music, Manowar (record holders for the loudest band ever!!) and Nordic mythology. My next project is to arrange YYZ by Rush for some assortment of tubas/euphoniums and percussion. I think there's a lot of creative stuff that we could do as well with sampling and looping and stuff like that.

Oh yeah....Opus Croakus rules! The tuba solo in "U Stink but I Love You" is spot on!!

[tubajoe]

In my opinion, the rock world (including metal, rock, jam bands, hip-hop, electronica, etc.) is a big realm of untapped resources for brass musicians

Preach on, brother.

My next project is to arrange YYZ by Rush for some assortment of tubas/euphoniums and percussion.

Wanna borrow mine? It is floating around somewhere -- last I heard, it was played at Oberlin a few years ago... I've given it out to a few folks over the years. It's harder than hell, but is a nice way to break up things at a "studio" brass chamber concert (where you have your bone choir playing, your trumpet choir playing etc..) Plus, EVERY drummer knows the drum part -- Peart is to them as Jacobs is to us...


peace

[Paul S]

......In my opinion, the rock world (including metal, rock, jam bands, hip-hop, electronica, etc.) is a big realm of untapped resources for brass musicians as far as new arrangements for chamber music and for inspiring new ideas for totally new pieces. I have a piece in my hands (haven't performed it yet) by a friend of mine who basically listens to a lot of metal and wrote a tuba/piano piece that was inspired by a mixture of Celtic music, Manowar (record holders for the loudest band ever!!) and Nordic mythology. Oh yeah....Opus Croakus rules! The tuba solo in "U Stink but I Love You" is spot on!!

I really agree with the idea of this being a great resource for potential new arrangements for orchestra and chamber groups. I positively love an arrangement that our orchestral chamber strings do of Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing"

We all complain about how we need to get more people to come to support our symphonies and chamber ensembles. I think this is a potential area to do something to make it happen. I very much Like the idea behind what the Fort Wayne Philharmonic is doing this weekend with Led Zeppelin music.

The local classical radio station here in Northwest Ohio has a short program each day that ends with these words.. "Reminding you that all music was once considered Modern!"

[tubatooter1940]

Steve is spot on.The public is ready for many variations of entertainment
after being subjected to the repetitions of classic rock and oldies radio stations.Even people who are hooked on oldies are thrilled to hear thier favorites played with new instrumentation.You should hear southerners clap with delight hearing "Sweet Home Alabama"played with a tuba.
I am hearing many tubenetters playing jazz and unusual solos that are technically excellent and exciting to listen to.Keep it up guys.You are on the right track.I believe that this is the age of the great tuba break-out.
All we have to do is get out there and mix it up with promising musicians and sooner or later it will happen.People just love tubas played well and the thing that has held us back in the past,(the slightly farty sound) doesn't seem to matter any more.
tubatooter1940