"audition tuba"

[Mark]

Some folks believe that you should audition with a smaller, 4/4, contrabass tuba for the committee and then switch to a larger 6/4 for the audience in a big hall. I say do whatever you think will help you to win the audition.

[Ken Crawford]

Maybe the oboe and violin players on the committee simply don't know what is best. Bait them with a cute little sound and then switch to what you know is right...

[Mark Horne]

To the extent that much of the orchestral writing features the tuba as the bass voice of the trombone section, the tuba and bass trombone function as two halves of a single instrument in a practical sense - the tuba fills the missing lower harmonics of the bass trombone, and conversely the bass trombone provides the upper harmonics. A big 6/4 is great in this role, but as a solo instrument the familiar excerpts sound dull by comparison. A 4/4 instrument can provide some of the missing "edge" that would otherwise be present in the bass trombone, and the excerpt would sound "better" for those who have a hard time imagining what the tuba would sound like as part of a section.

[Ken Crawford]

To the extent that much of the orchestral writing features the tuba as the bass voice of the trombone section, the tuba and bass trombone function as two halves of a single instrument in a practical sense - the tuba fills the missing lower harmonics of the bass trombone, and conversely the bass trombone provides the upper harmonics. A big 6/4 is great in this role, but as a solo instrument the familiar excerpts sound dull by comparison. A 4/4 instrument can provide some of the missing "edge" that would otherwise be present in the bass trombone, and the excerpt would sound "better" for those who have a hard time imagining what the tuba would sound like as part of a section.

Wow, this is right on! I've found that in order to successfully play a 6/4 in orchestra, you really do need a strong bass trombone with you. You put words to this perfectly. Bravo!

[anonymous4]

There are some things that are more important at the audition, because you are all alone on stage. Later, when all the other instruments are there, who cares about the tuba?

My opinion, you want something like a PT6P, or similar 5/4 for the audition. It's cool to switch to a BAT later because creating that "fluffy tuba sound pillow" that all modern American orchestras rest on is more important than the clarity of the random two measure tuba solos that pop up now and again. Some of these models might be Nirschl Yorks, or Yorkbrunners, etc.

I don't believe that other musicians necessarily find this sound unappealing, but it's real impact doesn't show unless the whole orchestra is on stage too.

Yes, I know in the old days, when other people also used different equipment, 4/4 tubas were just fine to use in the ensemble, but I think "fluffy tuba sound pillow" is the expectation of the sound an orchestral tuba is going to make.

[THE TUBA]

It would be interesting (to me at least) to see a survey study that asks pro players (1) what horn(s) did you use on your audition, (2) what horn(s) do you use most often in the gig, and (3) why.

The rep asked on an audition isn't exactly the normal fare for tubists. You're lucky if you get one "lick" per service that's comparable to a commonly asked excerpt. I think if audition rep consisted of mostly doughnuts and oom-pahs, the instrument selection may be different.

Seems like I hear more about pros buying Nirschl Yorks when they're already in the gig than I hear about folks winning jobs with them. But that might just be because those are hard to afford unless you've already got a good job.

[Ken Crawford]

It's nice (imo) - and either live, or in recordings - to be able to sort out the resonance of the tuba from the basses, just as the resonance of all of the other instruments of the orchestra can be sorted while - at the same time - also blending with each other.

Do you ever have to "sort out the resonance" of the trumpets from the violins? No, and trumpets aren't worried about blending with any of the strings. Why do we as tuba players agonize over blending with the basses? Sometimes, sure, blending with the basses is natural and is nice. But no other brass players are sweating about blending with the strings, except maybe Doug Yeo. Except I can hear the bass trombone on Boston recordings just fine...so there is that.

But 6/4 tubas do apparently sound like string basses sometimes. Recently after a concert in which I was accompanied by a pneumatically challenged trombone section, a listener commented to me that "the basses were so loud!" To which I thought, with furrowed brow, "said nobody ever" and took it as a compliment.

[happyroman]

I remember when I was actively taking auditions in the late 1970s through the late 1980s, that there was a definite school of thought to play an instrument with a more "soloistic" sound for the audition because you are playing by yourself. An example at the time might have been a Miraphone 186. Then, when you need to play with the orchestra, you might switch to an instrument that blends with and/or compliments the trombone section, like a 6/4 instrument.

In more specific terms, play an instrument that emphasizes the overtones compared with the fundamental in the sound for the audition. Then, when you play with the section or in the orchestra, reverse the process, using something larger that emphasizes the fundamental in the sound which would sound "better" in the group but may not be as pleasing to the ear when playing alone.

I always felt that this practice was at least in part due to the audition committee not having a clear idea what they think a "great" tuba sound should be.

I'm pretty sure Gene Pokorny used a 186 at the St. Louis audition (the round that was recorded) and then used a Hirsbrunner when he got the job. Sumner Erickson won Pittsburgh on a 186 and once in the orchestra, switched to a 5/4 Hirsbrunner he bought from Paul Krzywicki.

[anonymous4]

Bloke, I can understand your point for sure, but it flies in the face of what orchestral tuba players say is the reason they need a 6/4 tuba. They claim that they need a 6/4 in order to produce the sound that they want. Are orchestral tubas just making it up? Why would they do this?

[Coffeescar]

This is a bit of a tangent but why did recording bells fall out of favor? I haven't played on a horn with a recording bell, but it seems to me that a smaller 4/4 horn with a recording bell would have the intonation and reaction that would be needed for solo work, but also have the ability to project out to the audience as well.

[Mark]

This is a bit of a tangent but why did recording bells fall out of favor? I haven't played on a horn with a recording bell, but it seems to me that a smaller 4/4 horn with a recording bell would have the intonation and reaction that would be needed for solo work, but also have the ability to project out to the audience as well.

If you're in the fairly standard position of stage left near the edge of the stage a bell-front will actually project across to the conductor and an upright bell will project out to the audience.

[Coffeescar]

It's possible it was a local thing, but my high school band, and Northeastern State University typically had Tubas set up slightly right of center, our set up was Trombones - Euphoniums - Tubas - Perucussion for most things.

Though for one concert we did switch it a bit and put Tubas all the way to the edge of the stage when we did Holsts Second Suite in F, to get that last little Tuba/Piccolo duet to balance correctly.

[Lee Stofer]

My best success in orchestral auditions was with 1) Rudolf Meinl 3/4 CC, and 2) Rudolf Meinl 5/4 F-tuba, bell and outer wraps being nearly equal in size. And, I have to admit that I enjoyed playing the 3/4 Rudi CC in an orchestra as much as playing 5/4 to 6/4 tubas. In an American concert band, particularly one that plays a number of older pieces, it feels very natural and easy to play a 4/4 to 6/4 BBb tuba. The recording bell instrument, if correctly used, and not viewed too prejudicially by the ensemble/conductor, is a great option. I'm using a 1953 Conn 20J in a concert band at present, and with the bell tilted a bit to my right, the bell is not point-blank towards the conductor, but rather over the band, towards the woodwinds and most of the percussion, which seems to have the effect of helping to the band be tighter, tempo-wise. Fellow band members actually say that they prefer the recording tuba, as opposed to when I've brought in very large upright-bell tubas. Bloke made a very important point when he said that one must gauge their playing, because what you hear under (or behind) the bell bears very little similarity to what the audience hears. This was brought to my attention when listening to recordings. Listen to recordings of a group you play with, and you'll discover what you really sound like to the audience.