Why not start them on a CC?

[CJ Krause]

***

[MartyNeilan]

Heck, I'm real surprised to hear Marty mention that kids are strarting out that young now. I grew up in Cleveland, TN and I didn't start on baritone until the summer between 6th and 7th grade.
Go Blue Raiders!

They changed it a couple of years ago when they redid the middle school system. Kids can now start all brass instruments including tuba when they enter the 6th grade. We usually have 2-3 start BBb tuba each year.
elimia, you should see the new Cleveland middle school they built 4 years ago, it is a sight to behold! 4 bandrooms and a separate choir room!
They also combined the old middle school into expanding Cleveland High School.
In the county school system, they split half the students off Bradley high and built a whole new high school, Walker Valley High.
Not to mention that Lee University adds 2-3 new buildings a year and now looks like a small city itself.
Cleveland (TN) is a happening town!

[elimia]

Marty,

Yeah, I've seen all those changes you mentioned when I've been in to visit family. I never got a chance to experience the 4 bandrooms when I was there, but the 2 we did have were big enough to work. The last time I heard the marching band was in a rebuilding period. I wonder how they are now? One thing is for sure - it isn't the small town I grew up in anymore. There has been a lot of sprawl in the N end of town; all of that used to be beautiful farmland and forest.

I'm glad to see they are starting a music program in the school system there for younger kids. I wouldn't have missed that chance if it was available when I was a little sprout!

Sorry to reminisce Tubenetters, I stop using up electrons now.

[Bill Troiano]

For tone, pitch, blend with the other low brasses, ease of fingerings due to key signatures, ease of switching from baritones horn/euphonium, it just makes more sense, especially for young tubists, to play BBb in band.

[Art Hovey]

Charlie is absolutely right. If anybody in the 4th or 5th grade is already absolutely certain that he or she is going to be a symphony tubist then that kid should get a Weril CC. I have been told that they will always be available because CC tubas are the standard in Brazil.

[ken k]

I started on tuba in 4th grade tubachris, that's when our program starts. Our string program i think starts in 2nd grade.

Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeze, thats foriegn here.
I guess elementry school students here arent up to standards then, except for playing the Recorder.


-tubachris
(who has vivid nightmeres from just the high pitched Recorder concerts we had)

I think most schools in the north east start their bands in elementary school but the rest of the country is later in 6th or 7th grade. By 9th grade there is little difference in ability. Most elementary programs only meet once a week and the progress of the kids is much slower than when students start later. I also believe many of the programs that start later have band every day, so the kids progress much faster.
There are pros and cons to both systems.
ken k

[Allen]

Well, perhaps the question is why switch from BBb to CC? Players of trombones, euphoniums and trumpets stay in Bb (although some trumpeters later acquire and play trumpets in about a half dozen other keys). French horn players stay with their Bb/F horns.

I can't get into the debate about why professional tubists so often play CC instead of BBb for their contrabass horn, as none of the reasons (and I've heard them all) in favor of one or the other make sense to me. I can point out that only a miniscule, microscopic percentage of those taking up tuba go on to earn their livings playing tuba.

Talk of changing the pitch of school tubas reminds me of a joke (that comes from conputer science):

Q: How was God able to create the entire universe in six days?

A: He didn't have to deal with the installed base.

Myself, I played BBb and Eb when I was young, and presently play CC. I will probably get an F tuba within a year. Learning fingerings is probably the easiest aspect of learning tuba. I agree with Rick that a serious tubist is going to learn more than one kind of tuba, anyway.

A last comment: Tubists who think that any tuba fingerings are difficult have obviously not played woodwind instruments or keyboard instruments.

Allen Walker

[Uncle Buck]

OK, I know I'm contributing to the topic drift (maybe this warrants a new thread), but I'm always wary of schools moving to starting the kids in band younger and younger. I've seen lots on instances where a 5th grade band class didn't accomplish anything other than convincing a bunch of kids that they didn't want to stay in band.

Much more important than starting early is starting well, with a good teacher, good program, and positive experience for the students.

[dopey]

6th grade up here, most kids dont' start on tuba. I didn't. I wasnt' even offered it really (that I remember) I think it was demostrated as a instrument for "later".

This year (one new director), one person from each section demoed their instrument. I believ my director said he had like 20-30 kids wanting to play tuba after I got done. Nothing like a little crazy train to get a bunch of 6th graders going:P


As far as CC, I think with the fact that quite a few tubas out there in highschool bands, Aren't good, and with that said by asking them to be like french horns and have to play with "different" fingerings in marching and concert is just overkill.

Jacob"who has a hard enough time getting my fellow tubist to play the right fingerings on one key tuba, let alone two"Morgan