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I have some hazy but fond memories of performing the Arban's "Blue Bells of Scotland" with band accompaniment while I was in J.H. My director arranged the band parts, so it was pretty great. I remember doing a cadenza that sounds awful to me now, but was my style back then. I guess you really can mature a lot in 3 years.

8th grade?? Vaughn Williams Concerto.


no not really, still can't (of course BBb).

Anywho, i didnt see a solo until 10th grade.

Cowboy BOB wrote:the Haddad suite for tuba...

Ditto on the Haddad. A good challenge, but still within the ability of a serious middle-schooler. Not too, too bad to listen to either.

TubaBluba wrote:I have played the Haddad (possibly misspelled). I didn't spend to much time on it, so it didn't sound very good.

If you just "play the ink," the Haddad will be boring as all get out. But, if you put some style and musicality into the movements, then it can be a rather fun but harmless piece. ***
Make the faster movements playful and bouncy, and the slower movements more lyrical. Plus, you can have fun (within the realms of good taste) on all those downward slurrerd intervals. Be a ham on the cadenza, that's what they are there for.

*** The same could be said for almost any piece of music

blue bells

I can't remember what I played in the 9th grade, but in the 8th grade (my second year playing tuba), I played Aria, which was an excerpt from some Telemann something-or-other. Not too hard, but Baroque and providing musical opportunities that were beyond my comprehension at that time. My sister was the accompanist.

I played it on a King fiberglass sousaphone. I got my first division, but I was surprised by that, thinking I had not played it that well. The judge was Robert Bender, director of bands at Houston Baptist University, and able to look past fiberglass and family obligations.

I should add that this was 35 years ago. I'm continually amazed by what real middle-schoolers can play these days.

Rick "who played out of the Rubank solo book the year before" Denney

For a Junior High I would check out the Warner Brothers Solos for Tuba for $2.99 at WWBW.

http://www.wwbw.com/Warner-Brothers-Sol ... 1035.music

Has several solos a book of the piano parts is just an addiontal $2.99.

If you student is more advance I would check out volume 2 in the series.

I liked the Haddad. I played Hall of the Mountain King in sixth grade for fun. Really easy, but I liked the piece and I think working the soft, staccato stuff couldn't have hurt anything. Good for a beginner to work on.

TubaBluba wrote:I thought there was quite a bit of bs in that claim. However, violinists play stuff like that when they are 11 (well the crazy progidies do) and I thought maybe it was true. (silly me)

I have heard some of those "crazy progidies" at 11 and even much youger ages. Most of them may have technique but have zero musicality. Usually their intonation is terrible too. The lucky ones get the right teacher and mature into musical adulthood. Many are never heard from again. I do not envy them.

Air and Bouree, surprised no one has said that yet. That'll give you a real challenge, but it's fun to play. And it's Bach so it makes that much more awesome.

TubaBluba wrote:Air and Bouree isn't all that difficult.

Unless you wish to play it well, in which case it is quite difficult.

I ment that the INK of Air wasn't very difficult.

I was talkin about the bouree section, dude

Charlie Goodman wrote:I played Hall of the Mountain King in sixth grade for fun. Really easy, but I liked the piece and I think working the soft, staccato stuff couldn't have hurt anything. Good for a beginner to work on.

I played that in the seventh grade (my first year playing the tuba). Again, my sister was the accompanist. Because of nerves, our duo of 7th and 9th graders started to lose control of the tempo and it got faster and faster. Many years later I began to realize that this was a reasonable musical result, despite that it was not a decision we had made.

Rick "who just returned from listening to his sister's daughter play a recital at her music school" Denney

bluemusic1 wrote:I think my first solo in middle school was Bach's Aria. I think I was the only one that had a solo now that I think about it. Not many middle school kids get solos. They should stick to learning the basics.

Isn't playing in a solo setting a basic skill? That's why they have graded solo and ensembles contests, right?

Rick "who thinks you often can't learn how to be a leader when hiding in a section" Denney

TubaBluba wrote:Air and Bouree isn't all that difficult.

I played it in the 11th grade, and it was difficult enough. I play it now at an age where I think better of empty bravado, and it's even more difficult (though my musical standards are higher). It would take a mighty musical 8th-grader to make music of it.

Rick "getting tired of the bragging" Denney

TubaRay wrote:

TubaBluba wrote:Air and Bouree isn't all that difficult.

Unless you wish to play it well, in which case it is quite difficult.

Some people master it in one week - others are still working on it afterr 20 years.

interesting ...i tried to play "in the hall of the mountain king" back in 7th grade. a good , fun peice. well within the realms of a middle schooler. fun to listen to as well. However, "Alleuja Exaulte" by Mozart is really fun, i'm going to state on it now in 10th grade for solo and ensamble, but a good 8th grader should be able to play it as well, perhaps not a clean but play it aight

doctorq wrote:In junior high, I played freakin' baseball. Tuba is great, and now I play it all the time, and it gives me an inappropriate amount of pleasure, but back in the day, I just enjoyed being a kid.

For me, enjoying being a kid meant playing the tuba. I sucked at baseball. I played six years in Little League--right up to the time I had to actually be good enough to make the team. Band was my excuse not to have to be humiliated in sports any longer. Lo and behold, I actually enjoyed the music.

Rick "who has always been a band geek" Denney

"His Majesty the Tuba" is one I remember enjoying from jr. high .