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[winston]

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[JB]

...wondering if these terms, tenor tuba or bass tuba refer to something

They refer to the various members of the tuba family. Briefly (and simplistically):

tenor tuba = euphonium (although there are "true" tenor tubas with a slightly more tuba-like sound. See the picture of Mr Roger Bobo with his Alexander Tenor Tuba 151 in Bb under the Instrument Collection link at http://www.rogerbobo.com/)

bass tuba = F or Eb tubas

contrabass tuba = CC or BBb tubas

[jlbreyer]

he nailed the definition. I've heard euphoniums and baritones called soprano tubas as well.

I suspect that calling them 'sopranos' was mostly in jest.

[jlbreyer]

he nailed the definition. I've heard euphoniums and baritones called soprano tubas as well.

I suspect that calling them 'sopranos' was mostly in jest.

[Lew]

he nailed the definition. I've heard euphoniums and baritones called soprano tubas as well.

I suspect that calling them 'sopranos' was mostly in jest.

Of course, everyone knows that a fluegelhorn is the real soprano of the tuba family.

[Rick Denney]

what do you mean when you say "tuba like" sound? I thought euphoniums had a "tuba like" sound because they were conical.

He means that they sound a little more like a tuba and a little less like a euphonium. With the Alexander 151 in the hands of a skilled operator, when you stand outside the room, you hear a high, clear tuba sound. With a euphonium, you hear a deep, full euphonium sound. Listen to Gene Pokorny's excerpts CD. He plays the Bydlo solo from Pictures at an Exhibition on an Alexander 151. The difference may be more in the concept of the player than anything else, however.

But I still agree with JB's categories. The Alexander is no further in concept from, say, a Besson euphonium than an Alexander BBb tuba is from a Besson BBb tuba. I would not call the Alex a "true" tenor tuba--after all, Holst called a standard Besson a tenor tuba in his parts for The Planets--I would call it a particularly large and dark-sounding tenor tuba.

Rick "who thinks tenor tubas as a class don't vary as much as contrabass tubas" Denney

[Rick Denney]

I've heard the baritone called a piccolo tuba before. It's on this site actually, under the tips section.

I suspect that was meant in jest.

Tenor tubas are pitched in Bb/C, and if you think terminology is screwed up with those instruments, you'll love what happens to instruments pitched higher. Most common usage has the next instrument up an Eb altohorn. The next instrument up from that with the same general taper proportions (I mean general, it's impossible to scale these instruments completely and have them remain playable) is a fluegelhorn. So, I suppose that would have to be a soprano tuba if such a designation could exist outside of a joke.

To my thinking, the English-style baritone (not at all the same as an American-style baritone which is just an older form of tenor tuba) is in a different series altogether, and more related to the cornet than the tuba.

Rick "who wouldn't mind owning an Alex 151, but only if it could be had really cheap, which is one thing that doesn't happen with 151's" Denney