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I also play guitar and bass and sing in praise bands. I get a lot of pleasure in creating music, but each instrument is a little different. The SOUND of the tuba is the most unique, and keeps me fired up to practice and play often.

I play tuba, euphonium, trombone, and piano...and I sing (classical, traditional sacred, and an occasionally contempory styles).

I do love the way a tune sounds on the tuba...like the voice of a god or something. I started with euphonium and really missed the more melodic parts in band when I switched. Little egomaniac that I was, I always felt like a lead trumpet trapped in a tuba reality and a operatic tenor voice trapped inside a baritone lied voice. Eventually, though, I learned to accept my choice of instrument and it's proper role in an ensemble and to except that I was never going to be a Rudolfo or Cavaradossi.

Bass guitar, euphonium, trombone, bass clarinet, to go along with BBb and Civil-War-Era Eb tubas.

I play what I need to play or sing -to match up as much as possible with the instrumentation of the tune I am attempting. I spent 20 plus years in bars aping top 40 hits with a four or five piece band.
If you find yourself understaffed to cover every line of a popular tune, it becomes necessary to pick the guts out of the arrangement and try to generalize the mood and feeling of the arrangement with the few players available playing multiple instruments and singing backup. This can work well and make audiences very happy. This can also result in a musical car wreck if the "plan" fails.
Absences due to sickness, players in jail, extreme hangovers etc...were usually covered by me moving from from rhythm guitar and horns to bass guitar/vocal or drums /vocal-whatever would fill up best. It was tighter sounding to play one man short than hire a sub and throw strange tunes at him all night.
The same five of us played together six nights for over five years. Our tune list swelled to 600 plus. If any one of us knew enough lyrics to a request we could play it with at least three part harmony. Sometimes these "wing-ems" sounded so good we added them to our tune list.
Sometimes adjustments we made playing one man short were better or more fun that what we had been doing so we tried work those in as well.

bdengler wrote:Do any of you play other instruments or do you seem to get the satisfaction of playing tunes on the tuba?

Hey, played string bass for a bit before a I took up the tuba.

If I understand what you're driving at -- consider a saxophone. Unless your choice of instruments is more of an accident than I think, you will want to play tuba in ensemble situations, but it's only slightly more interesting than the string bass as a solo voice. I love it, play all the time just to hear that sound, but when I play the saxophone, I go where the tuba cannot follow. We are not talking just about compass or articulation, but about a range of expression that doesn't translate. Though that may not really matter, if "play some songs, like Christmas music" means what it sounds like - only you would know whether you have any need for the unique expressive capability of the saxophone.

Don't know if it's practical. My informal and haphazard musical education started with woodwinds, and the sax caters to all my woodwind experience without the gratuitous difficulties you get with bassoon or clarinet, but with a later start it might as hard for you as viola is for me. I can't account for why some people who take up the saxophone sound so awful on it. Also don't know about the arthritis thing. Whatever you do, don't get a soprano sax, and pllease don't tell the Tubenet guys I compared the tuba unfavorably in any way with the saxophone.

Back in 6th grade I picked up the trombone and I got pretty proficient on it (for a 6th grader, I was 1st chair), then in 7th grade our band needed a tuba player and I was the only one who volunteered for it and I've been playing it since then (about 9 years now). I can play the Euphonium if whenever someone needs one as well as the trumpet. I taught myself the electric bass in 10th grade and I just play when someone needs one last minute (just filled in for the 2nd jazz band here at UCA on 4 days notice since their bass player was unreliable). I think every tuba player should pick up another instrument, it's really vauable...since there are few tuba openings and many players...

I so love the unique sound of the tuba, I have never really wanted to play anything else!

I play Native American Flutes and find it a nice compliment to a tuba. The sound is lush and gentle, very relaxing to both listener and player. Native American flutes are not at all difficult to master and the technical facility comes readily. I have recorded one CD which has sold moderately well so it was also a fair financial move to take up this instrument. I don't know if it matters that I am a Native American - probably was more important to finding the instrument than to whatever ability I have on it. I have been playing tuba for 58 years and recording with Native American flutes for about 10.

I started on cornet, then went to trumpet, and throughout highschool and college I continued to work my way down the staff until I finally ended with the "king" of instruments. My tuba teacher corrected my embrochure, and after I could play decently, I went back up as a "hobby", getting gigs playing horn, alto trombone, and even cornet.

So I guess "brass" is the answer...

At one time I played any instrument whose name began with T, though nowdays it just begins with TU. Lately I have also played (in concert) Banjo, Baritone, Windbreaker, Slide windbreaker and Krummhorn, so I am branching out to a few other letters!

I play trumpet & cornet (the trumpet is my wife's, the cornet is mine) and am teaching myself trombone & bass guitar. She absolutely refuses to teach me piano and accordian, but we play some mean polkas with her on accordian and me on tuba.

chipster55 wrote:I play trumpet & cornet (the trumpet is my wife's, the cornet is mine) and am teaching myself trombone & bass guitar. She absolutely refuses to teach me piano and accordian, but we play some mean polkas with her on accordian and me on tuba.

Now there's a marriage made to last!

I'm not sure I would say I play any of these, but I play around with them enough that I can get through a few songs:
-acoustic bass guitar
-alto horn
-mellophone
-mandolin
-piano
-harmonica
-I have just restored (and sold) a pump organ and I'm about to begin my second restoration. I can play the Manchester College and Indiana University alma mater (both the same traditional tune) and hack through a couple of hymns on this.

I will never play anything well enough to be paid for it, but I have tons of fun, and every once in awhile I actually get a compliment on my tuba playing!

       sousaphone

jonesbrass wrote:I also play guitar and bass and sing in praise bands. {snip}

Me too! (on all counts, except bass guitar is still in a learning mode -- and as a long-time guitarist AND tubist, I am confident Joe's comment re: ease of learning bass to a passable proficiency level is accurate.)

Oh ... and I also do have a King 2280 euph I guess I should "learn how to play" . . . which Joe says is also easy . . . .

... and a couple of harmonicas .... and a nose flute ... (which I've never used in public), etc.

Cheers,

I play a little euphonium.


It is pretty scary, however.


As for the enjoyment. I love playing euph in marching ensembles, but not much else. I.E. Phantom Regiment 2003


I sound absolutely wretched, but i think it improves my tuba chops a little bit.

I am a certified bass guitar holder: I have one year's experience about 7 times.....

I also hold bass trombone, and I've played euphonium on national tour (definitely a holder on that one, too...).

Nah....tuba is the one for me...not good enough to be a "jack" of any other trade....

AVC

In order of skill:

1. Saxophones (Got 8) Plays mostly the large ones like baritone and bass
2. Clarinets (Got 12) Prefer my bass and contraalto.
3. Recorders (Got 12)
4. Flutes (Got 3)
5. Alto and baritone horn (Got 3)
6. Tuba (Got 3)
7. Trumpet and cornet (Got 2)
8. Electric bass guitar
9. Guitar (Got 3)

I'm struggling to get my tuba playing to a higher level. Have an ambition to get it to number 3 on my list within a few years. I'm learning a lot through this forum.

I've also played bassoon, oboe, trombone, piano/keyboard, ukelele, percussion, harmonica, didgeridoo and accordion.

I got a set of Bagpipes 6 months ago , only 6 years 6 months to get it right and to lose all my neighbours!!!!
can play Euph , Bass Trom and some basic percussion.

bassax wrote:In order of skill:

1. Saxophones (Got Plays mostly the large ones like baritone and bass
2. Clarinets (Got 12) Prefer my bass and contraalto.
3. Recorders (Got 12)
4. Flutes (Got 3)
5. Alto and baritone horn (Got 3)
6. Tuba (Got 3)
7. Trumpet and cornet (Got 2)
8. Electric bass guitar
9. Guitar (Got 3)

I'm struggling to get my tuba playing to a higher level. Have an ambition to get it to number 3 on my list within a few years. I'm learning a lot through this forum.

I've also played bassoon, oboe, trombone, piano/keyboard, ukelele, percussion, harmonica, didgeridoo and accordion.

Wow. Doubler is your middle name!

Congrats.