Low notes- pitch vs. tubing

[Alex Reeder]

I recently switched from BBb to CC tuba, and I have found something interesting when practicing low notes. I had thought that on low notes of the same pitch I would have the same difficulty on both horns. In practicing, this seems not to be true. For a note, such as Eb down there, 5+3 on CC and 4+1+2 on BBb, it seems harder on the CC. But an Eb and a Db seem to be equally hard.

Is it more the amount of valves that are depressed when playing low notes or the actual pitch that matters? What have other people found about this with regard to different keys of horns, even F and Eb tubas?

Note: Please don't turn this into a "which is better: BBb or CC" discussion. I don't give a crap.

[phoenix]

also 1+2+4+5 combo on a CC for the Eb

[Doug@GT]

Alex, try 3+4+5 for low Eb on your G50. It works wonders on mine.

Now, finding a low E (natural) on a CC tuba is a real challenge.

[Jay Bertolet]

You mean 2-3-4 doesn't work wonders for you on that low E Doug? That would surprise me, I find this combination the most stable of any of the low range fingerings I use on my CC tubas.

BTW, to answer the original poster, I much prefer 3-4-5 for the low Eb. Very solid and stable.

My opinion for what it's worth...

[Doug@GT]

Jay and Chris:

It must just be me. I've never been able to get a stable low E on any CC tuba. Thankfully I've never needed to play it.

[Alex Reeder]

Yeah, I meant to say 3+4+5 for that Eb. I'm still new at this!

Anyway, back to original discussion.....

[Art Hovey]

In general, brass instruments become harder to play when a lot of valves are down. Playing a low note on your CC involves more valve tubing and less bugle tubing than that same note would on a BBb, and that usually means more of a struggle and a less-beautiful tone. Any instrument has a "sweet range" (analogous to the "sweet spot" on a tennis raquet) and "more difficult" ranges above and below it. One object of the game is to select an instrument with a sweet range appropriate for the music that you want to play or that you can get paid for playing.
On some instruments there is a rather sharp boundary between the sweet range and the low range, which can be annoying. And some instruments have a few good notes hiding among the bad ones in the low range. We all learn to cope with those problems on our own favorite instruments, and find it very shocking when a different horn has a different set of problems.

[Doug@GT]

Never played low E huh? I assume that you've never played Fountians of Rome, huh? LOTS of low E!

Nope, never played it. I listen to it quite often, though.

Doug "who doesn't get to do much ensemble playing at all anymore"