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What distinguishes an Eb from a EEb tuba? Since the tubing length is still that of a bass tuba with a fundamental pitch of great Eb, what earns a EEb its designation? It is really a misnomer, n'est pas? Where did this get started?

My understanding is that the designation EEb was introduced by British manufactures to differentiate the larger bore compensated 4 valve Eb's from the narrow bore uncompensated 3 valve models.

"EEb" is therefore really a marketing term which has been widely adopted, particularly in Britain. Pitch wise, they are all really Eb tubas!

Just like the "/4" concept, it's only a marketing term, and it's whatever the marketing department wants it to mean.

It makes no sense anyway, because if an Eb cornet is in Eb, then alto instruments would be in EEb, and tubas would then be in EEEb, while sub-contras would be in EEEEb. Sort of.

EE definitely means something in the world of shoes and bras......but TUBAS? Nope.

gregsundt wrote:What distinguishes an Eb from a EEb tuba? Since the tubing length is still that of a bass tuba with a fundamental pitch of great Eb, what earns a EEb its designation? It is really a misnomer, n'est pas? Where did this get started?

Besson started it by designating their large, compensated, four-valve Eb tubas thusly. I believe they did so to assert that the instrument was capable of carrying the tuba role in an orchestra, just like CC and BBb tubas. So, though it's a bass tuba, its size and compensation system makes it able to fulfill a contrabass role, at least according to their marketing.

But an EEb tuba is an Eb tuba, and both are in the same octave.

Let's face it, the whole octave designation thing is a botch-up from the start. The boundaries of every octave-designation scheme I've ever seen fall between B and C, and it is thus impossible for a Bb tuba to share the same octave with a C tuba, even though they are only a step apart.

I'm trying to wean myself off of doubling the letters. Does anyone not know what I mean if I write "C tuba" or "Bb tuba"? If I meant instruments in the tenor range, I'd use other words in any case.

Rick "who could make four EEb Sovereigns with the brass from a melted-down Holton 345" Denney

and if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon!

Todd S. Malicoate wrote:and if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon!

No, she'd be a MotherMother...

Rick Denney wrote:[I'm trying to wean myself off of doubling the letters. Does anyone not know what I mean if I write "C tuba" or "Bb tuba"? If I meant instruments in the tenor range, I'd use other words in any case.

I notice the Germans only use single letters, so doubling seems to be an British/American idea.

Jonathan "who if he is talking to someone only says C tuba, or Bb tuba"

"That green & pleasant land?". I get it!! GREENLAND!

Todd S. Malicoate wrote:and if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon!

Aye!

euphomate wrote:"That green & pleasant land?". I get it!! GREENLAND!

There's always one!

A clue - a bit more water to cross!

tubashaman wrote:if you say C tuba, you MIGHT get it confused with the french C tuba

No, that would be a c tuba.

finnbogi wrote:

tubashaman wrote:if you say C tuba, you MIGHT get it confused with the french C tuba

No, that would be a c tuba.

It's easy to C, when you put it that way ...

Scooby Tuba wrote:

finnbogi wrote:

tubashaman wrote:if you say C tuba, you MIGHT get it confused with the french C tuba

No, that would be a c tuba.

Oh, I thought it was a c tuba.

As opposed to a C tuba?

C# or Bb.

OldsRecording wrote:

Scooby Tuba wrote:

finnbogi wrote: No, that would be a c tuba.

Oh, I thought it was a c tuba.

As opposed to a C tuba?

That's what the TNFJâ„¢ needs to define... the size of the letter is proportional to the octave!

Eb trumpet
Eb altohorn
Eb bass tuba
Eb contrabass tuba

Oh, now I C! Size DOES matter!

tubashaman wrote:

Rick Denney wrote:I'm trying to wean myself off of doubling the letters. Does anyone not know what I mean if I write "C tuba" or "Bb tuba"? If I meant instruments in the tenor range, I'd use other words in any case.

if you say C tuba, you MIGHT get it confused with the french C tuba

Nope, I'm not buying it.

Fred walks up to George in the music building at Enormous State University, and says, "Wow, my prof just told me ESU is buying four new C tubas for us to use!"

George will not be assuming that Fred is describing le tuba petit et ut. And if he asks, then he's even more of a pedantic know-it-all than I am.

Rick "assuming nowadays that 'c tuba' = 'contrabass' even if the subject is Bydlo, and even if the conversant is French" Denney

Serge wrote:Well I always thought that a C tuba was always considered a french tuba and a CC tuba was just a contra bass tuba pitched in C and a Bb tuba is a euphonium/baritone and a BBb tuba is the tuba I play at school.

I'm not saying its right or wrong, thats just what I assumed.

You mean that if another (non-elderly French) tuba player walked up to you and see, "Hey, check out my new C" or even "check out the C tuba I bought on ebay", you would assume he was talking about a small French C tuba?

Rick "not buying it" Denney

Serge wrote:If someone walked up to me and said that, I would most likely assume its a CC. Not many people I know of in real life feel the need to say CC instead of C.

I don't think I've ever heard anyone actually talk about CC (as in seesee) tubas - isn't it only a written distinction?