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About a mile below the staff.

But really, F 3 octaves below the staff.

Pretty much the same for me

On a related note, (ha-ha) what's the lowest written note you've ever seen in band literature? Personally I've only seen a pedal Db in the wild, but I'm sure crazy composers have written much lower than that.

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TubaCoopa wrote:On a related note, (ha-ha) what's the lowest written note you've ever seen in band literature? Personally I've only seen a pedal Db in the wild, but I'm sure crazy composers have written much lower than that.

William Bolcom's "Song" goes down to a pedal C (2nd C below bass staff). I believe it was written fairly recently, but those low notes are all I really remember about the piece...

In wind ensemble right now, we are working on Michael Gandolfi's "Vientos y Tangos". That one goes down to a low C#, which makes Jackson make a " " with his 4-valve Yamaha.

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If I'm really warmed up, feeling good, and the lips are flappin, I can get a good solid pedal G. Never been able to get anything below that pedal G though.

tuben wrote:Pedal F (FFFF, or 32' F)

Called for in the tuba solo, "Hoch" in the 4-movement piece, Homage to the Noble Grape by Goff Richards.

I've played a few works in brass band that call for GGGG.

I believe that at least one of them was composed by Philip Wilby.

Gene Pokorny can nail an E at least

He does so in his recording of the étude, "Pedal Point." His tone is so solid that it almost sounds synthesized (as the rhythm background is). But you can hear him breathe before the note. So unless there was some digital doctoring (I don't think that G.P. would release such a recording), it's really he playing that low EEE. One of the elements of that étude is not only to play the pedal notes for their full length and at a substantial dynamic level, but to do so along with the notes above the pedal note in perfect rhythm and with consistent tone despite the huge amount of air required. You can't cheat and take a longer breath between notes--the rhythm track prevents that!

Pedal F, occasionally Eb. I'm currently playing a piece of brass band music with a sustained pedal Ab that's supposed to be played pp.

Whatever pedal note all 5 valves down on a BBb is.

k001k47 wrote:Whatever pedal note all 5 valves down on a BBb is.

me to, just on a CC, I don't know what in the hell the note is but it usually shakes the house a bit. I don't think I've seen anything below Db above pedal C, I am playing one in a Brass Choir piece called "Awakening" by Tornstein Hagaard-Nielsen. It's a fun piece that has 3 tuba parts which is always fun. Right now the guy I play with in my Youth Orchestra sneaks in a nice subtle pedal C in a section of Copeland's "Lincoln Portrait," it works well with me playing "regular C" (below the staff).

I'll claim the pedal G...I've used it several times for the Canadian Brass version of "Tuba Polka" in the cadenza.

I can play down to the pedal F, but it's not as usable a note for me. It seems to take nearly twice the air as the G above it, and just doesn't resonate as well (although it does sound like an "F").

Hold down all your valves, take the palm of your hand, and tap the mouthpiece in 1 second intervals. "Playing" a CCCC.

For me, same as everyone else, probably the F below the pedal C.

Well, I can hit a pedal Db on my euphonium, and it's in tune, as far as I can check that. I can go chromatically down to that note, all notes in tune, maybe that's because of the compensating system. Playing in the pedal register during warmup is relaxing the lips, so I do it daily.

However, I also play a Yamaha YBB321 and I struggle to even get a pedal C out of it ! Lower, I don't even think about it.

So question to you guys, how to play that very low notes on my BBb bass tuba ?
My mouthpiece is a Denis Wick 2L, so it's pretty deep.
Has that anything to do with the yamaha? My old kaiser is at the repair shop, so I can not try.

Wim (love to get to a pedal GGGG once)

oedipoes wrote:So question to you guys, how to play that very low notes on my BBb bass tuba ?

I play in the pedal range (and sometimes a bit above it) by shifting my embouchure way up and flapping just the lower lip in the mouthpiece with a high volume of air. It takes some getting used to, but once you "figure it out" it works quite well.

Note: I am neither recommending this method as the "best" for playing pedals nor claiming that it's the only way to get them to speak. It simply works for me.

Todd S. Malicoate wrote:

oedipoes wrote:So question to you guys, how to play that very low notes on my BBb bass tuba ?

I play in the pedal range (and sometimes a bit above it) by shifting my embouchure way up and flapping just the lower lip in the mouthpiece with a high volume of air. It takes some getting used to, but once you "figure it out" it works quite well.

Note: I am neither recommending this method as the "best" for playing pedals nor claiming that it's the only way to get them to speak. It simply works for me.

I use this method on any notes that lower than Db (12345) it works well when you just cant get your lips flapping down there. I used this yesterday to rattle a church...(I was the only one there and happened to have my tuba for an audition at the university that I was at.) The church was one of the biggest churches that I have ever been to, I perfect place for that pedal C .

Regularly use an Eb (1+4 on BBb tuba) at the end of a quiet brass band piece we do.

F is pretty common in brass bands these days. Written or dropped.

GPT wrote:Lowest note I've played is a double pedal Bb at 14.567618 Hertz.

Is that not below the range of human hearing? Only an elephant would hear!

I would say my lowest with any reliability is G two octaves below the stave (staff), but I may be able get to Eb on a good day at which point my lips just stall.

Mind you, I cannot recall ever needing to play below A in actual music.

It's interesting to see the trends of how tuba parts are written in various ensembles. Many parts for brass quintet require lots of high range playing that is not usually seen elsewhere, while many brass band parts require lots of low range playing that is not usually seen elsewhere.

i think the lowest i've gotten is to about a G or an F an octave below the F that is i believe5 or 6 ledger lines below the staff i could be wrong though all i know is its really really low