Bubbie or tenor tuba for brass ensemble?
Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:05 pm
Back in January, the tuba player in my church's brass ensemble accepted a job offer in another state. Since then, I've been (more-or-less) been able to cover the part on my comp euph (with some judicious deployment of 8va), but--at least to my ears--the sound lacks breadth and depth in the compensating and pedal range (F1-E2), and can be very stuffy in that register if my air and embouchure aren't quite right.
I'm wondering whether a Jin Bao tenor/mini tuba (Bb) or a Xuqiu/Huasheng Bubbie/travel tuba would be better sonically, and which would be the better choice between the two. The tenor/mini is tempting because I could (theoretically) use the same mouthpiece I'm currently using with my comp euph, and I wouldn't have to learn F fingerings (or transcribe & transpose the tuba part), but I'm a little skeptical that it would be much of an improvement sonically below the staff. The bubbie is tempting because its lower fundamental offers at least the possibility of a fuller, more open, tuba-like sound below the staff, but its size makes me wonder whether it would provide a large enough sound to support the full ensemble (3 trumpets, 1 french horn, 1 tenor horn, two trombones, 1 comp euph/tuba. I would note that the ensemble is composed entirely of amateurs, and we play on average 4 times a quarter. Our repertoire is mostly grade 4-5, with occasional excursions into grade 6).
I'd appreciate comments and opinions from bubbie/tenor tuba owners and dealers on how the bubbie/tenor stacks up against a comp euph, and whether either or both would provide an adequate foundation for a brass quintet/sextet/septet.
Thanks.
I'm wondering whether a Jin Bao tenor/mini tuba (Bb) or a Xuqiu/Huasheng Bubbie/travel tuba would be better sonically, and which would be the better choice between the two. The tenor/mini is tempting because I could (theoretically) use the same mouthpiece I'm currently using with my comp euph, and I wouldn't have to learn F fingerings (or transcribe & transpose the tuba part), but I'm a little skeptical that it would be much of an improvement sonically below the staff. The bubbie is tempting because its lower fundamental offers at least the possibility of a fuller, more open, tuba-like sound below the staff, but its size makes me wonder whether it would provide a large enough sound to support the full ensemble (3 trumpets, 1 french horn, 1 tenor horn, two trombones, 1 comp euph/tuba. I would note that the ensemble is composed entirely of amateurs, and we play on average 4 times a quarter. Our repertoire is mostly grade 4-5, with occasional excursions into grade 6).
I'd appreciate comments and opinions from bubbie/tenor tuba owners and dealers on how the bubbie/tenor stacks up against a comp euph, and whether either or both would provide an adequate foundation for a brass quintet/sextet/septet.
Thanks.