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After about 6 years of playing CC tuba, I am thinking about switching to BBb. I just feel more comfortable with the fingerings...I had no problem learning F and Eb, but CC fingering have just never felt right to me. Any opinions?

Don't ask us, buddy. Go with what feels good. Life's too short to do otherwise!

6 years is more than enough time. Switch back! And if it's not what you remember it as, switch back back again. No one cares (nor should care) except for you!

Good point...now to find someone that will trade a 5 valved BBb tuba for a 5 valved CC..hmm

Mwtuba32 wrote:Good point...now to find someone that will trade a 5 valved BBb tuba for a 5 valved CC..hmm

Better hang on to the CC... just in case it doesn't work out.

Trades rarely work well. Far better to sell and buy what you really want!

I switched from a Thor to a miraclone over the summer.not one person has noticed.

I'm back to playing BBb tuba after about 20 years. I still own and play my CC tuba, but I'm playing more band work than anything else these days and find I get the sound I want in a band setting with the BBb instruments. 20 years ago, there were very few acceptable models of BBb tuba on the market. All the technology seemed to be going into making CC tubas. But that's not the case today. With MW, Kanstul, Miraphone, and lots of Chinese repros, you can certainly find a respectable BBb tuba at a cost you can afford. If it's the sound you're looking for, go for it!

My two cents,
Frank Ortega

I am seriously thinking about switching back to BBb myself. As I only play in community bands and have no orchestral aspirations, BBb instead of CC might make my life easier. If I play a note perfectly in-tune according to the tuner and the BBb players around me all play it flat, (2nd space C first valve, or Db 2&3 flat because the 3rd slide is pulled out to play a low C 1&3) then of course it is me that is out of tune for my ensemble. I'd rather wait for the person running a red light to clear the intersection than to pull out and get hit. The only thing stopping me is my York CC is still the best tuba I have ever played.

Somewhere here on TubeNet, someone said, "The only people who care if you play BBb or CC are other tuba players. The people with their butts in the seats can't tell the difference".

Mr. Walters above does make a reasonable case for wanting to play BBb when amongst other BBb players. (Can a CC horn be 'uncut' to BBb? )

MikeMason wrote:I switched from a Thor to a miraclone over the summer.not one person has noticed.

Same here - no-one notices if I play my Neptune or Wessex/JinBao 410 CC - a bit disconcerting when one is worth ten-times that of the other!

However what the conductor did notice was when I took a BBb to try and did not play up to my normal standard (due to lack of familiarity). It is how well you play, rather than what tuba being used which gets noticed.

Mwtuba32 wrote:Good point...now to find someone that will trade a 5 valved BBb tuba for a 5 valved CC..hmm

I don't know what kind of playing you do, but 5 valves are not nearly as "necessary" on a BBb as they are on a CC.

My 2 cents.

Play the horn you are comfortable with.

Among my other endeavors, I am conducting 3 bands right now. In my wind orchestra, I have 2 CC's and a BBb; in my brass band, 4 CC's, one F; in my community band I have 3 CC's and 2 BBb's. Frankly, I like the color of mixed-pitched instruments, like Berlioz originally did with 'Fantastique' (one c one b-flat ophecleide). The 'bad' notes of one instrument blend out the 'bad' notes of the other. Honestly, though, I think the color difference is more in the players' concept, and the make/design of the instruments, rather than the key. As a conductor, as long as the tubists are playing in tune, I couldn't care LESS what key tuba they are playing. It is my observation, though, that the 4 valve horns have more pitch issues, than do the 5 bangers. So to answer the OP's question, play what you want, play in tune, make a great sound and have fun!!