Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:33 am
Below is an article by steve fergusen in LA about different key instruments
his website is www.hornguy.com
"How to Learn a New Horn that's Pitched in a New Key
Having surrounded myself with trombone players, some of whom also play tuba, I have for years put up with hearing many of them say, "Oh, it's too hard to learn C tuba, or it's too hard to learn Eb alto trombone, or F contrabass trombone." This list goes on and on. Gather 'round while I attempt to teach you something. Too hard? That's a bunch of Tom Foolery. French horn players have no problem gliding through every transposition known to man. Trumpet players routinely play horns in Bb, C, D, Eb, F, and A, and then they play the wrong horns on the wrong parts and do a new transposition anyway. For trombone players to say they can't figure out C or Eb or F fingerings is a cop out. I will no longer stand for it. As a solution, I will teach you the fast way to learn it.
How did I learn it? In high school I figured out the basics. Started on trombone, added euphonium, then BBb tuba. During my first semester studying trombone and tuba at USC, I played a ratty old school-owned BBb tuba and sucked eggs on it. My teacher Jim Self said if I was serious about playing tuba, I ought to buy a CC tuba right away. He recommended one, and I inked a deal to buy it, but couldn't pick it up right away. At my next lesson, I told Jim of my new purchase, and he said, "Well, why don't you play this lesson on my C tuba." He placed his horn on my lap, and I had to belt out Rochut #1 on it, right away. No time for slinking into the shadows. So I did it. Not without mistakes, but I succeeded.
It can be done. It takes practice, but not nearly as much as one might think.
Here's how to do it.
1) Find the fundamental note of the new horn that corresponds to that of your old axe. Without looking at any music and without worrying about absolute pitch, practice all your scale and warm-up patterns as you would on your old horn. If you play BBb tuba and are moving to CC, everything will sound up one whole step, but don't worry. Just get the fingering patterns going as you would on your old horn. Do all your scales and slurs and Clarke studies.
2) Stop and think about what the new fingerings might be. Knowing how much each valve lowers the pitch from the open horn will help, but if you're considering learning a new horn, you most likely have that figured out already. On CC tuba, the fingerings are not rocket science. Lessee.....Hmmm....C is...uuuhhhh...mmmm....OPEN! Yes! You've got it! Go on. G: open, F: 1st, E: 1 and 2, Eb: 2 and 3, D: 4th, Db: who knows?, Bb: 1st, A: 1 and 2, Ab: 2 and 3. You're almost done.
Another way to think about it is this: Just about all brass instruments have the same fingerings, except for trombone, bass clef euphonium, and BBb tuba. And it goes this way: Written C is played open, and the note that sounds is the key of your horn. Eb alto horn: see a C, play it open, sounds Eb. Bb trumpet: see a C, play it open, sounds Bb. French horn: see a C, play it open, sounds F. Trebel clef baritone and euhponium: see a C, play it open, sounds Bb. CC tuba: see a C, play it open, sounds C. Like, wow.
HISTORY LESSON: Why is this? It goes back to tympani writing, where all notes are written C, G, C, G, C, G, etc. And you just tune the drums to the requested pitches, but the notation still says C, G, C, G, ad nauseum. Same with natural trumpets and natural horns. C, and G are written, put in the correct crook as requested, finger C, G, (open?), and the horn sounds the right pitches.
So, if you can learn CC tuba fingerings, you're also learning trumpet, alto horn, and French horn. It's good knowledge to have.
3) OK, here's the leap of faith to get you over the hump. Get out your Rochut Melodious Etudes Book 1. Don't have one? Buy it here. It is required study for mastering a low brass instrument. A substitute would be the Bel Canto Studies, which is some of the same etudes either down an octave or in another key. So, turn to a familiar etude that is IN THE KEY OF YOUR NEW HORN. For CC tuba, pick any etude that's in the key of C. For Eb tuba, pick an Eb etude. And so on. Then slowly play the etude by interval, thinking all the while, "Bb scale fingerings!" That's because an etude in C on a CC tuba has the same fingerings as the same etude in Bb on a BBb tuba. And you know the Bb scale. right? Here are some tricks to help you: roots and fifths of the scale, and of this etude, are open. Thirds are open (high) or 1-2 (low). Fourths are 1, and the second (D), is 1 (high) or 4 (low). Try Rochut #1 or #5. For CC tuba, F etudes are easy too, as they use your old familiar Eb scale fingering off the BBb tuba. Still with me? For F tuba, start with the F etudes, then the Bb ones. For G contrabass trombone (one of my triumphs) I played al the etudes in the key of G. Keep at it. It'll come faster than you imagine.
4) Here's a special trick for Eb instruments, including Eb alto horn and Eb tuba. Can you read treble clef?
Try this:
Look at a written C in treble clef. If it were an alto horn or transposed treble clef Eb tuba part, you'd look at that C, play it open, and your horn would sound Eb.
Now look at a written Eb in a bass clef part. Hmm....looks like it's written in exactly the same place in the staff as a treble clef C. So, you see this Eb in bass clef, pretend it's a treble clef C, finger C, which is open (remember step #2 above), and it sounds Eb. You can also pretend you're reading tenor clef if you can figure out the key change (I can't).
A positive rant about Eb tubas: When trumpet players go bad, band leaders tend to throw them down into the euphonium section or into the tuba section. Given a treble clef Bb euphonium part, most can get it. Same fingerings, just sounds down an octave. In the tuba section, it's usually not so easy. BBb tuba sounds down two octaves, but they have to learn bass clef, and that's an awfully big tuba too. Who wants to play a tuba that big? Not me. I suck on BBb. So why don't they hand the fallen trumpet players an Eb tuba? Think how much easier it is to make the change. They see a bass clef Eb, which looks like their familiar treble clef C, they play it open, and it sounds Eb. The horn is nimble and light, and I think it's a faster way into tuba and bass clef than is the big BBb tuba. Just food for thought. IMHO, most students should start on Eb tuba. I believe that's the case in British brass bands, but not here in the States. Damn shame, that.
5) Other tips. Don't try to learn alto trombone positions and alto clef at the same time. Also learn to play Eb alto trombone both as a transposing instrument like alto horn (play C open, sounds Eb) and a written pitch instrument (how we usually do it). You'll get a lot more fluid at reading all sorts of parts if you can do it both ways. Remember, half the fingerings of Eb flat instruments are the same as Bb instruments, as the harmonics are Bb, Eb, instead of Bb, F. You know most of the notes already.
Thanks for your kind attention, and good luck!
Steve Ferguson"
his website is www.hornguy.com
"How to Learn a New Horn that's Pitched in a New Key
Having surrounded myself with trombone players, some of whom also play tuba, I have for years put up with hearing many of them say, "Oh, it's too hard to learn C tuba, or it's too hard to learn Eb alto trombone, or F contrabass trombone." This list goes on and on. Gather 'round while I attempt to teach you something. Too hard? That's a bunch of Tom Foolery. French horn players have no problem gliding through every transposition known to man. Trumpet players routinely play horns in Bb, C, D, Eb, F, and A, and then they play the wrong horns on the wrong parts and do a new transposition anyway. For trombone players to say they can't figure out C or Eb or F fingerings is a cop out. I will no longer stand for it. As a solution, I will teach you the fast way to learn it.
How did I learn it? In high school I figured out the basics. Started on trombone, added euphonium, then BBb tuba. During my first semester studying trombone and tuba at USC, I played a ratty old school-owned BBb tuba and sucked eggs on it. My teacher Jim Self said if I was serious about playing tuba, I ought to buy a CC tuba right away. He recommended one, and I inked a deal to buy it, but couldn't pick it up right away. At my next lesson, I told Jim of my new purchase, and he said, "Well, why don't you play this lesson on my C tuba." He placed his horn on my lap, and I had to belt out Rochut #1 on it, right away. No time for slinking into the shadows. So I did it. Not without mistakes, but I succeeded.
It can be done. It takes practice, but not nearly as much as one might think.
Here's how to do it.
1) Find the fundamental note of the new horn that corresponds to that of your old axe. Without looking at any music and without worrying about absolute pitch, practice all your scale and warm-up patterns as you would on your old horn. If you play BBb tuba and are moving to CC, everything will sound up one whole step, but don't worry. Just get the fingering patterns going as you would on your old horn. Do all your scales and slurs and Clarke studies.
2) Stop and think about what the new fingerings might be. Knowing how much each valve lowers the pitch from the open horn will help, but if you're considering learning a new horn, you most likely have that figured out already. On CC tuba, the fingerings are not rocket science. Lessee.....Hmmm....C is...uuuhhhh...mmmm....OPEN! Yes! You've got it! Go on. G: open, F: 1st, E: 1 and 2, Eb: 2 and 3, D: 4th, Db: who knows?, Bb: 1st, A: 1 and 2, Ab: 2 and 3. You're almost done.
Another way to think about it is this: Just about all brass instruments have the same fingerings, except for trombone, bass clef euphonium, and BBb tuba. And it goes this way: Written C is played open, and the note that sounds is the key of your horn. Eb alto horn: see a C, play it open, sounds Eb. Bb trumpet: see a C, play it open, sounds Bb. French horn: see a C, play it open, sounds F. Trebel clef baritone and euhponium: see a C, play it open, sounds Bb. CC tuba: see a C, play it open, sounds C. Like, wow.
HISTORY LESSON: Why is this? It goes back to tympani writing, where all notes are written C, G, C, G, C, G, etc. And you just tune the drums to the requested pitches, but the notation still says C, G, C, G, ad nauseum. Same with natural trumpets and natural horns. C, and G are written, put in the correct crook as requested, finger C, G, (open?), and the horn sounds the right pitches.
So, if you can learn CC tuba fingerings, you're also learning trumpet, alto horn, and French horn. It's good knowledge to have.
3) OK, here's the leap of faith to get you over the hump. Get out your Rochut Melodious Etudes Book 1. Don't have one? Buy it here. It is required study for mastering a low brass instrument. A substitute would be the Bel Canto Studies, which is some of the same etudes either down an octave or in another key. So, turn to a familiar etude that is IN THE KEY OF YOUR NEW HORN. For CC tuba, pick any etude that's in the key of C. For Eb tuba, pick an Eb etude. And so on. Then slowly play the etude by interval, thinking all the while, "Bb scale fingerings!" That's because an etude in C on a CC tuba has the same fingerings as the same etude in Bb on a BBb tuba. And you know the Bb scale. right? Here are some tricks to help you: roots and fifths of the scale, and of this etude, are open. Thirds are open (high) or 1-2 (low). Fourths are 1, and the second (D), is 1 (high) or 4 (low). Try Rochut #1 or #5. For CC tuba, F etudes are easy too, as they use your old familiar Eb scale fingering off the BBb tuba. Still with me? For F tuba, start with the F etudes, then the Bb ones. For G contrabass trombone (one of my triumphs) I played al the etudes in the key of G. Keep at it. It'll come faster than you imagine.
4) Here's a special trick for Eb instruments, including Eb alto horn and Eb tuba. Can you read treble clef?
Try this:
Look at a written C in treble clef. If it were an alto horn or transposed treble clef Eb tuba part, you'd look at that C, play it open, and your horn would sound Eb.
Now look at a written Eb in a bass clef part. Hmm....looks like it's written in exactly the same place in the staff as a treble clef C. So, you see this Eb in bass clef, pretend it's a treble clef C, finger C, which is open (remember step #2 above), and it sounds Eb. You can also pretend you're reading tenor clef if you can figure out the key change (I can't).
A positive rant about Eb tubas: When trumpet players go bad, band leaders tend to throw them down into the euphonium section or into the tuba section. Given a treble clef Bb euphonium part, most can get it. Same fingerings, just sounds down an octave. In the tuba section, it's usually not so easy. BBb tuba sounds down two octaves, but they have to learn bass clef, and that's an awfully big tuba too. Who wants to play a tuba that big? Not me. I suck on BBb. So why don't they hand the fallen trumpet players an Eb tuba? Think how much easier it is to make the change. They see a bass clef Eb, which looks like their familiar treble clef C, they play it open, and it sounds Eb. The horn is nimble and light, and I think it's a faster way into tuba and bass clef than is the big BBb tuba. Just food for thought. IMHO, most students should start on Eb tuba. I believe that's the case in British brass bands, but not here in the States. Damn shame, that.
5) Other tips. Don't try to learn alto trombone positions and alto clef at the same time. Also learn to play Eb alto trombone both as a transposing instrument like alto horn (play C open, sounds Eb) and a written pitch instrument (how we usually do it). You'll get a lot more fluid at reading all sorts of parts if you can do it both ways. Remember, half the fingerings of Eb flat instruments are the same as Bb instruments, as the harmonics are Bb, Eb, instead of Bb, F. You know most of the notes already.
Thanks for your kind attention, and good luck!
Steve Ferguson"
