TubeNet

Depending on how you think, it might be taking a big chance with no preparation.

I think in lengths of tubing because the instrument I have played the most is the bass trombone with its three set of positions depending on the number of valves pressed, 0, 1, or 3. On various 4 or 5 valve instruments, one of them with and option for slide pulling, I was used to get the valve combinations as close as possible to what I would have done on the bassbone.

Woprked fine until I got my first compensating instrument, a YEP-641. Still playing with my intuitive fingerings, I ended up to a semitone flat in the low range, because the instrument added the compensating loops.

I learned to handle that, but ran into new problems, when I had a main tuning slide trigger added to the YEP-641. Until then my left thumb had no chance to mess up anything on that euph. Now that the thumb got a trigger to handle, it regreded to its bassbone function, so that a big mess came up when the 4th valve was needed. The only thing happening was the main tuning slide being pushed out.

I learned handling that also, but point being that any new instrument working differently from what you are used to calls for preparation. Playing through the given concert rep once and marking up trouble areas for more preparation might not be the worst idea.

Klaus

Ask your teacher.






(all kidding aside, you may want to check with the conductor first - the key is irrelevant but it is still bell front )

Bring a really tall (and narrow) uncomfortable to hold BBb tuba, with the 4th valve hanging off the side (somewhere) and request that the music be in treble clef trumpet music! (this is in case any of the trumpet section forgets their music or it is misplaced, so they will have something to play over your shoulder)

With the recording bell pointing left, wouldn't that obstruct your field of vision? Not being able to see music nor the conductor...

michael_glenn wrote:Not being able to see music nor the conductor...

Why would that matter???

Just make sure you play slightly out of tune to be in tune!!

I'm sure Joe can "play by ear" better than most.......

I've been winging it since the day I was born!!

Sight reading and improvisation kept me out of music and into Banking and Insurance!!

Tuned well up to Fox, and you say: No quirks.

To each, his own.

If it were anyone else, I'd recommend starting with the recording bass and observe reactions from fellow brass players and conductor (the latter has more value if [s]he is/was a brass player). If you hear snarls or see rolling eyes from your colleagues, get the concert horn out of the trunk of your car.

But since it's YOU, bloke, you've got a reputation to maintain (won't say what that reputation is)...so bring the monster Eb and enjoy yourself. If nothing else, it'll add some novelty to your Rodgers & Hammerstein experience.

And to smoothen the acceptance of that tuba you might call it The Southern Bell’.

The votes seem to be falling into two categories, hostile neglect, and favoring JS self-destruction.

Rick "amused by the latter" Denney

Doesn’t this photo display 2 RECORDING BELLS?

That looks like one heck of a linkage applied to his leadpipe there...

Anything more than 2 sousaphone bits?

Three Valves wrote:That looks like one heck of a linkage applied to his leadpipe there...

Standard for Martins.

Rick "not sure Bell actually played this instrument on this recording, come to think of it" Denney

Well--just to continue the hijacking of this insightful and informative thread...

Bell did not play the Martin on the recording. When the photo shoot was scheduled, Bell (for some reason) used the pictured Martin, that either belonged to Harvey or Harvey provided it for him. It's been a while since I looked at the cover, but in the reflection in the bell, Harvey can be seen (and I believe Carol also) back by the cameraman.

H.N.White, however, with whom Bell had a long-standing relationship, was not quite so excited when the album came out with the Martin on the cover. As a result, There was another photo shoot, and later copies of the album have the familiar image of Bell standing by a recording bell, rotary valve King.

If you truly believe that your Eb will allow you to get the right sound to do the job, use it.

If you feel uncomfortable about the notes (not being familiar with reading in Eb and all), ask for the parts ahead of time (or download them if possible) and run through them, with or without the tuba.

If the front bell is too direct for sensitive ears, turn the bell somewhere where it's appreciated. And if you play your horn at an 80 or so angle (like many players) then turning the bell all the way to the left should point it upwards at about the same angle as an upright front-valved tuba.

But weren't you already convinced that a bell-front Eb 3+1 is OK to use in an orchestra?
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