TubeNet

What do you think the most audience friendly tuba solo or feature piece of literature is? By audience-friendly I mean that it would be well received by any sort of crowd. I find that too many times the average person dismisses tuba as a low buffoonish instrument only capable of producing flatulence-like sounds. Let's pretend that difficulty of the arrangement or accompaniment are out of the question.

My #1 pick (as far as audience friendliness goes) would have to be Tuba Tiger Rag. How about you?

For a band, "Them Basses".

Big Joe, the Tuba:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acruyj3Eh9M" target="_blank

We played this a couple years ago. There were five tubas in The Section, and the audience loved it.

The Carioca - Vincent Youmanns

John Cage 4'33

There is an arrangement of Blackbird for solo tuba that I play for audiences that I might not expect to like tuba music. It's pretty, funky, and showy.

I have found that Kellaway's Morning Song is attractive to audiences of all types. It also works well on euphonium (OK'd by Kellaway). The downside for tuba is that it goes up to a high Bb. There are 2 A's and 2 Bb's in one section - the rest is not so bad.

Suite for Tuba by Don Haddad is pretty lyrical and completely flatulence free.

a significantly harder piece, but I can't imagine a general audience not liking the James Grant Three Furies

There is no more popularly famous Tuba song for the masses, than the A & W Root Beer song, as per this 1970's era 30 sec. TV advert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqb33EeQhFg

The song is properly known as "Ba Dum, De Dum", and it was co-written by Bob Buckley. I happen to play in a wind ensemble with Bob, who earned alot of money writing TV & Radio jingles. Here's the FULL version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VROlhtRYcA

I like the Lebedev Concerto in One Movement. Doesn't sound like a "tuba song", more like a tuba playing a (manageable) violin solo. Does have a bit of flatulence at a few points though...

copelbaa wrote:There is an arrangement of Blackbird for solo tuba that I play for audiences that I might not expect to like tuba music. It's pretty, funky, and showy.

Where does one get that arrangement?

Who played tuba on that Root Bear theme?

A&W had another theme back then (Let's All Go to A&W), and they made the mistake of actually having lyrics. As kids we'd make up some really funny parodies of that theme...............

apsapienza wrote:a significantly harder piece, but I can't imagine a general audience not liking the James Grant Three Furies

Sure, but I think Six-Pack does a better job at having an explicit story line, like Effie. Only if the crowd is old enough though...

Beelzebub is nice. Monti Czardas is fun but difficult

Czardas!

Most H.L. Clarke cornet solos.
Hungarian Melodies by V. Bach
Most A. Pryor trombone solos.
You get my point.

Question,why is it called Them Basses when it's nothing more than a soli number with the trombone section? Nothing against trombone because I play that as well.

I have always had great success with the Effie Suite. Its nice lyrical and it's got a funny story you can convey to the audience!

Usually, our instrument shines exhibiting the music written for others. VW, Gregson, Effie and others are "nice", but the classics are classics because they've entertained grillions of people for decades or centuries.

Victor Davies' concerto has gotten great audience reactions, so I'd encourage that. Horn music translates very well, so Strauss, etc. shine with us as they have for horn players. Tough blow, but worth the audience reaction!

Clarke, Arban, Llewellyn, Pryor, etc. are built to entertain, and entertain they do! Beelzebub does too, of course.

"If I only had a brain" always works, but doesn't cast us in the best light.

My favorite has always been Clarke's "Bride of the Waves". Do it well, and the end will have the audience leap out of their seats. It's perfect tuba music