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How about, "When You Wish Upon a Star". I heard Pat Sheridan do this quiet effectively.

Get a book of well known tunes and transcribe them for tuba. Easy piano books are a great source for tunes like this.
Amy

I have to agree with the Effie. Also why not some kids tunes? I can't think of any but I'm sure they'll be a hit on tuba. Good luck with it Chris...




Ralph

How about Henry Mancini's "Pie in the Face Polka"?

"A Touch of Tuba" is a great simple piece. You could get it down in two readings, and there's plenty of opportunity to "ham it up".

Also, if you have the time, Oystein (I don't know how to make that "O" with the / through it) Baadsvik's "Fnugg" would be a great crowd pleaser. You can hear part of it and buy the score on his website - baadsvik.com

You'd have to be selective in performing any solo written to be played with accompaniment if you are not playing it that way. You might not be doing justice to the instrument playing music with some of it missing. Effie would be one such a solo where the piano plays an important role in laying down the harmonic structure. I would vote for unaccompanied pieces, such as Frackenpohl's Tubatunes. Or, if you can read concert pitch treble clef, pick up any book of songs: dixieland, top 40, songs of the 80's, 90's, Beatles, show tunes whatever. If you could get a guitar (or banjo) to play chords under you, you could be a tremendous hit! Even without the chords, at least you're playing melodies. Good luck!

Not to sound snobby, but don't play anything WRITTEN for tuba. Tuba solos are only of interest to tuba players and work only in a recital or festival setting. You want to entertain, so pick a few popular tunes that the folks may recognize, the cheesier the better. I know it plays to a stereotype, but you're not there to educate, you're there to entertain. Play some melodies that stand on their own. Any tune played on the tuba would be a novelty to the average person. How about a Beatles tune? "When I'm 64", "Yellow Submarine". Or Mancini? "Baby Elephant Walk", "Moon River". Beer Barrel Polka would be a hoot. ELVIS! "Love Me Tender". Have some fun with it!

I'd just figure out alot of tunes, ironman, crazy train etc thing that people recognize.

I'm playing Effie Joins a carnival for my spring concert, and I think it really need a piano part, sure I think it sounds cool to me since the whole time im thinking of the piano part in my head so thats prolly why.

Also, just playing the first 5 measures of hey baby over and over will get people going..

I´ll second posts that suggested to play popular, recognisable tunes. I take it you´re supposed to attract passers-by so others will have time to talk them into getting involved with your group´s fundraising activity. So you want things that are fun to listen to and makes the crowd go "Oh, I know that. Cool !!" But watch out. some tunes greatly depend on accompaniment / bass line. (Example: Hang on Sloopy sounds a little "lonely out in the dark" when reduced to the lead part)

Charts from late 70´s and 80´s will do a great job, because that´s when today´s parents (and student activity supporters) were teens.

Depending on your technical faculties, Flight of the Bumble Bee always is a winner.

Get a book of well known tunes that is arranged already for baritone/bass voice. Then you can just read the melody line. Like, "Easy solos for the Bass Voice" or something like that. Do stuff people will recognize and it'll go over really well.

At our last brass band concert, when the people were being slow coming back from intermission....I blasted out 76 trombones on my tuba, and they all returned to their seats, and clapped too! They liked it; it was something they knew and it got their attention. I figure that's really what you want to do, get their attention? Being a good showman is a different skill from playing the tuba well.

MA, who always gets laughs when she hoists the tuba in the air

UF_pedal_tones wrote:Buy a folk song fake book (or any fake book, for that matter) and it's bound to have at least a few spirituals in it.

Or borrow a hymnal from a local church or two (different denominations will have different sons in the hymnal). I have an old one that I use for fun, lyrical tunes. Most anything in it sound nice on tuba, baritone, or trombone.

As already mentioned, "easy(melody only)" paino versions (grab a book) work well too.
I've got a few of those (or the organ versions). Lara's theme sounds great on tuba

Darth Vader's Theme would be fitting if your concert is during the next few weeks.