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Concert, sure.

But nothing beats a parade!!

Played my 40K seated in a church orchestra on the stage of a huge, cathedral style sanctuary with one of those massive organs in the background. One note from the 40K resonated throughout the whole building. It did really well. Sousaphones are definitely concert horns.

Agreed.

I think it would be awesome to see them play with a set of matching, vintage raincatchers! But that might just be me...

my Pan Am helicon is one of the best tubas of any kind I have ever played.

I wish I could play it for more than 20 minutes, after that my left arm and neck go numb due to disc issues in my neck.

kk

For outdoor concerts that do not have a band shell, I use a Conn 28K, 4 valve sousaphone. They are heavy to carry, but organ like in sound. Just the thing when sound direction control is needed.

So, why did recording bell tubas/sousaphones fall out of favor? It seems to have occurred (as bloke pointed out) somewhere in the 1970s.....

I like them because I don't have to work as hard when playing one

lowbrassmaniac wrote:

roweenie wrote:So, why did recording bell tubas/sousaphones fall out of favor? It seems to have occurred (as bloke pointed out) somewhere in the 1970s.....

I like them because I don't have to work as hard when playing one

Maybe because if you're not playing Sousa marches over and over where you need that barrage of potato note bombs coming from the tuba section, some directors preferred a more subtle approach to bass sounds instead of in your face. Also aesthetically more pleasing in a sit down performance were "lap tubas". (If it worked for Germany for a couple hundred years, why not in America)?

Your assessment assumes that tuba players only possess the ability to play one dynamic (and I don't mean "pianissimo").

As for me, I'm would be perfectly content to play mezzo-forte, while next to a group of cylindrical brass who are trying as hard as possible to crack the plaster on the back wall of the concert hall...

lowbrassmaniac wrote:It's so fun though, to blat on Sousaphones during a Sousa March..

20J works pretty well too.

roweenie wrote:while next to a group of cylindrical brass who are trying as hard as possible to crack the plaster on the back wall of the concert hall...

... with forward facing bells, I might add.

(I think we may have had occasion to discuss this before, but ...) the only particular problem I have with forward facing bells is hearing myself. If I could hear myself better, I believe the tonal etc. factors would be distinctly in favor of the bell front configuration, but then if I could walk on water I wouldn't need to buy ferry tickets. I think the problem is worse with my bell front Holton, than my sousaphone.

bloke wrote:The Sousa bands used them "wherever" (in/out-doors), and - well into the 1970's, most school "concert" bands used either sousaphones or bell-front "lap" tubas... Curiously (or not), they sounded quite good, as I recall.

I started in Jr. high school on BBb sousaphone in a Wenger chair. High school had bell front Reynolds Contemporas.

In high school, we used King 'glass souzys for all the above: concert (indoor or outdoor), field and street. Yes, they are concert instruments. But don't take my word for it: take my director's word for it who lead the school to over 25 years of consecutive "I" ratings at state contest.

Tubaryan12 wrote:

bloke wrote:The Sousa bands used them "wherever" (in/out-doors), and - well into the 1970's, most school "concert" bands used either sousaphones or bell-front "lap" tubas... Curiously (or not), they sounded quite good, as I recall.

I started in Jr. high school on BBb sousaphone in a Wenger chair. High school had bell front Reynolds Contemporas.

Old School, Baby!!

I asked my mom to buy me a tuba so I could practice at home, she said "shut up and go ride your bike!!"

roweenie wrote:Your assessment assumes that tuba players only possess the ability to play one dynamic (and I don't mean "pianissimo").

And what's wrong with that assumption?

Rick "confused" Denney

Workin' the low C, circa 1976....

bloke wrote:the venerable O-96

Yes, goes well with plastic tortoise-shell aviator eyeglasses and checked pants - "That 70s Show"? I lived it.....

Actually, my first encounter with a BB flat tuba (before that, a Couesnon E flat.....!!!)

ValveSlide wrote:What a great pic...

Yep, feels like it was a thousand years ago

roweenie wrote:

ValveSlide wrote:What a great pic...

Yep, feels like it was a thousand years ago

If you look closely, it actually said "OLD[s]" right over your shoulder.

Why is the window cracked open??

You'll let the AC out!!

bloke wrote:Where's your "smart" phone...and why isn't that sousaphone torn up...???

Sorry, back then all the phones were "dumb"...



As for the horn, why would anyone tear up something they love???