F tuba

[S.G.F.]

Actually the Wessex berg is a pretty solid horn. Especially once you factor in the price tag. Would get you through a college degree until you can afford something with the bigger price tag.

I believe they've copied a model 3099 B & S for the design.

[barry grrr-ero]

"I need some advice on why I need one as a professional musician"

That was the original question, and I think many are not addressing what was written. As a "professional musician", you will need an F or Eb tuba for a symphony gig. Period. End of story. Anybody who says you won't need it are simply incorrect. Name a single major symphony orchestra tuba player who doesn't own an F or Eb tuba. You'll need it for Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Bydlo (unless you get a Euph' or tenor tuba), Jabba The Hut (yes, you'll have to do the occasional John Williams concert), Babar the Elephant, etc. You'll most likely be far more comfortable playing the Vaughan Williams concerto on a bass tuba, and the John Williams would be darn near impossible on a Contrabass (why would you want to, even if you could!).

If, on the other hand, we're talking about a brass quintet (small CC would do), Dixieland band, military band, circus band (do they still exist?), Oktoberfest band, rock band or Mexican banda, then you won't need the F. Los Angeles studio players might occasionally need an F (or Eb), but would definitely need a Cimbasso - most likely pitched in F. Professional opera pit players need a Cimbasso as well. Many conductors are specifying cimbasso for Verdi operas.

If you're going to teach school and just play tuba on the side, you'll probably not 'need' an F. But I can't imagine that you would actually regret learning F (or Eb) and having one at your disposal. I think the variety enriches you.

I always find it interesting when players who own a boat load of different instruments, tell others that they will only need a single instrument. One wonders if they aren't talking to themselves.

[pjv]

Agreed. A professional trumpetist plays only Bb when they are only working a select circuit. The others play Bb, C, Eb, F, piccolo & flugel horn. Often in both piston and rotary versions.
About the Brass quintet: it really depends on who you play with and what their/your criteria is. An F or an Eb sound cleaner and more agile. This is often much more important then having a boomy bass. After al, how much bass do you need? With only four other musicians you'll always hear the tuba.
Recordings: any time you are part of a brass section for a CD recording it's really up for grabs what the arranger was thinking. I recently played 5 tracks with horn tbn and tuba as the brass section. I was very glad I had my F.
About operas and ballets: maybe the live music funding gets cut a lot in the US as it does here in Europe; nevertheless, there are a lot of very active ballet and opera orchestras here. Seeing as "being a professional" doesn't exclude moving to another country: learning BBb, CC, Eb, F, euphonium and cimbasso could become a reality. F is a good second. Eb might be better. Discuss it with your teacher

[pjv]

Ah, but that's the rule of concentrating all one's efforts on one thing (one instrument, one music ensemble).
Nice job, if you can get it!
p.s. I imagine that the tv pays much less than it should or that we think they do.

[MaryAnn]

I would guess the TV is a union gig, with union scale.

[Dan Tuba]

A few videos of Kerry Turner's "Ricochet" from YouTube.
Live:
https://youtu.be/_j54kpqzo1I" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
https://youtu.be/Dp5MVlCau6U" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
https://youtu.be/gligREfjh6I" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
https://youtu.be/fCpM2ipugic" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Studio recordings:
https://youtu.be/id7QV7uKMNc" target="_blank" target="_blank
https://youtu.be/m1S8GtUuRgc" target="_blank" target="_blank
https://youtu.be/keXPr5tub78" target="_blank


What key tuba works for this piece? Maybe an F or EEb might be nice if you're performing a brass quintet recital of this type of music?

[Alex C]

Did you say that you already own a quality CC (or BBb) tuba? You need a good big tuba before you buy an F. Accumulating instruments will not make you a better player. Learning to play the equipment you have will make you a better player. Get the best CC tuba you can before you start looking at F tubas.

[Biggs]

A couple of issues with unionism are
- the most competent and the least incompetent members fall under the same pay scale.
- that when potential customers are presented with a union pay scale (if revealed to them), they believe that the finest/most-competent/most high-profile should always be willing to work for the same fee as the least competent.

*nods head vigorously*

I was a member of a union for approximately nine months of a job I held for four years. I left for two principal reasons, the more significant of which is that I discovered what sort of boobs this union was protecting and GUARANTEEING Biggs-level pay for. My compensation was not particularly generous, but it was certainly fair; I didn't have any reason to think I should be paid more. The boobs' compensation was, generally, unfair to our employer; I had about a million reasons to think I should be paid more than the boobs.

I'm not anti-unionism, but I am anti-incompetence. Union protection of incompetence, in my view, only devalues the trade practiced by members of that union.

[PaulMaybery]

I think Bloke's comments have a lot of merit. He pretty much hits the 'real' situation on the proverbial "Nail Head." However, that being said, there is a more 'romantic' rationale for owning and playing a great little F tuba. I can think of the musical joy I get just sitting in my practice sessions, running over material, that I may eventually, or perhaps never, perform in public. Maybe it is just self amazement or entertainment (playing the VW Concerto or the Hindemith) or using the F as a tool to keep honing my general musical precision. It is also incredible mental discipline and stimulation. Perhaps the F tuba is a musical gentleman's hobby. I'm basically retired and more than a few hour every day are spent tooting away, for that audition I will never take, the Carnegie Hall concert I will never give, or all of those celebrated solo performances with bands and orchestras across the country who have no idea who I am. But, I did have the cash and decided that the F tuba, the cimbasso and a great 5/4 were on my tuba "bucket list." For that matter I would still like to pick up a CSO style 6/4 CC. Who knows I may just do that sometime soon. Then some how or another I managed to get a chair in the St. Paul Civic Symphony which I find plays very challenging literature. For many of us, our clocks are running out, and we often say, "when my ship comes in" I'm gonna pop for that fancy tuba that I always wanted. Think about it. That ship probably has come in several times already and we probably felt it either impractical or immodest to go for the big toy. Think about this one too, what about that "big red corvette" the stereotypical mid-life crisis toy that more than a few middle age guys feel compelled to buy. So, I say, if you want one, buy the blasted thing. You're and adult and can make decisions, wise or foolish, to make your life fun. By the way, I happen to be a 'fair to middlin' arranger and have scored dozens and dozens of solos for myself with piano and/or band, and, I actually do wind up playing quite a few every year. (Okay, Churches, Nursing Homes and Community Band Concerts, But I am doing it. It makes me happy and now and then it makes others happy as well. I think had I not got these horns I would likely regret it when I would become too old to play them. That time will come soon enough and I don't need anyone throwing a bucket of cold water on my dreams. Most people don't understand tuba players anyway, so why bother trying to rationalize any of this with them. Get happy, get an F tuba.

[pjv]

Jim Self gave me some good advice about being a working tuba player and being prepared to play whatever gigs are thrown at you. You may find yourself making a living as a professional tuba player, but not necessarily in an orchestra.
In my opinion the F tuba is a different instrument then say a BBb tuba. Same family. An overlap in repertoire and usages. They sound very similar but still, a different horn.
So maybe ask yourself if it's to your advantage to learn this particular instrument at this stage in your development.
Playing a big contrabass tuba will definitely get you work, but will it always be the right tool for the right job? Being a great musician can get you work. Having the right equipment increases your flexibility. Learning an F tuba as early as possible will help to make it more of a second nature.
I'm not saying you should or must learn F. I'm not saying if you do you'll get a lot of work playing it and by not doing so you'll get left behind. I'm just saying it has it's advantages to learn it and learn it as a different instrument. Then see what you can do with it.
Wilfried Brandstötter's made a living out of playing the F tuba!

[bort]

And Albert Wieder substituted brilliantly on that gig playing a giant BBb.

Excellent playing, for sure... but to my ear, the BBb sounds far too heavy for the ensemble.

[pjv]

And THAT my friends is EXACTLY the professional reason why playing F can be to ones advantage