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Hey all,

Part of my graduation requirements as an undergrad involves various semesters of chamber. This semester, I thought it would be neat to partner with my roommate and submit a request for a tuba and marimba duo. Besides the William Penn piece, anyone know where I can start? Actual pieces, duos, and duets, for tuba and marimba would be best, however, I can also work around rewriting a piano part, or arranging a short piece in order to accommodate.

To further clarify, I am interested in repertoire for tuba and marimba/piano, not, repertoire for tuba... with marimba/piano accompaniment.

Thank you!

If you only found one piece via pre-knowledge and a thorough web search, then it is unlikely others will be able to add suggestions of dedicated repertory for this constellation.

If your marimba playing friend wants to employ 4-mallet techniques, then the impression very easily will be that the marimba plays accompaniment. Unless you take an existing composition for marimba and add the tuba on a bass line.

If you want to play music with both instruments being equal as soloist, then just about any good baroque two-part fugue or invention written for harpsichord could be transposed and transcribed for your duo format.

A different approach would be the transcription of Bach’s concert for two violins, That would take the addition of a pianist. I don’t remember whether Tommy Johnson’s version that I heard played by Gene Podgorny and Rex Martin, stays in the original key. If you can fit the solo parts within your respective ranges with a displacement of one or two octaves from the original solo parts, then there should be commercially available piano versions of the orchestral accompaniment. Since your solo lines will go low, the addition of a double bass player on the bass line might be a very good idea. This said piece offers technical outer movements, while the 2nd movement offers you the option of demonstrating your abilities of playing with extreme beauty.

Klaus, as always interested in the concepts behind unusual instrument constellations.

I knew the William Penn piece from prior knowledge. Beside this, I have yet to make a thorough search online. I will take a look into rearranging some fugues and inventions though. Thank you!

One problem with the marimba is its lack of sustain. With classical transcriptions the use of tremolos may not be the best solution, as very few classical instruments use that technique for long notes.

The harpsichord had the same problem with the very short sustain. Bach and other period composers used mainly two workarounds:

Trills, which in baroque music always start on the upper diatonic neighbour note

or

arpeggios starting and ending on the main note.

Bach also uses more elaborate cadential patterns, but they are hard to imitate, unless one has a very profound knowledge of his style.

Your school likely has a specialist teacher, who may be willing to help you.

A very rough guideline: If something that should sound baroque, sounds more like steel drums, then a revision may be needed.

Klaus

There is a piece "Cafe 1923" I believe that is for flute and Guitar that i have heard euphonium and marimba works well, why wouldn't tuba?

DouglasJB wrote:There is a piece "Cafe 1923" I believe that is for flute and Guitar that i have heard euphonium and marimba works well, why wouldn't tuba?

Its funny you mention that. I was actually listening to this earlier this morning, and attempting to figure out how I can make it work. Glad to hear it has [somewhat] already been done!

If you're interested, Evan C. Paul wrote 'Feldspar' for Tuba and Marimba for myself and my friend Matt Keown. Below is a performance of the piece. Let me know if you're interested and I can get you in touch with Evan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wrMSq1x8xM" target="_blank

I performed a piece on my master recital that I really liked. It's not just for tuba and marimba, it is for tuba and mallet instruments. In fact, the name of the piece is Music for Tuba and Mallet Instruments. It is composed by Erik Lund. You can hear a sample here:

http://eriklund.org/selected-works/" target="_blank

Good luck!

I might be able to suggest a piece for transcription, but I need some specifics:

As marimbas don’t have a standard range, which range has the one you will play together with?

Your bass tuba is of which pitch?

Your contrabass tuba is of which pitch? Of course I assume CC, but trills have to be possible.

Klaus

Hey all,

Thank you for the help! I now have some places to start, and then see where I end up from there.

imperialbari wrote:I might be able to suggest a piece for transcription, but I need some specifics:

As marimbas don’t have a standard range, which range has the one you will play together with?

Your bass tuba is of which pitch?

Your contrabass tuba is of which pitch? Of course I assume CC, but trills have to be possible.

Klaus

Klaus, to answer your question; it is a five octave marimba, along with the standard F and CC tubas.

Thank you all!

"A Tribute From The East", Jiro Censhu

It was written for euphonium and marimba but the euphonium part would work well on F, EEb or CC tuba. Available at Euphonium.com

MY wife is a percussionist, and we're always on the hunt for duet stuff. If your roommate isn't limited to marimba, there are some other options:

Scenes from the City, by Telmo Marques, for tuba and vibes
Latin Rhythms, by William Schmidt, for tuba and percussion (one player, many instruments, one of which is marimba)
Residue, by Michael Horwood, for tuba and vibes
A Thing, by Thomas Rice, for tuba and timpani
(If you have another tuba friend) Heroes, by John Cheetham, for two tubas and marimba
Music for Tuba and Timpani, by Stephen Gryc
Canon, by Warren Benson, for tuba and hand drum
Dance Suite, by Bennie Beach, for tuba and triangle
Aria, by Henryk Gorecki, for tuba, piano, bass drum, and tam-tam

I know it's not exactly what you asked, but my wife is primarily a marimbist also, and this is what my research brought us. Hope it helps!