Adding an Eb Tuba

[UTTuba_09]

I recently purchased an Eb tuba to do most solo work, while I have my CC for large ensemble playing. I am still trying to figure out the kinks of it and such. I was just wanting some advice to practicing on an Eb vs. CC ratio without messing up my CC playing.

Thanks!

[iiipopes]

It's not necessarily the practice as it is the concentration to stick with a particular horn and its fingerings throughout a particular piece. Yes, you'll have to put in more time at the start for the Eb fingerings, you know, just another application of the ten to one rule (when starting something new, you need about ten times the effort to get one amount of progress, until mastery, when at that point one additional amount of effort will sound like ten times the progress), but as you progress you will need to pay more attention to your concentration so you don't start misfingering in the middle of a familiar piece as you play it on the other pitched instrument.

[Allen]

I have found that after a period of initial difficulty and confusion, your brain will start to consider the two tubas completely different instruments, and will automatically do the right things. Then, you will have to figure out apportioning your practice times on the two instruments depending on what you need to be preparing, etc.

Cheers,
Allen

[JCradler]

A great piece to learn on the Eb is the Strauss 1st Horn Concerto. Lays great! And since it's quite familiar to most, your ear can be a big help without messing up your fingers. I know this isn't exactly what you were after, but, anyway...enjoy your eefer.
My $.02
jc

[jeopardymaster]

I bought my Besson 983 Eb in 1998. It took a good 9 months to get to where I felt I could take it to a quintet gig and play whatever was in front of me. And for about 5 years now my 184 CC and it are virtually interchangeable - except on "My Spirit Be Joyful" (can't remember arranger - but it's in D Major) I gotta have my Mirafone.

But the last thing to come around wasn't the fingerings - it was entering on the right partial in the mid- to upper range - say, between 4th space G and Eb above the staff. That was rather frustrating both to me and to my colleagues - and cost me more than a few beers.