Bass tuba only pros in the U.S.?

[LoyalTubist]

Just so I understand you correctly:

Contrabass Tuba = BBb or C Tuba

Bass Tuba = Eb or F Tuba?

If you mean do any American tubists play only Eb or F tuba, the answer is no. They used to say that Floyd Cooley who played with the San Francisco Symphony for many years, played only an F tuba, but that wasn't true. There are amateur players who specialize in one tuba but none of the professional tubists that I know play just one tuba.

[Casey Tucker]

i see more university level teachers/professors playing only on bass tubas. this isn't to say everyone does. but my teacher, Robert Daniel, plays only on a Besson eefer. he only plays in the faculty brass quintet. he does still keep his Rudy and his HB21 w/ him. i hardly every see him play them though.

[Chuck(G)]

What's Pat Sheridan making his money with nowadays? Still a Besson 983?

[LoyalTubist]

I play mostly F tuba. My contract for playing is in two parts. One half is exclusively quintet, where I only ever play F tuba. In the orchestra I play CC about 75% of the time. I freelance and teach quite a bit on the F also (at least 75% of the time). So, added up, I play my F about 80% of the time.

Does that count?

No, Wade. I think this is one of those strictly speaking type hypothetical questions. I studied with Ev Gilmore in grad school. Everyone said he did everything on a BBb. It wasn't true. He played a C. He played an F. He even played an Eb. But most of what he did was on the double B.

Most of what I do is on my C but I also play Eb, BBb, and F (in that order). About 90% of what I do is on the C.

[schneidah]

IIRC, Deanna Swoboda was on F exclusively during her time in Dallas Brass. It was the only horn she had for the majority of her first year at Western Michigan U. as well.

In an interview in the old TUBA Journal, Gary Ofenloch reported that Kilton Vinal Smith, the predecessor to Chester Schmitz in Boston, played F exclusively. Of course, that was a while back...

[Stefan Kac]

Are there any full-time players/teachers in the U.S. that play all or mostly all on a bass tuba?

I don't know what your ultimate reason is for asking this question, but I think you answered it yourself with the "full-time" line. That's going to skew the results along the lines of what kind of "full-time" employment is available to tuba players in the first place. Not too many of those gigs (or freelancers) will be able to get by with one horn, let alone a bass tuba. Having said that, I would venture that there are many more who "mostly" play bass tuba than there are that "only" play bass tuba.

I think a better question would be: who are the most versatile one-horn bass tuba players in the US? I'd like to see that list as I aspire to be on it myself someday.

[Jarrad-Bittner]

Marty Erickson at Lawrence plays Eb in almost every setting.

[LoyalTubist]

One instance of playing a horn besides an F or Eb throws this whole idea off. Why? Because some people may only see a tuba player play that one time and say, "I saw Floyd Cooley playing a BBb tuba."

Hardly ever does not mean the same thing as never.

[LoyalTubist]

IIRC, Deanna Swoboda was on F exclusively during her time in Dallas Brass. It was the only horn she had for the majority of her first year at Western Michigan U. as well.

In an interview in the old TUBA Journal, Gary Ofenloch reported that Kilton Vinal Smith, the predecessor to Chester Schmitz in Boston, played F exclusively. Of course, that was a while back...

I played only an Eb when I first arrived in Saigon. It was all I had. Vinal Smith did do everything on an F. He retired some 40 years ago and has since passed away. He is probably the only person who could use that word NEVER.

I have seen Deanna play other instruments than the F.

[tubatooter1940]

I discovered Eb tuba about the time I began to play tuba in a rock group.
I like it. A bass guitar is pitched in "E" and a bass tuba is pretty close.
If the rhythm guitar player you boogie with is a nice guy, he will work with a capo on the first fret-putting you in sweeter keys. Some of the "lots-o-sharps" keys are not bad for intonation.

[DavidJMills]

I curently play everything on MW 45slp with a PT83 mouthpiece.I use various other mps to approx CC or BBb and a small Herrick custom to go Berlioz small.Dave Mills, Charlotte(NC) Symphony

[Tubanese]

Ken Amis (Empire Brass) mostly plays on his Besson Eb.

[iiipopes]

I discovered Eb tuba about the time I began to play tuba in a rock group.
I like it. A bass guitar is pitched in "E" and a bass tuba is pretty close.
If the rhythm guitar player you boogie with is a nice guy, he will work with a capo on the first fret-putting you in sweeter keys. Some of the "lots-o-sharps" keys are not bad for intonation.

And a 3-valve BBb tuba, not counting false pedal tones, is exactly the same as a conventional 4-string bass guitar with low E nat as the limit.

[Alex C]

In an interview in the old TUBA Journal, Gary Ofenloch reported that Kilton Vinal Smith, the predecessor to Chester Schmitz in Boston, played F exclusively. Of course, that was a while back...

I played only an Eb when I first arrived in Saigon. It was all I had. Vinal Smith did do everything on an F. He retired some 40 years ago and has since passed away. He is probably the only person who could use that word NEVER.

Actually, Vinal Smith did play something besides F tuba. Prior to becoming tubist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he was bass trombonist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Before Chester became the tuba player with Boston, the tuba chair was almost always ocupied by the previous bass trombonist and was required to play F tuba. You'll have to consult Koussevitzky documents as to the reason why.

[tubatooter1940]

I discovered Eb tuba about the time I began to play tuba in a rock group.
I like it. A bass guitar is pitched in "E" and a bass tuba is pretty close.
If the rhythm guitar player you boogie with is a nice guy, he will work with a capo on the first fret-putting you in sweeter keys. Some of the "lots-o-sharps" keys are not bad for intonation.

And a 3-valve BBb tuba, not counting false pedal tones, is exactly the same as a conventional 4-string bass guitar with low E nat as the limit.

Much as I would like to have access to additional lower range, I am an old guy and weight is a bigger consideration every day.

[iiipopes]

Hey, Tubatooter -- have you tried on the Lidl BBb? I hear they play well and are light weight.

[KevinBock]

Pat still plays exclusively on his 983, he makes money only playing Eb tuba.

[LARSONTUBA]

Dr Joe Skillen at LSU plays a Kurath F exclusively and does not even own a contrabass tuba

Marty Erickson at Lawrence and UW-Milwaukee plays a Willson Eb exclusively and does not even own a contrabass tuba

I am not quite full time, but I only play a Willson F tuba. Don't even own a contrabass tuba and don't know if I ever will.

[arul]

Brent Dutton the Tuba professor at San Diego State uses a Besson Eb compensating Tuba for everything (Tuba Studio, Westwind Brass, subbing in the San Diego Symphony).

I could hear him playing from down the street when I used to go over to his house on weekends for lessons (I don't think his neighbors ever complained). A wonderful musician and a great Tuba player.

Arul

[Tubaguyjoe]

Here in Stuttgart we have a teacher for BBb tuba and a teacher for F tuba...you find that sort of thing here in europe I think more often.