Playing with an Austrian Band

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:33 pm

During my recently holiday I had arranged to play with Harmoniemusik BÃ¼rs courtesy of Hans, â€œTubeastâ€

MikeMason · Post by **MikeMason** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:44 pm

could he play a low C?...

Tom Holtz · Post by **Tom Holtz** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:50 pm

MikeMason wrote:could he play a low C?...

Respect to MikeMason.

The Big Ben · Post by **The Big Ben** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 3:39 pm

Good times!

Thanks for the reports!

Steve Inman · Post by **Steve Inman** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:32 pm

MikeMason wrote:could he play a low C?...

jonesbrass · Post by **jonesbrass** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:47 pm

I played in concerts with some of the Czech pro and butcher/baker/candlestickmaker bands that were just incredible. Tone, intonation, balance, MUSICALITY . . . just phenominal musicians there in CZ, even the "amateur" ones.

Brings back many happy memories . . . okay, okay, many of them are a little hazy from the crystalweitzen und Asbach . . .

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:06 pm

I also noticed in the parade pictures the tubas were in the traditional spots: marching to their extreme right stacked by file, rather than all in the back rank as we do with sousaphones, so the sound is directed towards the rest of the band.

Cameron Gates · Post by **Cameron Gates** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:40 pm

LMAO. 3rd picture down, tuba player in the back. No music. Gotta respect the skillz. Reminds me of playing band jobs with Tom Holtz. No music, no problem. "Just give me the key and tell me if there is no stinger."

A few years back there was a piccolo player in the Marine Band who never used music while marching. He said he had about 200 marches memorized. That sort of stuff blows me away.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 8:31 pm

iiipopes wrote:I also noticed in the parade pictures the tubas were in the traditional spots: marching to their extreme right stacked by file, rather than all in the back rank as we do with sousaphones, so the sound is directed towards the rest of the band.

In the concert pictures as well!

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:47 pm

It's really not that hard. You don't memorize it note for note. You memorize sections, then subsections, like
Intro
4 measures in I
4 measures in V
turnaround
etc.

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:21 am

Cameron Gates wrote:LMAO. 3rd picture down, tuba player in the back. No music. Gotta respect the skillz.

It is a skill which amazes me too. That player I was told has been with the band 40 years, one of the two longest serving members, so guess he has done them all many times before.

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:37 pm

I was surprised how much Czech music the Austrian bands play and asked why - the answer was, "it is just good music".

Who are Moravanka - another virtuoso band?

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:22 pm

Bob1062 wrote:Why are so many European horns SO stove-pipey?

Tradition is my guess. What is expected.

Rick Denney · Post by **Rick Denney** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:55 pm

Bob1062 wrote:Seems like a good enough place as any to ask this.

Why are so many European horns SO stove-pipey?

I can get around alot of stuff, but I have never liked them.

They probably ask why our tubas look like birdbaths.

But if you look at tubas from 150 years ago, you'll note that they had almost no bell flare at all.

Rick "vive l'differance" Denney

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:29 pm

Back during the Cold War, I played with the 298th Army Band in West Berlin. Since the city was still occupied by the US, the UK, and France at the time, the West German government didn't put military troops there (even though the GDR put them in East Berlin). Consequently, since there was no German military band in West Berlin, our German band partnership was with the Berlin Police Band, which was a full-time group.

While we Americans would usually play BBb tubas (a few might play CC), the Police Band had BBb, CC, and F tuba players. The players who played those tubas were hired to play those tubas and some of the parts were specially written for them. Even the British bands (and there were two bands in Berlin that rotated around various army posts every few years) used BBb and Eb tubas who worked pretty much the same way.

We never really got close enough to the French Army musicians to know what they did.

jonesbrass · Post by **jonesbrass** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:43 am

LoyalTubist wrote:We never really got close enough to the French Army musicians to know what they did.

We sure did get close to some of the French bands with the 76th . . . eeewww! Yuk. Not that there aren't great French bands out there, but I've never heard one, unfortunately.

kingrob76 · Post by **kingrob76** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:32 pm

Cameron Gates wrote:LMAO. 3rd picture down, tuba player in the back. No music. Gotta respect the skillz. Reminds me of playing band jobs with Tom Holtz. No music, no problem. "Just give me the key and tell me if there is no stinger."

A few years back there was a piccolo player in the Marine Band who never used music while marching. He said he had about 200 marches memorized. That sort of stuff blows me away.

No, you got it all wrong. He's actually a band librarian, carrying the horn to fill out the line. He's also playing the role of "strolling spare" - in case someone drops their horn, he passes his up to the actual playing member and picks up the broken horn, not unlike what precision drill teams do.

Or, he's the Austrian Tom Holtz. You decide.

tubeast · Post by **tubeast** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:35 am

Hey people,
just got back from vacation today. Jon, thanks for the coverage. IÂ´ll let the band know about the link to this post.

The gentleman in the back carrying a tuba, but no music never uses his "Marschbuch" unless there are marches all new to him (of which there are not that many). Hope IÂ´ll have the honor to play with him for years to come.
HeÂ´s a fine mountain climber as well and took me to places IÂ´d not have dared to go on my own.

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 8:03 am

Welcome back Hans! I hope everything went well in China and your tuba survived the flights undamaged?

When you let the band know of the link, please pass on my thanks to everyone for their hospitality which made my visit to BÃ¼rs the highlight of a great holiday.