Kalison question (horn dorn included)

EQueg · Post by **EQueg** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 4:54 pm

andrew the tuba player said

if thats the case can i not use a school's CC or BBb? not to be a smartalec or anything. just curious. plus, that ive seen, CC tubas are usually cheaper than EEb tubas so itd be easier to find a good CC horn than to find a Good EEb horn on a colledge buget. i just want to see if its out there. if not then i wont trade the Kalison. just a thought the other night. As always thanks for the advise

If you want to put your faith in a school having a horn that you would want to play on then o.k. But I sure would'nt do that. Besides you have a good horn, just allow yourself to be patient and save your pennies and pick up the Eb in a year or two, or even three; it will still be there for you, and by then you might be able to grab a used horn for a bit less. Especially if you are close to going to college, you don't want to have to learn a new horn as you are going for an incoming audition to get placed in an ensemble. Not to mention, as has already been pointed out, band and orchestra directors are looking for someone to lay-it-down on the bottom end of things.

THE TUBA · Post by **THE TUBA** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 5:59 pm

Also, the college/university you end up attending might have a couple bass tubas for student use. I would definitely wait until you get to your next school before making a horn swap.

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:55 pm

bloke wrote: bloke "who did a three hr. recording session this morning of a new double concerto by Jonathan Leshnoff (violin/viola) with exposed double-low Eb's, C#'s, C's, etc...bass tuba"

I did a summer music thing (NJ School of the Arts?) with Jonathan Leshnoff about 20 years ago. We both got kicked out of class for making fun of this teacher (viola player, 'nuff said.) I was his first real exposure to tuba, so I wonder what his orchestrating is like

He had some interesting composition ideas, but of course needed time to study and mature as a composer. I am glad he made something of himself. At one point in time we were actually thinking about putting together a bar mitzvah band

Definitely send him my way sometime!

andrew the tuba player · Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:24 pm

the thing is i love playing high. i can belt out low stuff on the bigger horns just fine and all. i just love playing high. my 'idea' for my future so far is to join the Marines for 4 years then use the school money they give and what scholarships i can grab and going to Julliard for the Master of music degree. I wanna be a soloist. most solos Iâ€™ve heard are high and I love it. I can hit the highs on the Kalison (to a degree) but they come out airy and compressed. That i know is me and i need to practice more lip slurs scales etc. but from what Iâ€™ve heard from people and recitals the highs on an Eb come out so much more full. And once again itâ€™d have to be the right one. I really like the Kalison and Iâ€™m not gonna get rid of it for the first horn I come by. and to answer wchoc86â€™s question, the reason I keep â€œdismissingâ€

pierso20 · Post by **pierso20** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:46 pm

You're a young player and you just need to realize that your plans will most likely change in the next..well, your plans always will change.....

I would still suggest that you work a lot on your CC horn as your main horn.

Now.....the marines adds a WHOLE new set of issues. I think you really need to talk to some professor's about what it is you want to do.

Are you saying you want to get your undergrad is music, and then join a marine band?? Or are you saying you want to join the marines and then go to college...because these are decisions that will HEAVILY effect your playing.

In fact.....I'm not even sure if Tubenet is the right place for you to be discussing this on...it almost seems like you are just trying to get people to discuss things...

Only you know your situation and what you want to do....and since this is a forum, you can't really divuldge all details...

so...GO..SPEAK...with someone in person who is knowledgeable as to what your options are.....

Eb...very cool horns....but you need to have a solid bass on a "normal" tuba before a specialty horn. You're young and you have PLENTY of time to develop your craft...don't expect to do it right away.

so...I'm rambling....but....talk to someone.....!!

andrew the tuba player · Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:51 pm

yeah you're right peirso. i can play just about anything on a CC horn (not being conseeded (sp?) and even more on a BBb. plus i have access to at least two great contras that i can keep my playing up to speed with.

also I dunno if I wanna do the Marine band. I just know i wanna be a Marine (which doesnt mean not playing for any of those 4 years). i need the money for school.

pierso20 · Post by **pierso20** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:07 pm

See..that is the issue with the marines....not playing regularly for 4 years....will set back your playing immensly.

But, I do have to call you out on your comment of skill on CC tuba.....

You can play "everything".......but well? Up to speed? With good consistant tone??? Unless you are a prodigy or immense porportions you still have a lot to work on. And even a prodigy still can improve.

If you really are VERY solid of a player, then making a basstuba switch isn't necessarily a bad thing. A fabulous player I met a few years ago learned F tuba his Junior year of High School....BUT he also kept his contrabass as well.

The point is, you WILL be playing your contrabass horn..especially if you want to make money soloing because there will be times you need to do ensemble work or such (even in college). In these situations you will want your OWN horn to work with.

If you truly want a bass tuba then try and get one. But you need to be ready and you definetely don't want to get rid of your contrabass. You will benefit from keeping it....there is nothing better feeling than having your OWN horn that you know really well....a school horn, no matter how nice...isn't your horn and by the time you really "become one" with it (

) you will most likely be somewhere else where you don't have access to it.

So......I suggest your turn away from tubenet on this subject because just about everyone is giving the same advice.

Just talk to someone in person...play for a teacher/prof....discuss your plans. That is the best thing you can do. Tubenet is doing nothing but allowing fingers to talk out very little.

So, good luck to you.

Cheers!

Mike Finn · Post by **Mike Finn** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:35 pm

andrew the tuba player wrote:... join the Marines for 4 years then use the school money...

If you want to be a Marine, join the Marines. Don't do it for any other reason, or you'll regret it.

Depending on where you are stationed, be prepared for a little bit of this:

and a whole lot of this:

If you want to earn money for college while playing in a military band, you need to check out the other services. There is A LOT more college money available from the other branches, the Army in particular if I am not mistaken.

sloan · Post by **sloan** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:59 am

andrew the tuba player wrote:the thing is i love playing high. i can belt out low stuff on the bigger horns just fine and all. i just love playing high.

Perhaps you should trade your CC for a Euphonium?

pierso20 · Post by **pierso20** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:08 am

I completely understand your point of view bloke. Very well stated.

However, being that this player is so young and relatively inexperienced I'm not sure the same thought would be beneficial. Especially with the immense rising costs of tuba's these days.

just my 2,000 cents.....(adjusted for the increasingly crappy value of the dollar)

MikeMason · Post by **MikeMason** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:11 am

Yeah Bloke but I can't play mine below the staff in tune or with any authority.

obviously a defective horn...

Mike"f is definitely the specialty horn in my stable"Mason

Mike Finn · Post by **Mike Finn** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:29 am

MikeMason wrote:...Mike"f is definitely the specialty horn in my stable"Mason

Mike F.

MikeMason · Post by **MikeMason** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:35 am

of course if i had an MF4, everything could be different...

sloan · Post by **sloan** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:30 am

MikeMason wrote:of course if i had an MF4, everything could be different...

I have an MF4 - it doesn't help at all when I have finger failure.

Mike Finn · Post by **Mike Finn** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 11:38 am

MikeMason wrote:of course if i had an MF4, everything could be different...

Ask and ye shall receive! It should be there in a couple of hours.

sloan wrote:I have an MF4 - it doesn't help at all when I have finger failure.

I'll try to address that issue in my next run...

bloke wrote:A bass tubas DOES exist that offers better intonation than *most* CC tubas, a *good* (easy) low range, and a *big* sound. It's the Willson rotary F.

Although it's admittedly the only F I've spent any time with, I found the big Willson piston F to be an amazing horn if you're looking for a big bass tuba to cover most of your bases. Do the two share the same chassis with a different valve block? If our young OP can't be dissuaded from casting off the contrabass, perhaps this (or a 45slp/z) might be the next best thing.

MF

tubacrow · Post by **tubacrow** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:25 am

andrew the tuba player wrote:if thats the case can i not use a school's CC or BBb? not to be a smartalec or anything. just curious. plus, that ive seen, CC tubas are usually cheaper than EEb tubas so itd be easier to find a good CC horn than to find a Good EEb horn on a colledge buget. i just want to see if its out there. if not then i wont trade the Kalison. just a thought the other night. As always thanks for the advise

Do not Rely on the school to have a horn. Through my career I have attended 3 Universities, and am good friends with three porfessors, only one of them had high quality CC tubas. During my undergrad I played a early seventies model Besson that belonged to the school. By the time it reached my hands in 91 it had been beat to hell. I am not saying it was not a good horn in its day, but it had issues by the time it reached me. I was thankful for it at the time because I could not afford my own tuba until the summer after my sophmore year. The University where I did my Masters owned Saint Petes as loaners for students. Most of the loaners I have seen are BBb, which would be an adjustment since you have learned CC. I am not saying all loaners are bad, but you have a good horn in your hands, don't let it go until you find a better CC. The Eb is a good solo and chamber instrument, but as stated before many large ensembles perfer the sound of a Contrabass