Eb in college

[imperialbari]

Once heard a British Territorial Army band on the town square here in my town. They had two Eb tubas and no BBb, where one of each is the syandard in British regimental bands (the state/royal ceremonial bands have 3 tubas).

This band was conglomerated for the fall campaign of that year (1992 - still under cold war strategies). Half of the members were from the host band, southern infantry, but one of the tubists, from a Scottish engineer regiment replied my question about the missing BBb: You have to march these devils!

In a non-campain situation, where the bandmaster had his own musicians available, there would have been one of each pitch.

I don’t really think that military tubists have much saying about which pitch of tuba they play. If one of the DC bands has a bass tuba, then only because the band’s commanding officer wants one to provide his concept of sound from the combined tuba section.

Soloists at the level of Baadsvik or Sheridan may be able to survive on Eb exclusively. All of the other names mentioned are likely to be proficient on CC and/or BBb. There are these videos where Sheridan and Perantoni play whatever available in a southern brass store. There Sheridan plays BBb sousaphone with no shortcomings at all.

Klaus

[bort]

To answer a question brought up:

Oystein plays Eb only
Marty Erickson plays Eb
A lot of other Military band members (and retired ones) such as Bob Daniel play Eb. One of the tubists in a DC band, I think Air Force, uses a Meinl Weston Eb exclusively.
John Stevens plays Eb
Ben Miles plays Eb
Phil Sinder plays Eb
Tony Zilicnik plays Eb
Scott Watson plays Eb
Kenneth Amis I believe plays a top action Eb with Empire Brass.

Pretty sure many others play Eb that are just as big of names

I don't see any college students on your list.

Don't learn to drive in a Ferrari...

[sloan]

Step 1: consult with the professor in charge of the tuba studio at the college you plan on attending.

Step 2: if they say "sure - you can do a complete Tuba Performance degree using only an Eb tuba", then

Step 3: run as fast and as far away from that institution, and that professor, as possible.

Several people have made the same point. "Student majoring in Tuba Performance" is not a job where you will be judged only on the quality of the notes coming out the bell. There is much to learn, and usually the student is the student because they don't yet know the answers - in fact, they often don't even know the questions.

Now - fair warning...I'm a professor, but not a music professor. I play the tuba, but you don't want to study Tuba Performance with me. That said - *my* expectation is that any graduate of a Tuba Performance program should be able to give a creditable performance (in public) on BBb, CC, EEb, Eb, F tubas (and perhaps euphonium, as well). I don't much care which of these he *owns*, or which one he would *prefer* to play on (in his *preferred* ensemble) - but I expect that he will have put in a considerable amount of time on each one. Or, that he will have the necessary (learned) skills to pick up one of these and play it competently in less than 1 week.

Being competent on one instrument is the pre-requisite for getting IN to a Music Performance program. It's not sufficient to get OUT. If you are looking for 4 years of playing your 1 horn and working on your WorldClassTone - there's no need to pay all that tuition and room&board. Get a job where all they care about is note production.


Before you purchase anything (believing that it will be your one and only major purchase) - talk to the person you are going to pay a lot of money to for instruction, and then take his advice (you are paying for it). He may not care what you *own*. He will probably care a LOT about what you actually play in the course of your degree program. If there are a lot of school-owned tubas available for your use, it may not matter what you *own* and what you consider to be your *main* instrument. In that case - go for it - buy whatever turns you on. If you are rich enough to buy "one of each", then you have no problem. But, if you can only afford one (or two), ask the guy who will control your life for the next 4 years. If he has an opinion, you probably want to follow along.

[iiipopes]

What Sloan said:

Step 1: consult with the professor in charge of the tuba studio at the college you plan on attending.

[jonesbrass]

I don’t really think that military tubists have much saying about which pitch of tuba they play. If one of the DC bands has a bass tuba, then only because the band’s commanding officer wants one to provide his concept of sound from the combined tuba section.

That is probably the case overseas - I have played at gigs just about every nationality that has a military band. The Brits and the Germans have very solid ideas and expectations on instrumentation.
For an American band, the instrumentation ideas are less rigid. In my experience, they want you to be able to play the crap out of whatever they put in front of you, and to have an in-tune, pleasing tone quality that fits with their concept of tone. Key of tuba is secondary. The one thing you won't get away from in an American military band is the BBb sousaphone.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I think it's a great idea. Just look at all the professionals in orchestras and tuba recording artists who use only Eb. Go for it!

Kind of sad that the OP didn’t get the true message from Todd.

Pina Colada may be fine for feel-good purposes. Eb basses are fine (I have 5), but dreaming of an orchestral career on Eb tuba alone in a CC country may have somebody waking up with a terrible hang-over.

Klaus

No, I was absolutely serious. I think it's a fine idea. If I were starting over, I would probably start with an Eb only.

[Ken Herrick]

Sloan has just offered some VERY sound advice which has just been backed by iiipopes.
I must admit that, after reviewing several of your topics, I am getting rather confused about several things. I gather that :
1. You are living in Oahu.
2. You currently have access to a CC tuba of some sort which needs some urgent repairs.
3. You are in "college".
4. You have a dream of eventually becoming a "professional" orchestra and/or studio player.
5. You are currently studying with a "professor of tuba" who at one point was saying you had to have a 6/4CC.
6. You want to buy a new tuba but don't necessarily have the cash to do so.
7 You are thinking of buying some top line 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, CC or some top line Eb with the idea of specialising solely on the last.

I really get the feeling that you are not in a degree program with a quality teacher or you have totally lost focus on what you should be doing if you are to have any hope of ever making a living by playing tuba.

It might be in your best interest, if you are going to take guidance from what response you get from this forum, if you start a new thread stating a few facts on which respondents might be able to form conclusions upon which to base their advice. You could start with something like;

where you live and study,
your experience to date,
your current level of schooling and with whom you currently study and former teachers,
just what instrument you currently play and its condition (ie a totally crapped out Schmutzig DDb Frogofone or a worn but playable Mirafone 186CC which needs some repairs),
what pedagogical material and repertoir you have studied,
some idea of the financial resources you have available for purchasing a new instrument,
where and with whom you plan/hope to study in the future and whether or not you have the money to attend another school or MUST have financial aid to do so.

Just sitting down and thinking about and listing these points may give you some answers - or at least get you asking the real questions you need answered.

It might also be a very good idea to make a recording demonstrating your best playing and send it to a few of the quality teachers who have posted information about admissions and scholarships to study at a good school - see "Auditions". Give them a CV with it and ask for their frank advice about what they think of your prospects. Maybe you are the next Roger Bobo who, when he went to Jake, was told "There is nothing for me to teach you - you already 'have it' " or maybe you would be better off taking a different direction entirely.

The most important thing for you to do is spend a lot of time playing on whatever instrument you have and getting good guidance from a good teacher. Your endless stream of "What do all you guys think about.............. type meanderings will not lead you down the path to success - only concentrated study will do that.

[Michael Grant]

Bob wrote:
That may be, but I remember seeing a video on youtube of a high schooler (maybe even junior high?) playing a 981 in a very large orchestra on the Montagues and Capulets and sounding more than convincing. Maybe it's something in the water... :

I should have been more specific. Fletch could have played that on his Eb. Fletch could have played it on the bassoon and it would have sounded good. What I meant to imply but was not clear on was that Fletch could not have had the sound he has on that recording with his Eb. The volume and breadth of that nature requires a larger horn. Sorry for the confusion.

[TMurphy]

I know I'm two months behind the times, but I don't read tubenet all the much, and just happened across this thread today.

I actually have a unique perspective on this one, because I did complete my degree owning and using exclusively a Besson 983. When it came down to it, the instrument and I really clicked, and I was able to get exactly the kind of sound I had been looking for with it. I could only afford it if I sold the BBb I owned at the time, so that is what I did...with the encouragement of my teacher.

The important detail, however, is that I was NOT a music performance major. I was a music education major. I had no aspirations of being a full-time working professional, and I still don't. For ME, as an education major, playing an Eb exclusively worked out ok. The only ensembles I played in were band (where there were several tubas), and a few small ensembles (quintets, tuba quartets, tuba ensemble) where the Eb worked quite well.

Do I feel a need to own another tuba??? No. What I have works for me, and I've never felt like I couldn't get the job done because of the equipment. Would I like to have a contrabass tuba??? ABSOLUTELY. The Eb work is great, but if I had the money to spend I would definitely be adding a BBb or a CC. I don't need it, but it would sure be nice to have.

[Bob Kolada]

I should have been more specific. Fletch could have played that on his Eb. Fletch could have played it on the bassoon and it would have sounded good. What I meant to imply but was not clear on was that Fletch could not have had the sound he has on that recording with his Eb. The volume and breadth of that nature requires a larger horn. Sorry for the confusion.

Did anyone see Oystein's workshop where he apparently played some Prokofiev (this piece?) on his Eb with a trombone section?
I think it sounds fine either way, just different