Switching from CC to F

[Stefan]

Hi

Almost all of my training and professional/college/community experiences have been on C tuba for the past 20 years. I owned an F (a MW 45s) briefly and really enjoyed playing it. At the time I had that F and a CC. These days my only horn is a MW 2155 which is a great tuba. I rarely play in an orchestra and I don't have a desire to play in a large community band. My primary playing tends to be with smaller ensembles like quintets or a small wind ensemble. I am not taking or preparing for auditions these days. Because I enjoyed my F so much I have been seriously considering switching to F and selling my 2155. Right now I am looking at the Miraphone Petrushka. I know that I will miss the sound of the C and that's the only hesitation I have. OTOH, I look forward to being able to more easily blend in with the smaller ensembles and just have a lighter more nimble sound. I am posting here just to get some opinions on doing this. I am sure some of you play F exclusively or have considered it. So, what do you think?

Stefan

[Stefan]

Sell or don't...

Not quite the answer?

Sorry - don't follow.

Stefan

[The Big Ben]

I'd say get an F and see how it works. If you can't afford the F you really want without selling your CC, perhaps get a cheaper F which is "OK" and put the CC in the closet for six months. If you find that F only doesn't work for you, the CC is in the closet. If you find that an F is really the way you want to go based on experience, you might get your dream F horn.

[Mojo workin']

I say go for it.

I managed to get to the point of being able to sight read pretty well with an F when I was an F-tuba-exclusive tubist. And I'm sure the Petroushka has more breadth of sound in the lower register than a 181, like I had. You WILL blend better with smaller ensembles.

Playing in a community band may be the biggest challenge for you if you only have the F, as you will probably be the only F player in the section, causing you to try to blend and play in tune with some pretty different tubas than your own.

You will probably find the solo literature to be easier and more fun to play, atleast I did when all that I could play it on was an F. If not for tonal reasons, a lot of it will just lie better on a tuba that responds in a more natural way above the staff.

Good luck. Try more tubas before you make your decision.

[Donn]

What's the worst that could happen? That's a serious question (though of course I have no personal interest in the answer.) If it's like `career ruined, because you showed up with an F tuba and it became obvious that you're really a flake who has no clue what it takes to hold down a tuba part' ... well, I would be the wrong person to ask in that situation, so won't offer any opinion.

If it's more like `might have to sell the F tuba and buy another C tuba' ... go for it! If you want to, I mean. There are some things in life that don't benefit much from other people's opinions.

[TexTuba]

Hi

Almost all of my training and professional/college/community experiences have been on C tuba for the past 20 years. I owned an F (a MW 45s) briefly and really enjoyed playing it. At the time I had that F and a CC. These days my only horn is a MW 2155 which is a great tuba. I rarely play in an orchestra and I don't have a desire to play in a large community band. My primary playing tends to be with smaller ensembles like quintets or a small wind ensemble. I am not taking or preparing for auditions these days. Because I enjoyed my F so much I have been seriously considering switching to F and selling my 2155. Right now I am looking at the Miraphone Petrushka. I know that I will miss the sound of the C and that's the only hesitation I have. OTOH, I look forward to being able to more easily blend in with the smaller ensembles and just have a lighter more nimble sound. I am posting here just to get some opinions on doing this. I am sure some of you play F exclusively or have considered it. So, what do you think?

Stefan

I am currently in the "F exclusively" category. I don't play all that much anymore. When I did, I was gigging with medium-sized groups, a tuba quartet for Oktoberfest, a BQ, and played tuba in a Wind Ensemble. I had zero problems with sound output in the first three and I was lucky enough to play with an exceptional musician....with a Rudy 5/4 CC!

I say if you want to play an F only, more power to you. They can be all the tuba you need if you know what you're going to use it for.

[iiipopes]

Have you considered a 4/4 CC tuba instead, if the 2155 is just too much to carry anymore? I use my 186 (BBb instead of CC, but the same horn for this discussion) for just about everything from quintet to large concert band. I'm usually the only one playing in the small concert band I'm in, and it carries the day. With a 4/4, you may lose a little bit of that "contrabass foundation" (which I did when the 38K went away, but I still have my 22 inch recording bell for the 186 as needed) that you've gotten used to with the 2155, but if you're used to it, you will definitely miss it when it's gone, and there's no getting it back, even with the largest 6/4 F. OTOH, trimming things up a bit may be the way to go instead by going to a 4/4 CC instead of a 5/4 CC or to a large F.

Just for kicks, go play a Miraphone 186 & 188 and see what you think. Yes, the 2155 is piston, but the 186 is a standard quantity for comparison.

[bort]

Hi

Almost all of my training and professional/college/community experiences have been on C tuba for the past 20 years. I owned an F (a MW 45s) briefly and really enjoyed playing it. At the time I had that F and a CC. These days my only horn is a MW 2155 which is a great tuba. I rarely play in an orchestra and I don't have a desire to play in a large community band. My primary playing tends to be with smaller ensembles like quintets or a small wind ensemble. I am not taking or preparing for auditions these days. Because I enjoyed my F so much I have been seriously considering switching to F and selling my 2155. Right now I am looking at the Miraphone Petrushka. I know that I will miss the sound of the C and that's the only hesitation I have. OTOH, I look forward to being able to more easily blend in with the smaller ensembles and just have a lighter more nimble sound. I am posting here just to get some opinions on doing this. I am sure some of you play F exclusively or have considered it. So, what do you think?

Stefan

I recently picked up an F tuba, and have been playing it about 80% of the time for the past 4 months. Partially as a forced "boot camp" to learn the fingerings and gain comfort with it as a *new* instrument. And partially because it's so much stinkin' fun. I feel like I'm doing pretty well with it.

I wouldn't want to be the only tuba in a wind ensemble with an F, but as 1 of 2 with the other on BBb or CC, it would sound great. Then again, I have a small F tuba. All the same, it works quite well for what I'm using it for now, though below low C or Bb, the fingerings get tricky. (How much "stuff" do you play/articulate in the pedal range of your CC? )

I've tossed around the "large F for everything" idea before. I still do. Every time I pick up my CC again though, it's too comforting to abandon -- that big, broad sound is a necessary part of my tuba diet. I may still buy a larger F in the future though. Ideally, I'd like to have a big F to use for "most" things, with the CC available as necessary for big stuff.

Keep the 2155, get an F, then decide. OTOH, 2155's aren't around all that much. If you've got a good one, you'd have some trouble replacing it if you regretted the sale...

[Stefan]

Thanks everyone for your opinions and and insight.

Big Ben - that's a good idea. But I did have a "cheaper F" at one time (the 45s) and I would not classify that as an all around tuba. I think if I had a smaller and cheaper horn, it would cause me to go back to C. The 45s was a great tuba, but I think it was definitely a 2nd tuba. I also think that if I get something not so good, I will not enjoy it as much.

Mojo - thanks for the real life tips based on experience. I would like to try other F's - particularly the MW 2250, but I don't know where to try it. Baltimore Brass, Dillons, Tuba Exchange, Custom, WWBW dont have it. Willsons are nice, but they are more expensive than the others. I went to WWBW and played the Firebird, the Petrushka, the MW 45slp. There was no question the Petrushka was the best for my purposes. The firebird would be great as a second horn - cheaper and more of an "f" tuba. BTW, do I know you from somewhere?

Donn - You're right - Was IS the worse that could happen. In my curent situation, nothing much . The worse thing is that I would have to go through the trouble of selling and buying again. Maybe play a few wrong notes if I get confused. Hey, I do that anyway!

Tex - Sounds like you and I are in a similar situation. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

iiipopes - No, I haven't considered getting a smaller C - although it is a logical and good suggestion. I have to admit that in addition to the sound and the blending quality of an F, I just find it easier and more fun to play.

Bort - yeah, that is a concern. The 2155 is a nice tuba and they are not around as much. And yeah, it's that big broad sound that I would miss. OTOH, I have had that for 20 years and it wouldn't hurt to try something else. There are always other good C tubas out there.

Stefan

[bort]

OR... you could get the big Yamaha F. That's pretty much a CC tuba anyway!

[Mojo workin']

BTW, do I know you from somewhere?

No. We have never met before. I have met your wife, son, father, mother, brother, sister, in-laws and pets, but we are complete strangers.

[J.c. Sherman]

OR... you could get the big Yamaha F. That's pretty much a CC tuba anyway!

True... or you could call it a chopped Eb, which is how it always struck me. "This sounds like an Eb, but without the agility of a 4-valve compensating fingering system... so why get it?" has been my thoughts on it. It is a good tuba, and has a very broad sound.

But learning (compensating) Eb ain't all that hard, and the fingerings throughout the range are a breeze; no crippling 5th valve and 4th valve hand contortions - it's lightning fast (I'm talking 3+1 comps).

J.c.S.

[Uncle Buck]

From what you've posted, it seems like you'd enjoy your playing more if you switched to F exclusively. So give it a try! I like what Donn said.

[Stefan]

So, I decided to get the Miraphone Petroushka and it came today. It's not so often one gets a new tuba so I am pretty excited about it. Practiced more than I have in a long time today trying to reacquaint myself with the fingerings. They came back quick as long as I stick to the simpler keys. Intonation will be a big issue during the coming months. I will really have to work with the slides, alternate fingerings, and generally getting into the slot. But I knew all this going into it and I am ready for the challenge. Has a strong sound and responds well. Low range pops out as compared to other F's I have played. Upper range has a really nice sound - what I was looking for. My F tuba mouthpiece has been a PT-64 but I now prefer the MP that came with it. Anyway, just wanted to follow up on the thread. Thanks for all the advice.

Stefan

[Mojo workin']

What mouthpiece came with the horn?

[Stefan]

It's the Miraphone TU-23