F tuba in quintet

[JCalkin]

I choose F tuba for most "classical" repertoire, since I feel it gets a better balance and blend with the other voices.

I play in a quintet that mostly does weddings, church services and the like, and the F tuba is perfect for most Baroque/Renaissance transcriptions due to the lighter tone.

When we do wedding receptions, we play all jazz stuff and I am the bass, so I bring the big (Rudy 5/4) guns out for that... also when we play with an organ. It's damn near irresistible to get into a blow-the-walls-down blast-fest with an organ

For me it comes down to what I want the group sound to be:

5-piece brass ensemble: F tuba
4-piece brass ensemble plus bass: CC tuba

[sloan]

And it keeps me from spending my money on drugs and sex.) (That was a joke. You can laugh.)

Don't you mean cameras and bikes?!?

Aren't they the same thing?

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said. . . I do find Eb to be a great "compromise" horn - big enough down low and light enough up top.

--T. J.

I have just the Eb tuba you need. It's a modified Besson...bloke fixed it so you don't need the silly tuning stick.

[jeopardymaster]

I can envision your poll results could skew quite a bit if an Eb option were offered. I note from other posters some mention of the Arnold in particular - man, does that lie well on Eb! As one might expect.

On acquiring my 983 I made that the default horn for my quintet. It took some getting used to from all sides, but I heard no complaints.

I have gravitated back toward my 184 for "pick-up" gigs because the horn is so predictable, and since in most of my orchestral playing I am in CC anyway. As I've posted so many times before on this forum, I tend not to practice much - I depend on "plug-and-play" quite a bit. And I know my 184 pretty well now after 35 years.

Last Fall I played a pair of concerts with a group culled from one of the orchestras I play in. Closing the program was Stars and Stripes, arranged with tuba on the pic part. Lies not very well on CC, passably well on Eb. I quickly realized that several other of the pieces we were playing were effective on Eb, so I wound up switching back and forth quite a bit, to justify toting both horns. After the second concert was over and we were packing to leave, the 2nd trumpet commented on my heavy burden. That was the first notice he took that I had brought and played 2 instruments. And no one, from either audience, mentioned it.

[tbn.al]

The first question that comes to my mind is, "Does size matter?"

The second question is, "The size of what?"

Addendum to second question, "Bore, MP, horn, sound or all of the above."

Addendum to all the above, "If the size of the sound doesn't overwhelm the rest of the ensemble, and the intonation difficulties and overtone series problems in the high range can be managed, does the key really matter?"

[tclements]

I use mostly a 4/4 CC. I can play most of the rep on it and I like the broader sound. All my colleagues use their orchestra horns, so why shouldn't I? Plus all the jazzy stuff sounds more bassy. When we are doing recital-type performances, I carry 2 horns and play any bass trombone parts on the F, as well as any really high, light stuff, like Bozza for instance. I don't think there is a real 'standard.' I say, "Play what ya want."

[T. J. Ricer]

I have just the Eb tuba you need. It's a modified Besson...bloke fixed it so you don't need the silly tuning stick.

Wow, that sounds perfect! Maybe you can get Andy to drive it up here next time he's down! I can't believe anyone ever let that horn get into your hands in the first place!

Hope you're enjoying the Eb!

--T. J.

[Wyvern]

The fact that people actually owned F tubas, compelled them to find ways to use it

That may have been said in jest, but I think there is an element of truth there. The tubist wants a outlet to regularly use their expensive F.

I have only recently got into regular quintet playing, so am still experimenting with different instruments. I think the F does blend better, obviously has the advantage of clarity and security in the high register.

Against it, is greater difficulty of moving fast around in the lower register using 4th and 5th valves, but at least my F has no lack of depth down low.

I tend to use my deep PT-90 mouthpiece in the PT-15 for quintet playing to give it a broader tone than I would want of it in the orchestra.

[Wyvern]

Questions:
1 - Who started this?

Surely the answer here is "the Germans". In Germany F is the default tuba on which players are started and use as their main axe. The Germans therefore of course use F in quintet and always have.

If a player has grown up playing F then they will be very adapt at handling in quintet. The sound that professional German tubist get on F is very good and full and certainly worth using as a sound concept.

And having been practising F specifically in the low register during the summer, I can say a larger F can provide a tone in the low register almost indistinguishable to the listener from a small CC (although feeling different to the player).


Jonathan "who used his PT-15 for concert band standing gig as the only tuba last weekend"

[tubeast]

I ´ll second Jonathan´s post.
back in the days, Walter Hilgers would use his F exclusively in a quintet that was to become German Brass.
Even with the large ensemble, he´d switch between F and BBb.

As amateurs, we have a tradition of considering F tubists to be playing "First Chair" in band, so with an F on Your lap You must be the GOOD guy in band, right ?
So as I started on BBb, people suggested I should "step UP" to an F, and when I had the chance, I did.

Later on, when I actually DID play in quintet, the F was all I had to support 5tet as well as a 45 piece band as the only tubist. I USED to think, that the F was all I needed to play anything.

Today I´d haul any of my horns to a gig that will do the job. The small BBb is still waiting for its first opportunity to shine.

[ken k]

I think the Besson/Boosey Eb tuba works extrememly well in the quintet setting.
light enough for clarity as Elephant says but yet sounds like a tuba on marches, rags, etc.
k

[toobagrowl]

I use Eb tuba in all the quintets I have played in and the sound and balance has always been just right ! My main Eb tuba is an old Holton "Monster" and it can sound like a regular Eb, a small CC or even a 4/4 CC. The sound is large, open and round, but I can make it 'bark' when I push it. It is the perfect quintet/chamber tuba for me.
Every time I have heard a tuba player use F in quintet, I have been a bit disappointed with the sound. But the CC tuba can sound great in quintet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PyEH5GQGI8

[eupher61]

fun (phun) -n
1. playing the Arnold Quintet on Eb tuba (3rd movement especially)

[tubapress]

For my taste, I prefer a small CC tuba to an F almost always. The tonal characteristics of a CC are what make the difference. While an F provides a certain nimble quality, I think the role of the tuba as the bass of the group still prevails. The Miraphone 184 is one of the best quintet horns I've played. Lots of low register security, ease of response, ability to play with transparency and a characteristic CC tone makes it a very appealing option to me. Now all I need to do is get one!