Tubas in jazz bands?

DevilDog-2013 · Post by **DevilDog-2013** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:33 pm

Hello, tubenet x]

I play tuba in my school jazz band and just have a few questions. I did some research and found out that it's not uncommon to have a tuba in a jazz band. But they typically play a bass part. Is it odd that I'm playing a trombone part? I started out on the bass part, but my director wanted me on the bass trombone part after we lost a bone. I find the music is easier to read, but so high that I have to bring it down an octave, and in some pieces the chords don't sound right... hmmm

Also can dents in a mouthpiece effect how a perticular tuba sounds? My Helleberg has aquired a few dents in the shank during marching season. Any quick, at home, fixes?

Best wishes
Erica

imperialbari · Post by **imperialbari** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:43 pm

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:03 am

Yes... a tuba can do a great job on the bass part. In fact... in years gone by, it wasn't unusual for a stage band to use a sousaphone.

Bass trombone parts are fun to play but they ain't going to sound like a bass.

Let me guess.... your band director is using a keyboard to cover the bass part. That's blasphemy!

BopEuph · Post by **BopEuph** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:36 am

TubaTinker wrote:Let me guess.... your band director is using a keyboard to cover the bass part. That's blasphemy!

Not when you hear some of the piano players down here. A few have no need of bassists, and are keeping me out of a job. I can't believe some of the left hand grooves coming out over here.

Nick

SousaSaver · Post by **SousaSaver** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:08 pm

Check out Howard Johnson with his jazz Tuba group Gravity.

Also check out Devotchka, which has a female Sousaphone/String Bass player.

Devotchka isn't jazz, but it is still pretty great. You can find a free concert from NPR here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... fresh=true

DevilDog-2013 · Post by **DevilDog-2013** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:16 pm

Ok, thanks for the replies x]

btw, imperialbari, EPIC profile pic x]]

Bob Kolada · Post by **Bob Kolada** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:48 pm

Do you play bariphonium? That would be an even better choice than honking along on some strange beater midget horn.

Jeff Miller · Post by **Jeff Miller** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:44 pm

Hey

There's loads of stuff out there if you look for it. I play tuba and related instruments in lots of bands.

Essentially, you'll either be acting like the bass and be part of the rhythm section, or you'll be part of the horn section, like a bass trombone or bari sax. Both are great fun, but very different.

Here's a few links of some of my stuff to get you started - get googling and see what else you can find:

As a bass instrument:
With London's Hackney Colliery Band: http://www.hackneycollieryband.co.uk/" target="_blank" target="_blank
with the Bollywood Brass Band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0-nN2fBk-4" target="_blank" target="_blank

As a horn section instrument in the John Bennett Band (videos are on cimbasso, but I normally play tuba in this band):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo_f06Tb9N0" target="_blank" target="_blank
http://www.johnbennettband.co.uk/media.html" target="_blank" target="_blank

And here's a link to a Jaco Pastorius gig with Dave Bargeron playing some wicked tuba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQVNiNKi52o" target="_blank" target="_blank

Check out more Jaco, Youngblood, Taj Mahal (exp. the album "The Real Thing"), and the WDR Big Band for starters.

Jeff

DevilDog-2013 · Post by **DevilDog-2013** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:16 pm

@Jeff Miller - Cool, thanks x] Wow... Dave Bargeron is a god. Hahaha... but seriosly, how do you even play that high on tuba? haha...

@Bob Kolada - No, I dont play bari or euph. Can't.Mouthpiece is too small. Or at least those are my lame excuses. I just don't want to play it. But I do notice the difference with different tubas. Some days, I'll play the Yamaha concert tuba and others I'll play the Jupiter convertable tuba. The Jupiter tuba is quite a bit smaller and has a bit of a brighter sound. And because of the size difference, it seems to work better on the bone part. But the Yamaha is easier to play for the bass part because I have the 4th valve to hit those pedal notes.

DevilDog-2013 · Post by **DevilDog-2013** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:52 pm

I have decided that the smaller horn does make a diffence. It has a brighter, more open sound. More like a bone. And I have decided to play it for the jazz fest tomarrow, wish us luck x]

TUbajohn20J · Post by **TUbajohn20J** » Thu Feb 03, 2011 1:59 am

A great example of the tuba playing low trombone part. The Nat Adderley sextet (1959). And I believe the tuba player used a Conn 3/4 tuba.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJP54dCJyFQ" target="_blank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJnRO-6jLq4" target="_blank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAG_WnI7oI8" target="_blank

tubaforce · Post by **tubaforce** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 1:48 pm

Hello! I have doubled on Bass and Tuba for years, and at one time held the 5th. Trombone chair in a Community College Jazz Band. That school had just aquired a King 7-B, and I never really learned how to properly play the thing. Why should I, when I had a 4th and 5th valve at my command? You could probably be playing quite well, with some coaching, in a week! The traditional double years back was Bass/Tuba, but has been Bass "Bone/Tuba for years now! I have played Dixie gigs on Tuba, Upright, and Fretless electri Bass, But never any Swing or Be-Bop with Tuba as the Rhythmn section Bass. A walking Bass line can be quite challenging at faster tempo's on Tuba, but not impossible! I have a day job, but I would imagine Bass' Bone/Tuba would get one more gigs than Bass/Tuba, although I have used Tuba/Stick Bass, and Tuba/Electric Bass for pit jobs, most recently a production of "Hello, Dolly". If you're serious about playing Tuba in the Rhythmn Section, then start out with Jamey Abersold's All Blues' Bass Book! If you're wanting to play in the Trombone section, ask to borrow a double trigger Bass 'Bone, and go for it! Whatever you do, ENJOY yourself!

Al

DevilDog-2013 · Post by **DevilDog-2013** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:46 am

Quick update...
Jazz fest was interesting.... My stand fell over... off of the top riser... During the performance... But I caught my music and got back on. But hey, it happens. So that's that.

But we got this new piece this week. It's called Moanin' by Charles Mingus, arg by Sy Johnson. And... wait for it... I actually have a TUBA part!!!!! x] I think it wil be interesting because I have this craziness at the begining. And there is ALOT of improvisation and tons of pedal notes. It will be the most amazing thing when we practice it more.

Also,
Thank you tubaforce! I am looking to get some new books soon. I will definetly add it to my list x] and I'm not sure which I prefer as far as tuba/bone or tuba/bass. But the director prefers me on the bone part for now, I guess. So I guess I'll just sit tight. I only joined jazz in the first place because my friend made me, but now I can't imagine life without jazz

If I continue playing jazz, then I guess I'll just go with where the director puts me. Now, if I could actually play trombone... hmm... that's a thought x] I'm thinking about trying an actual bass trombone if I can get ahold of one.

Thank you all for the replies x]

Donn · Post by **Donn** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:44 pm

It's traditional, among tuba players, to suggest that bass trombone would be an easy double. Week's practice with some coaching. Sure! After all, at most there's only two valves?

As for tuba's suitability for up tempo music vs. bass viol/guitar - I wish we had more banda music around here, so I could verify with my eyes that they're really playing like that on the tuba. Honestly, I really love to play electric bass, but only when I can plug in. String bass is practically not much better - I mean, in a group of ukuleles or something, you got an acoustic bass, but to play that up tempo stuff with horns, you need amplification. Without amplification, tuba always wins - it's harder to play, but that's a problem with a solution.

David Richoux · Post by **David Richoux** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:28 am

Donn wrote:
- I wish we had more banda music around here, so I could verify with my eyes that they're really playing like that on the tuba.

I have seen and heard many Bandas - most of them that have sousaphones (some have synthisizers) play them loud and fast without extra amplification and they play really long sets! Tone quality is not always great but that is part of Banda tradition.
By the way, there is a good FM Banda station in Seattle 99.3 or at least there was one there last time I listened...
There is also a streaming internet Banda heavy station at http://www.haciendaradio.net/ (and that is not the only one.)

DevilDog-2013 · Post by **DevilDog-2013** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:12 pm

Just thought that I'd let you all no that I did pick up the barifnonium

That's how we spend our sectionals: switching instruments. haha. So I don't like playing the bone. But I picked up the bari pretty quickly. It's up to the director, but I'm thinking of switching to bari for jazz now. Just because I can actually play at the written octave with it. But it just depends on what my director says. I will keep you updated on the decision.

Thanks

DevilDog-2013 · Post by **DevilDog-2013** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:00 am

Yea, but I'm having a hard time picking up trombone. I don't think it's going to happen right now. For now I'm just looking for something I can learn quickly. I only picked baritone because the school had an extra one and it's the same fingerings as tuba.
But, next year, it looks like we will have to choose between jazz and marching/concert band. So I may just go with jazz. Seems like playing jazz makes it easier to get into colleges and whatnot. Plus playing tuba on top of that = oober scholarships = I can still afford to play hockey. So, IF I do choose jazz, then I will learn trombone (probably bass because it's awesome). So I guess it comes down to how band works out next year.

Donn · Post by **Donn** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 12:46 pm

Barifnonium doesn't seem like the most obvious choice for a jazz band, but you can't beat "free", and it could be interesting. Note above about valve trombone and jazz is right, but the valve trombone isn't any kind of bass/baritone voice, it's more like an overgrown trumpet. The same is sort of true of barifnonium, the lower range of the instrument isn't its sweet spot - but it has more volume down there than the valve trombone, and with the right mouthpiece and some practice there might be a place for it. Don't say barifnonium, it's a "tenor tuba."

DevilDog-2013 · Post by **DevilDog-2013** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:38 pm

Makes sense. What I really need to do is learn trombone. But like I said, I can't right now. And I only said "barifnonium" because it was refered to as such in an earlier post xP And I have NO idea what mouthpiece I'm using on the "tenor tuba". I don't even know if it's a trombone or bari mouthpiece, but it gets the job done... for now xP Although I did notice that the lower range sounds terrible on it. But I thought it was just me.

If nothing else, playing bari is DEFINETLY helping me hit those high notes on tuba x] Which is amazing because the high eighth note runs were killing me, but just in the last few days, it has improved SO much x]

Thanks for the replies

Tuba-G Bass · Post by **Tuba-G Bass** » Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:56 pm

I played in Jazz Band my last two years,
covering the 4th, 5th, or Bass Trombone part on Tuba.
We had the usual electric bass player as well.

TubeNet

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