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[brassbow]

I am wondering what you would tell a new tuba player about what is the best pitch for a tuba. ( pauses for joke and fast pitching tubas). I like Eb but then I am also a high brass player so Eb allows me to sight read and use familier fingerings as found in the upper world. I just change the key to a minor 3rd below. Now thats why I would suggest an Eb. So what are your opinions about the best pitch and why.

[thezman]

Oh no....not again...

[brassbow]

lol so sounds like this has been asked before. BUT I am lazy and don't want to search the site for info. So could fellow tube blowers respond?

[brassbow]

Tried to search and after seeing 500 pages with the keywords pitch Bb, Eb CC comparisons I stand by me asking here again. Thanks to those who respond

[Donn]

They make Eb trumpets, too, am I right? Which is best?

[brassbow]

Hmm guess I made a misunderstanding. So hopefully this will clarify. An Eb cornet ( I prefer cornet as trumpet tends towards a brittle tone) is said to be lyrical and good on upper tutti parts. A Bb is considered to be the most mellow voice in the upper brass family. A "C" is a "bright" horn. With that in mind why dies a player choose a specific pitch. As an Eb tuba player ( USA LINE ) I find this horn to be stuffy on the lower pitches below f, and tends to go sharp the lower I go. I like Eb because for me I can read scores without relearning a different fingering system. Sound wise I like the full sound I get untill I have to go to the basement. I find sound wise a Bb and a C to be very close in sound as to not be able to tell the difference. Hopefully this clears up the orgininal question of why does a player choose one pitch over another.

[thezman]

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I've taken to handing this out to annoying high school students who believe god put them on earth to play CC and F tubas, but I feel like it applies in this situation as well. "the best tuba is the one that works for you and you can afford to own."- Matt Walters

There is no best pitch for everyone, only what is best for anyone person, (which is usually what is readily available).

And if that hasn't answered the question here's another story. In Song and Wind, Brian Frederiksen tells a story that when Arnold Jacobs first played Bydlo, which at that point(and even still is) played on tenor or bass tubas, he simply looked at th note, heard what it should sound like in his head and played it (on the big CC).

Lesson being that if your skilled enough at being a musician, the key or voicing of what you play is irrelevant.

[brassbow]

Bloke, only if you move the decimal