Different tubas for band and orchestra?

[Biggs]

And then, a convenient 14 minutes later, bloke posts!

Too bad everyone knows you need at least 16 minutes to cover your tracks!

[Uncle Buck]

It wasn't me. I was busy watching Beverly Hillbillies on You Tube.

[J.c. Sherman]

Why do I hear so many community bands interpret the quarter note + eight rest in 6/8 time marches as the OPPOSITE of the way they are written (ie. eighth note + quarter rest)? To chop off those quarter notes in the bass line "kills" the swing of 6/8 time.

I'm required to.

My main band master requires very short notes in the tubage, and very firm articulation. He's not unstudied - quite the opposite. Between research and listening and his personal tastes, I'm in a band with a proportionately large, powerful section, and very... succinct playing.

The hall I play in will also carry a tuba reverb for about 20 years, so that is probably a factor as well.

But this is professional band I'm speaking of... in community bands, I'd hypothesize laziness or LCD playing.

In regards to the OP,

I have a "niche" in my Band as the Eb tubist. Traditionally, the rest of the section has consisted of large "Yorkish" tubas, most often 6/4s. There have been exceptions, but it's usually me on upper divisi and everyone else on the the bazookas on the lower divisi. And since I play EB whenever I can anyway... Same tuba. And my section mates are use their orchestral instruments.

[Rick Denney]

Question for the TNFJ -- for people who spend their time playing in both band and orchestra, do you use the same tuba? Or do you prefer different tubas for different jobs? (Primarily talking style of tuba, not the BBb/CC question.)

Back when I played in both bands and orchestras, I only had one tuba, and that's what I played. It seemed to work.

Now that I play a Holton, I'd probably still use it for both, unless the music called for F tuba, in which case I'd play my B&S. And if I need to play a band transcription that needs the bass-tuba voice (think: Berlioz), I use the same B&S F.

In general, while I find that the big tubas have a deeper sound, I don't find them any less clear, if the performer knows how to play them. In fact, my first impression of a big tuba used in an orchestra was one of increased presence at the back row, not the opposite.

Rick "who frequently plays upper-divisi band parts on his Holton, which provides the clarity of the upper-divisi part without the loss of depth of using an F tuba" Denney

[hup_d_dup]

Why do I hear so many community bands interpret the quarter note + eight rest in 6/8 time marches as the OPPOSITE of the way they are written (ie. eighth note + quarter rest)? .

I'm required to.

My main band master requires very short notes in the tubage, and very firm articulation. He's not unstudied - quite the opposite. Between research and listening and his personal tastes, I'm in a band with a proportionately large, powerful section, and very... succinct playing.

Same here. The conductor of one of the bands I'm in often refers to the "March Style" rules handed down from VanderCook via Rivelli:
1. All notes are detached unless marked otherwise.
2. Long notes are loud.
3. Short notes are soft.
4. The longer the note, the louder the note; the shorter the note, the softer the note.
5. Any note less than one count is short.
6. Any note one count or more is full value.
7. Syncopations get an accent.
8. The last note of a slur is short.
9. When tonguing fast notes, play softly with light tonguing.
10. Crescendo means start softly.
11. Diminuendo means start loudly.
12. Play one uneven figure detached.
13. Play two or more uneven figures connected.
14. Crescendo when notes go up.
15. Diminuendo when notes go down.
16. If you can say it, you can play it.

When playing 6/8 using these rules, there is a difference between quarter and eighth notes, but they are both short and, if adjacent to other notes, detached.

Naturally, there are exceptions to these rules. For instance #15 is often reversed for the tuba section.

Hup

[thattubaguy]

Depends on the other guys

[hup_d_dup]

It's better.

Not disputing this. Just answering the question, why do some bands do it the other way.

Hup

[eupher61]

actually, I think the recording confirms the list from The Chief. It's too late to take the Fifth, bloke. maybe a halfpint will work.

[J.c. Sherman]

Data may be skewed here - As I understand it, Sousa didn't direct his band's recordings and only begrudgingly allowed them to be made at all.

[Z-Tuba Dude]

My understanding is that Sousa refused to record, recognizing that recordings represented a threat to musician's livelyhood (very forward thinking guy!).

He did not want his musicians to miss out on the income that recordings brought, so he allowed others to conduct his band in those recordings. Some of those recordings were by conducted by guys who went on to become pretty famous, in their own right.

Sousa finally agreed to doing recordings later in his life, to record for posterity.

Anyway, that's what I learned on the street corner!

[bort]

Interesting stuff, but time to start a new post...

[eupher61]

Yes, at least the earliest recordings were conducted by Arthur Pryor. I doubt the band would have changed styles that much due to a substitute conductor who was familiar with Sousa's stylings.

[Mark Horne]

I will often think of the 6/8 quarter note as two tied eighth notes (keeping with the mental subdivision three eights per beat). In the 6/8 marches the horns typically establish the length of the eighth note as they often play all but the second and fifth eighths of nearly every measure. As Bloke states, the tubas on quarter notes will carry into that empty space and reinforce the downbeat feel.

Regarding those recordings that Bloke posted - is it just me or was there no percussion in either of those marches?