Tuba Christmas Question

[Arbeegee]

Hi again.

Playing again after a short 40+ year break.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=43115&p=373858&hili ... 71#p373858

14 year old daughter now playing trumpet in 2 school bands and 11 year old daughter getting up to speed on trombone. Purchased a tambourine with BRASS jingles so my non-playing wife can join our "brass" band. So we are playing Christmas music together now. This is getting to be a lot of fun.

Thinking about Tuba Christmas some year but want to order music to see if I can handle it. I see the music is listed as available in treble and otherwise "Tuba in C". My newbie question is, even though I play an Eb, "Tuba in C" is irrelevant, right?

Cheers,
RBG

[ken k]

Welcome back to the fold and glad to hear you are enjoying music again.

Tuba in C means that the music is not transposed but in concert pitch. If you normally read bass clef music on your Eb tuba (as I do), then you could get the Tuba in C music.

ken k

[ken k]

FYI, the tubachristmas music is written in score form, meaning all four parts of the arrangement are written on two separate staves, similar to piano music or as in a hymnal. You pick which part you want to play and play it. The tuba parts are written on the lower staff and you can play the higher tuba part or the lower part, whichever you are most comfortable with. A few of the arrangements have separate parts, but most are in score form.

Also I recommend getting the larger printed version unless you need to use a lyre. The music can be a bit small for older eyes such as mine(don't know about yours).

k

[alfredr]

Find a TubaChristmas (or two or three) near you. If you get the music ahead of time, that will help. If you go to a big enough event, no one will know whether you're playing or not. Borrow euphoniums (or baritones, you are from 1971, after all) or tubas for the whole family, or at least for the trombone player. You will enjoy it.

alfredr (hiding in the multitudes)

[Arbeegee]

Oohh. Ha. So the "C" in "Tuba for C" stands for "Concert," not key of C as in Eb or Bb...

Right, borrow tubas for the family, even though they don't play. Isn't there some kind of dreaded Tuba Police?

R

[ken k]

Tuba in C actually means it is not transposed, as opposed to a Bb or Eb part. The C does not really stand for the word concert, although that is what it is....

I know it sounds like I am contradicting myself and perhaps someone else can explain it better than I am.

Even thugh the pitch or key of your tuba may be in Bb, or C, or Eb, or F, the music is not transposed for the instrument so we say it is a"C" part as opposed to a Bb part or an Eb part, etc.

The more I try to explain it, the more confusing it sounds, sorry for my lack of clarity...


k

[Arbeegee]

And by transposing, I would presume you mean that the notes have not been adjusted up or down the scale to best take advantage of the natural resonance and/or best range of a particular class of tuba, Eb in my case. But since a note is a note, if you can play it, it should work fine enough. Am I close?

RBG

[aqualung]

TubaXmas music in treble is just the baritone parts.

Ensemble hides a lot of mud. One time a kid borrowed a 3+1 euph, group practiced for an hour and then decided to check tuning. Kid couldn't play an open Bb, only F and A came out.
I was the only person, out of 36+ low brass experts in the room, that knew what was wrong.
The 4th valve was locked down.

[Untersatz]

TubaXmas music in treble is just the baritone parts.

That's not entirely true...........there are also tuba parts in treble clef (transposed)
for the Salvation Army & British Brass Band tuba players.

[NCSUSousa]

And by transposing, I would presume you mean that the notes have not been adjusted up or down the scale to best take advantage of the natural resonance and/or best range of a particular class of tuba, Eb in my case. But since a note is a note, if you can play it, it should work fine enough. Am I close?

RBG

You're close. The transposed tuba parts (written in Treble Clef) are that way because that's how music is written for Tuba players in British Brass and Salvation Army traditions. The notes (concert pitch) aren't any different from that version to the notes in the regular bass clef version.

Remember that TubaChristmas music is written 4-part for a tuba/euphonium/baritone choir.
The notes of the upper tuba part are more in the natural range of the Eb or F tuba. Assuming most of the group comes bearing BBb/CC tubas, there will be a few of them on that part as well just to balance the tuba parts.
I think the transposed version calls this the Eb tuba line and only puts the upper tuba part on this line. It's been a while since I've seen someone with one of the transposed parts.
The notes of the lower tuba part are more suited to a contrabass tuba (C or BBb). You may be able to play them on your Eb, but you'll not be in your natural range.

[aqualung]

there are also tuba parts in treble clef (transposed)
for the Salvation Army & British Brass Band tuba players.

Yep, ya gotta order em from HQ. The venues don't stock em, so I never saw any.
Bootleg parts for G bugles also exist, but not for the new book.

[ken k]

And by transposing, I would presume you mean that the notes have not been adjusted up or down the scale to best take advantage of the natural resonance and/or best range of a particular class of tuba, Eb in my case. But since a note is a note, if you can play it, it should work fine enough. Am I close?

RBG

yep pretty much... go to a tubachristmas and have fun... you can work out the details later!!!!!