CC Tuba fingerings in British Brass Band

[Tubamax7]

I MAY be studying abroad next semester or the semester after in Wales. My instructor said while I'm there I should try to play in a brass band but I'd be playing in treble clef. I'm a music ed major so I can proficiently read treble clef, so I was wondering if anyone knew what the transposition are for that.

Thanks

[eupher61]

Not to be a jerk. .. But you can figure this out with a couple Google searches. It's a basic musical concept for an ed major, you'll be the better for the research and for learning the transposition (s).

[Rick F]

If you're used to reading concert pitch Treble Clef, read the notes down a whole step (add 2 flats to the key signature). Or maybe make believe you need to finger a 'D' tuba.

[PMeuph]

If you're an ed major, I assume you know trumpet fingerings. Just pick up an eeb or bbb tuba from a band you play with. Most bands will have a tuba that you can borrow and learning a second tuba like eeb would probably help you in the long run.

[Bill Troiano]

Learn and use tenor clef here.

[NCSUSousa]

Short answer -
Transpose the Written C4 (1 Ledger line below TC Staff) to a Played BBb1 (2 LLs Below Bass Clef Staff). ADD 2 Flats for Key Signature or Accidentals. It's written 1 whole step higher, so you have to move it lower by adding 2 flats.
Edit - This works if you're reading the BBb Tuba part on your CC tuba. It does NOT work if you have the Eb Tuba part in front of you.

Alternate idea 1 - Since you know CC fingerings on Tuba, try borrowing/playing a BBb tuba and just read one less Ledger Line. That way you don't also have to compensate for key signature or accidentals.

Alternate idea 2 - Just learn Eb and play that if you can borrow one while you're there. For that one, a written TC C (1LL below TC Staff) = Played Bass Eb (1LL below BC Staff). Key Signature is also adjusted for TC Brass Band Lit (No sharps or flats on the staff means the key is Eb major).

[Tubamax7]

I learned to play tuba on BBb 8 years ago, and I have considered learning learning EEb while I'm there(if I can access one). I searched to find a fingering chart for CC in treble clef but everything I found was bass clef. And I do know trumpet fingerings because the fingerings are exactly the same between CC and trumpet. I'm sure the professor there will know how to play EEb and transpose the part so I could just learn from him. I just wanted to understand it before I got there.

[iiipopes]

Transpose by sight down a whole step. If you read a middle C, play the Bb below middle C. If you read a D, play middle C. If you read a 1st line E, play D, etc.

[tclements]

I have two guys playing CC's in my brass band on the BBb parts. They make like they are reading bass clef and use F tuba fingerings. You have to fiddle with keys & accidentals, but it works.

[NCSUSousa]

I learned to play tuba on BBb 8 years ago, and I have considered learning learning EEb while I'm there(if I can access one). I searched to find a fingering chart for CC in treble clef but everything I found was bass clef. And I do know trumpet fingerings because the fingerings are exactly the same between CC and trumpet. I'm sure the professor there will know how to play EEb and transpose the part so I could just learn from him. I just wanted to understand it before I got there.

Nobody (that I know of) publishes a fingering chart for CC tuba on BBb TC Tuba parts (or Eb TC Tuba parts for that matter).

The basic idea behind giving brass band Tuba players Treble Clef notation is that they can learn the Bb Trumpet fingerings and the fingerings always match the notes on the page. The parts are specific to their BBb or Eb instrument. That way, if the Eb Tuba player is out, a Bb Trumpet player can simply pick up a Eb tuba and play the Eb tuba part with correct fingerings already learned. Same for that trumpet player picking up the BBb tuba and the Bb tuba part or the Euph part.

Now intonation is another story... In theory, If you just pretend you're holding a C trumpet, trying to read Bb trumpet music, that's about as close as you can get with your CC tuba while reading the BBb.

[imperialbari]

Short answer -
Transpose the Written C4 (1 Ledger line below TC Staff) to a Played BBb1 (2 LLs Below Bass Clef Staff). Subtract 2 Flats for Key Signature or Accidentals.
Edit - This works if you're reading the BBb Tuba part on your CC tuba.

Subtract?

[Biggs]

Just read the music. You learned to read C bass clef, didn't you? Plop down with a beginner's trumpet method book and repeat that process.

[Ace]

Transpose by sight down a whole step. If you read a middle C, play the Bb below middle C. If you read a D, play middle C. If you read a 1st line E, play D, etc.

+1

Ace

[Biggs]

Just read the music. You learned to read C bass clef, didn't you? Plop down with a beginner's trumpet method book and repeat that process.

Won't work for CC tuba. The trumpet book is transposed. If he was playing a BBb tuba, it would work.

Remember a trumpet player playing a low C is actually playing the Bb below that

No, it will work for a CC tuba - don't use Bb trumpet fingerings though (why would you??) My advice is to avoid using some idiotic fingering trick and instead learn how to read the music.

[eupher61]

+1

You'll likely end up playing with trumpet students. . Learn to do it at sight on a CC, F, BBb, and Eb and you'll be a lot more effective, and not just for brass bands. It's another dialect of the language of music. It will help you with transposition overall, which most ed majors don't realize is extremely important. Is not just for jazzers, it's for music.

Just read the music. You learned to read C bass clef, didn't you? Plop down with a beginner's trumpet method book and repeat that process.

Won't work for CC tuba. The trumpet book is transposed. If he was playing a BBb tuba, it would work.

Remember a trumpet player playing a low C is actually playing the Bb below that

No, it will work for a CC tuba - don't use Bb trumpet fingerings though (why would you??) My advice is to avoid using some idiotic fingering trick and instead learn how to read the music.

[Biggs]

It sounded like you were telling him to use trumpet fingerings, and that's what wouldn't work.

Even so, If he's trying to learn treble clef to play a part that's transposed a whole step, (assuming he's playing the Bb bass parts and not the Eb bass parts) he's going to have to see a Low C, and play it first valve, and D would be an open note.

Yes, this exactly.

So... D tuba fingerings... Yuck

Not so much this. The fingering patterns, in concurrence with the written notes, might match up with theoretical "D tuba fingerings" but it is much easier to think of them as "the correct fingerings." It's not difficult if he is willing to put in a little work - certainly not any more difficult than when he learned to read C bass clef on a tuba in any key.

[bill]

On the other hand, if you are going to play Eb parts, add three flats and finger as you would normally finger in bass clef. But the "pretend you are playing an F tuba" idea works when I am asked to play Bass Clarinet parts, once in a great while, on F. Of course, you could go to Holland and they would have bass clef parts in CC, BBb and Eb. Weird, aint it? Sheesh!

[hup_d_dup]

Here's the answer and it was in the 2nd post!

Not to be a jerk. .. But you can figure this out with a couple Google searches. It's a basic musical concept for an ed major, you'll be the better for the research and for learning the transposition (s).

What follows reads like the Keystone Cops! If I was new to transposition or clefs it would take me forever to figure out what is good advice and what is nonsense!

Hup

[cambrook]

+1

Curmudgeon's advice is excellent. When I was much younger I was one of the "pioneers" of playing CC tuba in a brass band here in Australia - and while it was a good idea in that particular band (which was run by symphony players) - I wouldn't recommend it if I was visiting Britain for a while....

[NCSUSousa]

Short answer -
Transpose the Written C4 (1 Ledger line below TC Staff) to a Played BBb1 (2 LLs Below Bass Clef Staff). Subtract 2 Flats for Key Signature or Accidentals.
Edit - This works if you're reading the BBb Tuba part on your CC tuba.

Subtract?

Thanks for catching this. The way I've worded it, they should ADD 2 flats in the transposition. It's subtract going the other way. I'm editing my post to correct this error.