Can a BB-Flat Tuba Used For A Music Education Major?

JayW · Post by **JayW** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:30 pm

absolutely

Would reccomend you give a call to the teachewr you will be studying with just to get their point of view. But if you get the sound you are looking for on a BBb....no reason why you cannot make it work

Uncle Buck · Post by **Uncle Buck** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:59 pm

Add a yes vote from me.

Lew · Post by **Lew** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 11:04 pm

I am not a music educator, nor a professional player, but I have a brother and brother-in-law who are both music educators, and I would vote yes. If you end up teaching in just about any public school in the US. the most likely instrument that you will be beginning your students on will be in BBb. There is no reason not to learn how to play tubas in all keys, but a BBb is what you will see for most of your career.

Art Hovey · Post by **Art Hovey** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 12:36 am

It makes sense to me, since most of the kids you will be teaching will have B-flat instruments. All you have to do is play better than any of the snobs with the CC-melody tubas. Put your effort into MASTERING the BBb tuba instead of LEARNING the CC tuba. And never TELL anybody that you are using a BBb instrument. Remember, Bill Bell never picked up a CC tuba until the night before his symphony audition!

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 12:38 am

TubaAlex wrote:I have beenw ondering the same thing. Would playing a BBb matter when it comes to playing with the college's wind ensembles/ concert bands? or would a BBb horn get you sent home?

Depends, although it probably won't matter at all. We had BBb, CC, and Eb tubas at one time.

Relatively small music department, too -- just one concert band, one wind ensemble, etc.

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 12:42 am

Art Hovey wrote: Put your effort into MASTERING the BBb tuba instead of LEARNING the CC tuba. And never TELL anybody that you are using a BBb instrument.

Heh... that's one of the funniest things I get...

"Man, that sounds really nice. That's a CC, isn't it?" "Nope, BBb." "Oh, really?..."

Now, whether I've mastered BBb is up for debate.. maybe the guy on my left catches me in a good moment when he says that.

bigboom · Post by **bigboom** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 2:39 am

I am going to the University of Northern Colorado next year and have been taking lessons from Mr. Byrnes (the tuba professor) and he recently got me a horn that I will probably be using for a few years while I am there. It's a yamaha 641, in BBb, and for now he prefers me to be on a BBb, the way he put it for me is that it would be better to play with what I am most comfortable with. I also believe that they have at least one player, if not both, in their top wind ensemle playing BBb tubas. I guess I should probably say that I am going into Music Ed. too but I think he would probably do the same for a performance major for their first year. If you have a school picked out or have a few ideas, look up the brass staff and send them an email, from what I have experienced they are more then willing to help and any school.

Ben Dennis

TexTuba · Post by **TexTuba** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 1:05 pm

Definetely.

Ralph

TonyZ · Post by **TonyZ** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 8:17 am

Most definitely use a BBb. Get a good one, and you won't have any problems. It is, of course, a decision you should make with your teacher!

Good Luck!

tubaribonephone · Post by **tubaribonephone** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:52 am

I'm a music ed. major and I'm on a BBb. And about being a performance major, I've always been told that if you sound good, it doesn't matter. You can get any gig, any orchestral job as long as you sound good.

tubathig · Post by **tubathig** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 4:31 pm

If you are going to be a band director a BBb will do just fine. Personally I play CC, and I am a band director now, but it is a sound preference issue with me. If you are pleased with your sound on BBb, don't waste your time switching, However if you have any aspirations of grad school at any time you should strongly consider learning CC if your teacher feels it nescessary, if not don't worry with it - my $0.02

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:57 pm

UF_pedal_tones wrote:Now before you blow a gasket, let me tell you that the reason he told me to switch is because my school's CC tubas are MUCH higher quality and it dramatically improved my sound. (Not saying that because it was a CC it improved my sound)

To be fair --

Hypothetically, if your school had some high-quality BBb tubas, would he have asked you to start learning CC?

elimia · Post by **elimia** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:03 pm

As long as you are comfortable with the 4th value and the occasional uncomfortable 2+4 to 3 to 2+3 combination, you're cool! There are some great deals on BBb tubas out there.

Just asking because I don't know - does anyone make stock CC euphoniums?

Rick Denney · Post by **Rick Denney** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 10:19 pm

elimia wrote:Just asking because I don't know - does anyone make stock CC euphoniums?

Amati makes one or did until recently, and it was actually not that bad. It was in the rotary style, though.

Purveyors of the BBb=suitable only for band myth will tell you that the only reason euphoniums are still in Bb is because they are only played in bands. But I think it's because no famous player really made a C euphonium famous by his choice of it.

Rick "who has nothing against C tubas, but who didn't mind getting a first-class grand orchestral tuba in playable (though not beautiful) condition for well under $5000" Denney

Tubaryan12 · Post by **Tubaryan12** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 10:28 pm

UF_pedal_tones said:

P.S. - if anyone's interested....his little horn is a Marzan 4/4

I was wondering if he still played the horn...it's makes me smile to see he does

TubeNet

Can a BB-Flat Tuba Used For A Music Education Major?

Yes