How low do you practice?

[Alex C]

Wow, everyone is talking about pedal tones for extending range and nobody is talking about how high they can play. Things have changed.

The upper range requirement is being extended all the time in solo literature but anyone with professional orchestral aspirations should work to have F above the staff available in performance anytime. Bb above that shows up more than you want but should be attained.

If you are hoping to develop a solo career, that high Bb is often called for. Frequently higher.

But.... the "money register" is where you are going to spend most of your time. Not pedals, not above the staff. That register must be reliable and flexible before you can hope to play the literature in public.

is the upper range you describe on a BBb instrument? i've been away from serious tuba for a couple of decades, i hadn't realized this was happening. back in the day i saw a few F's above the staff but my teachers indicated these were played with F or Eb horns. the thunder and lightning was created by the BBb's.

i'm solid up to Eb above with only a few squeaks above that, but i don't play anything that requires more. for my own satisfaction and just to say i can, i guess i'll have to open a woodshed up there...

Yes, I was playing a 186 BBb and a performance major around 1972. I had the privilege of hearing Joe Hebert from New Orleans play his BBb Zeiss and it was obvious that he didn't need an F tuba. By the mid 1980's F tubas were much more commonly used.

I was really speaking to students building a career, if you are returning to playing and are doing band, church and light quintet work, you might never see much music above the staff. If that's your performance genre, concentrate on a great sound in the tessitura where you play most often.