Owning only an F (or Eb)

[PaulMaybery]

So much chatter about having a BAT as the only horn: I've been thinking in the other direction and that perhaps the new larger 6/4 F tubas (mine is a BMB) could wind up being someone's "one and only." I used it on a symphonic band concert a few months back and it had no problems at all keeping up with 2 fine players on MW 25s. Later I used it with yet another larger symphonic band where I had previously used the BMB CC BAT. Again I could get as much sound as I wanted with room to spare. Granted, not the "gravitas" as the BAT, but very much the same power. The lower register on this instrument and other similar F tubas is not the issue it was a generation ago. The fingerings get a little tricky in the low register, but the sound, at least on the BMB is huge. It is a great horn for quintet and orchestra as well as for solos. Did the Franck D minor last spring with it, and my god what presence.

So, are there those out there with an F or Eb as the "one and only" and if so what are you using and what kind of situations?

Its nice to have several tubas, but I do believe, "if push came to shove" we could do most of it with one versatile horn.

[eupho]

As a euphonium specialist I have been pondering this question myself. I can play BBb,CC, EEb and F but having one instrument to cover everything makes economic and fingering sense. From playing euphonium EEb is most comfortable since it is like reading treble clef. My ears seem to lock in better as well. I am still shopping for the right horn but am considering Besson 983, MW 2141, BMB EEb and St Petersburg 206LDG.

[eupho]

The playing I do is normally quintet or small orchestra(Brahms Requiem etc.) A solid EEb will meet my needs.

[PMeuph]

I only own an EEb, for now...

I've used it in Quintets, 10 piece, pep bands, concert bands, brass bands, and marching bands...(No Orchestras, although I think it could handle most of the repertoire)

I've gotten the Hand in ff tutti sections.. but I've also gotten compliments on my extremely quiet playing.

The British EEbs are great horns, and can play nimbly in all registers and volumes. (Some might say that their downfall is that they don't have as caracteristic a sound as other tubas.... :shrug:)


I own an EEb that's like a Besson 982, but actually one of the last Boosey and Hawkes Imperials.

[eupher61]

Aside from a sousaphone, I was F only 1989-1999 2000. I only used the souzie for outdoor or strolling dixie gigs, used the F on most dixie and everything else. PT10... worked well for what I was doing. If I had to cut back to only one concert horn I'd do it the same way, F or Eb only.

[Wyvern]

Many tuba players in UK (maybe the majority) only own an Eb which they use for everything. I myself played everything on Eb for 10 years.

In Germany similarly a lot of tuba players do everything on F.

It can be done, but depends on where you play and what Eb or F you are using. And remember the most important thing is the person behind the mouthpiece...

[GC]

I've only owned a Conn Monster Eb tuba (two of them, actually, though not at the same time) for about the past 5 years. I play in a British brass band, a community concert band, help out with a local college band, and do the occasional quintet gig or musical with it.

I enjoy playing Eb. Brass band Eb bass parts are more interesting, and it lends itself to quintets very well. The major problem I have with using a big Eb for everything is that concert band literature often is problematically low. The quirky intonation and low range on the old monster Eb's doesn't help either. As I improve as a player the problems get easier, but concert band music takes more work on Eb than on BBb, at least for me.

[opus37]

There have been several threads about owning just one Axe for everything. We all have our favorites based on what we learner or the groups we play with. For me, an Eb has been perfect. I play in community bands, quintets, a Christmas orchestra and solos. In all cases, my Eb has been perfect. The fourth valve is very nice, and in my opinion quite necessary if you are planning on one horn for everything.

[bort]

For an F tuba, you would probably want something pretty large. I have seen people successfully pull this off with the big Yamaha F, but that sounds more like a small C than a large F in my opinion.

I also think there are one or two people around here who play only a MW-2250 (I think that's the model)? I haven't gotten to try of those, but have heard a LOT of good things about them. I think the large Willson F tuba is probably a decent candidate as well.

Even though I'm the guy who started the recent BAT discussion, I have previously considered only having an F tuba. I decided against it because there were too many situations where I was the only tuba player in a large group, and an F (even a large one) would not have provided enough of a foundation for the group. I had one experience where I was the only tuba player, on F tuba, for an outdoor concert with 100+ players. That was a LOT of work, not fun, and not something I would want to repeat.

That said, F tubas are a LOT of fun as long as the output meets your needs.

No clue about Eb's. Those are for British people.

[Bob Kolada]

I've only ever owned Eb's (mostly cheap ones...) but I used a Miraphone 1281 F as my only Army tuba for about a year- concert band, quintet, and strolling dixie. The low range wasn't fantastic but it worked fine.

[jeopardymaster]

I'm pretty sure I can only use my Eb to play "My Spirit Be Joyful" maybe 10 more times in my life without my head exploding.

[Peach]

No clue about Eb's. Those are for British people.

...along with the venerable 24AW, which was specifically designed by V.B. to accommodate these:

Oi! Double British attack! If only there wasn't a lot of truth in it

[DonShirer]

While I usually play the upper bass parts with my MW2141 in our community band, it has enough guts to take the lower divisi parts when needed. In the last two weeks I also used it for the Tuba1 part in our CT Tuba Christmas, and in a brass quintet, so it is quite versatile. I will admit that rapid passages below low BB flat are a bit difficult even with 5 valves!

[Wyvern]

I will admit that rapid passages below low BB flat are a bit difficult even with 5 valves!

That is the area where the 3+1 valve set-up helps a lot, as fingering down there is then just as easy as on a BBb

[Lee Stofer]

This can be done, and I have done it once, with a Rudolf Meinl F-tuba. As Bloke mentioned, it takes months of concentration to really master an F or Eb.

The best idea is to find the tool that is best-suited for what you do, and within your budget. I have played tubas in BBb, CC, F and Eb. I find that some tubas are better for me and others are more problematic. I have tried playing bass tubas in situations normally reserved for contrabass tubas, and while I generally managed to pull it off, I found it to be pretty exhausting to pound out a lot of low notes on an Eb or F tuba. I have also played solo, and bass tuba parts on larger tubas, and while that also may not be optimal, it seems that a larger tuba really does not limit one's high range.

If you can comfortably do everything that you need to do on an F or Eb tuba, there is no reason to invest in longer tubing.

[J.c. Sherman]

.728" bore on the contrabass tubas (combined with the tortuous bends involved in "compensating" systems) offer considerably "stuffiness" which a player must learn to overcome.

You would think so, but it's shocking how easy it is to play down to pedal G on my tiny Eb tuba. . It comes out better on my Eb fingering 2345 than my 835 bore piggy using just 4th valve for the same note.

I have a 3+1 '70's vintage B&H/Besson tall BBb (currently disassembled) with nice tight pistons. It took about a half an hour, but (pre-disassembly) I "figured out" how to make the low range "go". Most of those old tubas have leaky valves (which also scuffles the low range)...and (well...) many newer ones don't play as well as the best of the older ones (pre-leakiness) did.

If I had to decide one instrument to survive a fire, it'd be my Imperial Eb.

It's what I bring when I don't know what I'll face. It can do anything at least satisfactorily. It's nimble, powerful, and with great pitch. As for F on the staff, I can play 1 just fine, but prefer 4 or 1&3 for hanging for a while on it, depending on the chord. The Bessons are the only Ebs I know that can get away with not using 1&3.

I've played everything from Bassoon-tuba duets to 110 piece orchestras with chorus with it. I vote these double tubas as easily the easiest single horn to own. But you need one with solid valves and learn not to muscle the low range, but slow your air down and let it ring

YMMV

J.c.S.

[opus37]

It's what I bring when I don't know what I'll face. It can do anything at least satisfactorily. It's nimble, powerful, and with great pitch. As for F on the staff, I can play 1 just fine, but prefer 4 or 1&3 for hanging for a while on it, depending on the chord. The Bessons are the only Ebs I know that can get away with not using 1&3.
J.c.S.

For the sake of completeness, the Kanstul 66 series can also play that F on the staff using just valve 1 just fine. I agree that for hanging on a while, 4 or 1&3 may be better, depending on the cord (although this is a very minor issue). I have also supported larger orchestras with the Kanstul with great success. A shallower mouthpiece is sometimes advantageous in those situation. I have yet to overblow the horn. It seems to take all that I can give it.

[J.c. Sherman]

It's what I bring when I don't know what I'll face. It can do anything at least satisfactorily. It's nimble, powerful, and with great pitch. As for F on the staff, I can play 1 just fine, but prefer 4 or 1&3 for hanging for a while on it, depending on the chord. The Bessons are the only Ebs I know that can get away with not using 1&3.
J.c.S.

For the sake of completeness, the Kanstul 66 series can also play that F on the staff using just valve 1 just fine. I agree that for hanging on a while, 4 or 1&3 may be better, depending on the cord (although this is a very minor issue). I have also supported larger orchestras with the Kanstul with great success. A shallower mouthpiece is sometimes advantageous in those situation. I have yet to overblow the horn. It seems to take all that I can give it.

Interesting; I'd assumed that it was a copy of the York, and would have it's intonation tendencies

[Bob Kolada]

.

[Tom Holtz]

I use Eb all the time. I did pull out the CC once in 2014, and that was to play Dvorak 6. I only brought the CC because I didn't know jack about Dvorak 6th, nor the orchestra with which I was playing. In all honesty, the Eb would have been more than enough given the situation. Lesson learned.

I'm fortunate to have more than one horn, and therefore, a choice. Honestly, I think most of the players out there who do everything on one horn do so because they only have one horn. It works for a lot of folks. Don't worry about the key so much. The real trick is finding a horn that kicks ***. Don't limit yourself to any key.