What is

[CJ Krause]

***

[Charlie Goodman]

I tend to think in an orchestra, the tuba need to be a very clear voice at the bottom of the brasses, and with enough power when needed to support the whole group. In band, a smoother but still powerful bass foundation, maybe a bit less explicit and more implicit.

In quintet, however, the tuba has to run the show, what with the trumpets still being backstage "warming up" on Carnival of Venice, the horn fracking every other note, and the trombonist still trying to figure out how to work the darn thing.

[Bill Troiano]

To make any ensemble sound better with our presence!!

[phoenix]

just to be amazing, cause tubas and tuba players are amazing

[CJ Krause]

***

[Will]

The stronger the tuba section, the stronger the ensemble.

"It's the foundation on which an ensemble builds the means to make music."

Will

[Rick Denney]

To me, the role of the tuba is to expand the tonal palette of the ensemble. It's an extreme instrument--the lowest of the brasses.

One reason why orchestras are more interesting to listen to (to me, anyway) is that their sound has more variety, and more tonal dynamic range. No wind ensemble will have the same variety of colors up high as an orchestra, but wind ensembles sound better when their middle voices are held back and the extreme voices are brought out, to expand that tonal range. That's what tubas do; play low.

Power, sonority, lyricism, punch, and all the other adjectives we apply to ourselves are musical decisions relevant to particular music, and the same sorts of considerations that would affect, say, trumpet players. But we uniquely are responsible for providing low notes.

That fits with the notion of broad strokes of color, but they aren't really that broad. They are colorful, because the tone of the tuba is at the extreme end of the tonal range. Therefore, I interpret music in terms of how it will add to the overall range of colors. Usually, we are more heard by the lowness of the tone than by sheer loudness. This is true for most color instruments, but often missed. That's why amateur bands always play too loudly.

Rick "who doesn't expect normal people to hear the tuba as he does" Denney

[windshieldbug]

Sensamayá

Prokofiev 5

Pictures

John Adams (the composer, not John Q.)

[TexTuba]

To be felt and not so much heard. One should never say man that's a good tuba section. It should be along the lines of man that's a good brass section. With my limited experience, anytime someone mentioned that we had a good tuba section it usually meant that we were too loud and therefore not doing our job to the fullest extent. So to answer I think it's blend, blend, blend.



Ralph

[WoodSheddin]

equal member of the team contributing to the overall good of the music without regard to personal promotion

[Z-Tuba Dude]

I think that our job changes all the time (even within any given ensemble). Sometimes we need to be in the background, sometimes in the foreground.

In general, I think that concert band requires more "presence", and less of a solo sound, since we fulfill the very important bass role there.

In orchestra, the basses fulfill that bass role (imagine that! ), and the tuba is more it's own unique voice, with room for soloing, as well as putting the bottom on the trombones, and occassionally, the rest of the brass, as well. In some of the less imaginative orchestra literature, the tuba just does "the bass thing", but fortunately those pieces seem to be the exception. Since, in an orchestra, the tuba is not required to play at any given moment, if the composer goes to the trouble of writing notes for us, he must mean it, right???

Quintet (if the literature is good) takes us all over the map, doing the bass part, accompanying, and usually more solos than we get in other groups....much fun to be had there!

I have less experience in Dixieland (would like MORE, though), but it seems that we are asked to be more "band like", in that we are the primary bass instrument, but yet, with solo opportunities. The fact that the group is much smaller than a concert band, "presence" is not really required, and since you occassionally take solos, it would seem that an ideal sound might be kind of a hybrid of both the "band", and "orchestra" sounds.

[Joe Baker]

I see the tuba as being analogous to the framework of a structure. In some cases -- playing whole notes in an orchestra or concert band, for example, you really aren't aware of it, but it keeps everything together;



in other cases, like dixieland, oompah band, or BQ, it is exposed and becomes an evident and positive part of the asthetics of the music -- but it is still filling the role of holding everything together.



_____________________________
Joe Baker, who thinks we instinctively know these things, but is glad to consciously think about them once in a while.

[TexTuba]

..quintet, thanks to some guy named Chuck, we are the main event.

I'm just being a stickler and I'll probably get some flack for it, BUT....before there was EVER a Chuck, there was a Harvey...

Ralph

[tubajoe]

The music tells you exactly how to approach it if you truly listen.

[Dylan King]

The tuba is the most bullet-proof instrument in the orchestra. Especially the 6/4 variety. It covers the meat of the body and the head. So very important.

[Z-Tuba Dude]

......Somewhere inside, I have always known that the tuba is a big french horn.

.....VERY TRUE!

[Chuck(G)]

The tuba was invented to teach us how to count rests--and the meaning of the word "tacet".

[Z-Tuba Dude]

......Somewhere inside, I have always known that the tuba is a big french horn.

.....VERY TRUE!

Now that is just plain wrong!
Big cornet? maybe... Big horn, NEVER!!!

No, it's really true!!! The big problem is that most tuba players' hands are just too small to fit in the bell!

[Joe Baker]

Just pondering imponderables. But some worthwhile introspection about what we do, to help us understand the value it has. No one description here is going to be the "right" one, but it's been a helpful exercise for me to consider the question and see how other people have considered it.

But a big french horn??? Could there BE two personalities in most bands or orchestras more opposite than a tubist and a french horn player?:shock:
__________________________
Joe Baker, who thinks that it is often worthwhile to seek an answer even if you know you're not going to find one.

[Z-Tuba Dude]

Could there BE two personalities in most bands or orchestras more opposite than a tubist and a french horn player?

You DEFINITELY have point there.....but consider, for a moment, if you will, the personalities of the average tubist vs. the average oboist for a real study in contrast! (a little off-topic, I have to admit...)