Dealing with switching between tubas of different Keys

[Chasetbr]

Just watch this video. Trust me. It seems like its off topic, but just watch it all the way through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0" target="_blank

[Radar]

Well like riding a bike the BBb fingerings did come back, without too much effort. The more I go back and forth between the two horns the easier it gets to think in both keys. Typically a few scales is all it takes to get me re-adjusted. I do appreciate the advice and encouragement from those of you have been making the transition on a more regular and longer basis. Thanks for all the suggestions, and encouragement!!

[scottw]

Another thing I found: when I play Eb, it is a very different set of music than anything I do on BBb. I think that helps separate the sides of my brain into one or the other. I have developed a muscle memory on Eb for certain pieces we do that if I had to play it on BBb [or vice versa]I would probably revert.

[Radar]

Another thing I found: when I play Eb, it is a very different set of music than anything I do on BBb. I think that helps separate the sides of my brain into one or the other. I have developed a muscle memory on Eb for certain pieces we do that if I had to play it on BBb [or vice versa]I would probably revert.

That is one of the things I've been doing as well. I've avoided playing marches and other music I know on BBb, and that I'm going to have to play on Sousaphone on my CC Tuba. I know eventually I'm going to have to play Stars and Stripes or some other march that I'm used to playing on the BBb tuba on CC but hopefully I'll be more comfortable and adept with going back and forth between the differently keyed instruments by then.

[scottw]

Another thing I found: when I play Eb, it is a very different set of music than anything I do on BBb. I think that helps separate the sides of my brain into one or the other. I have developed a muscle memory on Eb for certain pieces we do that if I had to play it on BBb [or vice versa]I would probably revert.

That is one of the things I've been doing as well. I've avoided playing marches and other music I know on BBb, and that I'm going to have to play on Sousaphone on my CC Tuba. I know eventually I'm going to have to play Stars and Stripes or some other march that I'm used to playing on the BBb tuba on CC but hopefully I'll be more comfortable and adept with going back and forth between the differently keyed instruments by then.

Just pick something we are all familiar with, such as "Them Basses" or "Semper Fidelis". You likely have developed a muscle memory for playing that on your main tuba. When you need to play quickly and not think about it, that's when you will probably revert in your playing.

[hduong]

It's weird, but when I play Bb tubas, I don't really have to think too hard, when playing on a C tuba, I just think like I'm reading a trumpet part on a Bb tuba.

[Doug Elliott]

But woodwind doubling is a bit different, with each instrument reading music transposed for itself, so there are similarities between all of them. And for the most part, one fingering equals one note.

Playing brass of different keys, all reading and thinking concert pitch, and one fingering equaling multiple notes that are different between instruments, is a different mental process.

[Donn]

But woodwind doubling is a bit different, with each instrument reading music transposed for itself, so there are similarities between all of them. And for the most part, one fingering equals one note.

Playing brass of different keys, all reading and thinking concert pitch, and one fingering equaling multiple notes that are different between instruments, is a different mental process.

If I follow you, it seems to me the distinction there is partly between treble and bass instruments. Trumpet players for example aren't conventionally asked to read concert pitch; bassoon is more or less an F instrument, with concert pitch notation.

But down in the bass end, it does seem that for the few woodwinds that go down there, players are easily recruited from higher instruments and read the same transposed notation. Saxophone family, clarinet family, but no valved-brass family in this respect, and I think the cause is somewhat inherent. I bundled my main Bb tuba off to the shop a few days ago and am thinking of appearing at practice with my Eb tuba, so have picked it up a couple times. It hasn't gone nearly as smoothly as if I'd picked up my tenor sax after playing the bari, and it isn't because of the written music -- for the most part I'm not looking at any music.

Low brass instruments require the player to buzz the note and finger it, where a woodwind player simply fingers it. I'm simplifying the case here - overstating it for the brass, understating it for the woodwind, since of course a good player is a little more involved with tone production than I'm letting on - but I think it does apply in the extremity of playing a new instrument in a different key.

I had never thought about it until this morning, but that's my hypothesis for today: the transposed part business never took on with low brass partly because the player is in fact required to play the real pitch.

That doesn't account for why it never took on with strings either. I think in reality there are other more important historical factors.

[oedipoes]

But woodwind doubling is a bit different, with each instrument reading music transposed for itself, so there are similarities between all of them. And for the most part, one fingering equals one note.

Playing brass of different keys, all reading and thinking concert pitch, and one fingering equaling multiple notes that are different between instruments, is a different mental process.

Some parts of the world do have transposed music for tuba...
I play Eb brassband parts transposed to treble clef, BBb brassband parts transposed to treble clef,
BBb concert band parts transposed to bass clef in BBb (one note and one octave above concert pitch),
BBb and Eb orchestra or solo parts from concert pitch notation ...

(Still don't know whether different transposing or different fingering is the best strategy, probably depends on what you are used to...)

[opus37]

I have specifically avoided playing anything but Eb to keep from getting confused. Then I started playing french horn parts on an F tuba and euphonium in treble clef. Things were going well until I ran into a euphonium part in treble clef with 4 flats in the key signature. Adding the 2 flats for transposition to Bb that's 6 flats. Then, because I still think Eb, it is really 7 flats to me. I did not do well on that part the first few time through.

[Tubaryan12]

Either stick with it until you can or transpose the music. There is no trick, other than to put something on the bell of each horn to remind you what key you're in if you can't remember.

lol. Whenever I have to play a treble clef euphonium part, I have the woman next to me remind me before I start that it's treble not bass clef. Once she says it, I never think about it again.
At the end of the day, the less you are thinking about it as you play, the less mistakes you'll make. Your mind knows where to go. Don't get in the way.

[tubalux]

Finally, when an ENTIRE ENSEMBLE has memorized a piece of music and made it "their own", THAT (though rarely seen today) is EXTRAORDINARILY powerful...ex: Mnozil, et al...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qUCDs93X6s
Here's Zoltan Kiss of Mnozil with Sarah Willis.
Around 17:00, he explains that he had always learned from written music.
When he joined Mnozil, he was given videos so he could learn his part.

I heart Horn Hangouts!