Play Bassoon Parts - Really?!

[iiipopes]

OK, here goes. I posted in another thread that we are experiencing a rare blessing of multiple tubas in my community band, but an equally rare dearth of no euphs. So I bought an old King front-bell bari/euph to cover the parts.

Well, our director also wants me to also play the bassoon cues and adapt other missing bassoon figures when the bari/euph parts do not call for something important, like a march counter-melody. Most of this season's repertoire have the parts doubled, anyway, so it is not that big of a deal, but it is significant.

This means I will be probably playing a little more in the lower range of the instrument than is typical, but not always. This, combined with the historical bore of the old King bari/euph of .562 instead of the more "modern" .570, .580, .590, or larger bore euphs (bordering on the bore of the old French C tuba) means I am a little grainy in the low register (which, ironically, may be better for covering bassoon parts! But I digress....).

I like the breath support and feel of the throat and backbore, and the overall tone of a Bach 6 1/2 AL, but I would like something with a little wider cup to feel a little more comfortable in the low range. Not having played euph since summer band camp in 1979, I went with what I was familiar with, both in instrument and mouthpiece, due to budget, as I ramp up to this season.

So, in addition to all the woodshedding I have before me, is there a mouthpiece that might be a little better for me that has a fairly deep cup, but doesn't have the huge throat that seems to be common place with "modern" euph mouthpieces? Or stick with the 6 1/2 AL and chop more wood?

The tuba mouthpieces I use are in my signature, and please remember that this instrument has a "small shank," i.e. trombone shank, receiver.

Thanks.

[Rick F]

They have Schilke 51D in a small shank. The 51D rim is a little bigger than the 6.5AL, but the cup is much deeper and more bowl shaped. You could also try the Wick 4AY. It's the small shank version of the all-popular Wick 4AL that many euphers like.

[iiipopes]

Thanks!

[TheGoyWonder]

I've done this before for a "woodwind" quintet. You might actually want to go as small as practical - 12C if you can, not too loud, and pecky might be the best shot at the groundhog-grunt sound of a bassoon, or at least not swamp the oboe.

[timothy42b]

When in doubt on those low parts:

take it up an octave, AND..............leave it out.

[opus37]

I have a similar size bore double bell with a small shank. Dave Werden suggest a 4AY from Denis Wick. It works great for me in the lower range and gives a mellower tone that the 6 1/2 you are using.

[The Big Ben]

Yep. For me, it's play bassoon cues or nothing. We only have a bassoon for dress rehearsal and concert (courtesy of the semiprofessional Port Angeles Symphony) so on lots of tunes with no written tuba part, I play the bassoon part an octave down and play what fits. If some sections are inappropriate for tuba, I rest until there is a good place to start playing again. I use my same mouthpiece (Helleberg) and a small 3v student type horn and everyone is happy.

[iiipopes]

Thanks for all the replies. It gives me a lot to think about as to how to make them work in context.

[gregsundt]

I have a similar size bore double bell with a small shank. Dave Werden suggest a 4AY from Denis Wick. It works great for me in the lower range and gives a mellower tone that the 6 1/2 you are using.

The Wick mouthpieces tend to have close to the same throat as Bach; may be too big. Schilke is definitely a narrower throat. You also might do well with a Giardinelli 4D. The cup is medium-deep, so a Schilke 51D or 52D might still be better (and cheaper).

[gregsundt]

I am frequently asked to cover contra bassoon parts with my orchestra. The conductor really liked the sound of a metal tuba mute on those parts

Brahms 3 is a great part. Especially sitting through some of the most sublime music ever written in movts 2 & 3.

[peter birch]

there is great fun to be had playing bassoon parts, I did it for a while in a chamber music group. Some of the woodwind player were a bit worried at first, so you have to be sensitive to the music and other musicians, but they found that it helped them to build up their sound and confidence as players. moving into tenor clef from time to time was a bit of a challenge, but you overcome it. Don't worry about your mouthpiece, listen and blend in, it will work.

[alfredr]

Back when I was in high school playing baritone, (late 60s) we would occasionally be given bassoon parts. I don't remember there being anything different in our approach to playing them, but what did we know? High school students with no aspirations.

What was really strange was when we were given a part labeled for "euphonium."

[iiipopes]

Update: I was having problems getting 2+3 notes to center. My tech said it was worn. Hmm. That did not make sense. Usually it is the first valve that wears first. So I took out the valves, had an "A-Ha!" moment, flipped them, and all the intonation came back. Someone had flipped 1 and 3 valves around. This is not the first instrument I have purchased used that I had to put the valves back in their proper order!

[ghmerrill]

For playing tuba parts on the euph I use a Wick 3AL. It's good on my horn down to the F an octave below the staff. Your results may vary.

[iiipopes]

euphonium...perhaps with a straight mute.

I have a Hume & Berg 164A on the way.

[iiipopes]

I've thought about taking a smaller tuba (works better with the mute than the 601) but frankly, he loves the sound as is, and space on the stage is to restricted to be swapping tubas between the muted contra and the fuller tuba parts

If we ever get "real" euph players, then I am considering getting a small Eb and a good buzzy mute to play "tu-ba-ssoon."