Tuba players playing other things

[molly28205]

A pattern I've noticed is that tubists are usually adept at trombone and/or euphonium. Personally, I started on trombone and moved over to tuba in Wind Ensemble, but still played trombone in the jazz band. I also teach piano full time. I play all 3 professionally but I've only ever studied the tuba and think of the trombone and piano as my secondary instruments. I'm also a hack bass guitarist and am becoming dangerously adept/annoying at the ukulele (I know 5 chords!)

So, what else do you guys play? Do you feel like you're coming from a tuba perspective when you perform on other instruments?

[Jerryleejr]

A bad trumpet and French horn...

JJ

[vd8m9]

I "play" my voice. I've actually learned a lot of things from my teacher that's applicable to Tuba; mainly how to breathe and use air effectively.

[gregsundt]

By teaching all the brasses, I've learned to play all the brasses. For a very long time, I have not owned a tuba (donations welcome!). Currently own & play trombone, euph most of the time.

[opus37]

I play Eb tuba (guess that counts as a tuba). I also play euphonium using Treble Clef music. I have also played french horn parts on an F tuba, but I think that doesn't count as a different instrument.

[GC]

Tuba, 6-string bass guitar, trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, bass clarinet, basso not-at-all-profundo.

[Jerryleejr]

I play Eb tuba (guess that counts as a tuba). I also play euphonium using Treble Clef music. I have also played french horn parts on an F tuba, but I think that doesn't count as a different instrument.

I play French horn parts on French horn and that doesn't count either...

JJ

[Dan Tuba]

Euphonium(as long as it's not too high )Bass Trombone, and Bass guitar.

[DonShirer]

Mostly low brass nowadays, but back when my wife was in a concert choir, I was their go-to guy for weird instruments: krummhorn, recorder, chimes, tympani,kazoo, slide whistle, and a slew of PDQ Bach creations: windbreaker, slide windbreaker, shower hose, etc.

[pecktime]

I started on saxophones, then double bass.

Got myself a Wessex bass sax and started playing rags and Trad jazz.

Then I bought a tuba as I was pretending to be a tuba on the bass sax.

IMO bass sax is very different to the other saxes. Mainly because it's not as well developed acoustically. All basses have a 'squeeze point' when you go up the octave. In fact on the old Conns and Bueschers etc, it was customary to always use the side middle D key because middle D wouldn't speak at all with normal fingering.

There are two bass sax factories in China, one makes a copy of the modern Selmer bass sax (This is the one Wessex can order- easier to play, well made but not quite the tone of the 1920s horns), the other factory makes a copy of a 1920s Conn (great sound but 'issues' with intonation and playability- just as on the old horns).

I prefer to play tuba in trad jazz as the sound is wider and I only need to amplify in big venues. Also it sounds brilliant with banjo putting the front on the note. Bass sax can be more melodic in its bass lines and is easier to play up-tempo than tuba (for me anyway).

I use an old 'pickle barrel' mouthpiece on my bass sax- enormous chamber but small lay. I tie the reeds on with a shoelace- I find the brown and black striped ones produce that Adrian Rollini tone...

[The Big Ben]

I'm actually a better trumpet player than tubist. Trumpet players seem to be a dime a dozen at the community band level so tuba is different. Baritone/euphonium would offer a few opportunities as would valve trombone/cimbasso. Might just get a baritone and call it good.

[iiipopes]

Actually, as a weekend warrior, I make more money on electric bass and jazz pizz bass than tuba. I also sound good on trumpet, which is what I actually started on in 5th grade and migrated to marching sousaphone as a high school freshman.

Thirty years ago I purchased a King 3B trombone and tried to play it in a community band for a couple of years. My upper range was great in tone, intonation and endurance, but my midrange was nasal toned, and the low range grainy. Others tried my 3B, with both mine and their mouthpieces, and, well, it was not the horn nor the mouthpiece (standard Bach 12C). None of my colleagues or techs could understand how I could play well and sonorous on tuba, but be nasal and pinched on midrange trombone. So I sold it.

Now, I'm playing a King bari/euph in one ensemble as we have plenty of tubas and no euphs. After all these decades, my midrange is not stuffy on the bari/euph. Go figure.

[Donn]

I started on saxophones, then double bass.

Got myself a Wessex bass sax and started playing rags and Trad jazz.

Then I bought a tuba as I was pretending to be a tuba on the bass sax.

This is very close to my story, except starting with low clarinets, and getting into bass sax shortly after taking up the tuba (because I was pretending to be a tuba on the contrabass clarinet - not trad jazz though as you may surmise.) And then moving up to bari and tenor.

I'd go along with your take on bass sax vs other saxes, and vs tuba in a jazz band. It can be great in the right band, though. I would also like to hear someone play it in kind of a counter bass style in front of the bass, like Ernie Caceres used to do back in the '30s and '40s, kind of like a very hefty and hyperactive low trombone. (e.g. What a Dream.)

[Mark E. Chachich]

string bass

Mark

[Donn]

Yeah, Rollini sure managed to get in his share of notes, so in principle it can be done. He had a very distinctive timbre, that kept the higher harmonics under control, which I think might be part of the problem with low saxes as a bass. But the same applies for tuba, in my opinion - a good combo player has a kind of lean sound, not a top-heavy sound that's going to bury the trombones etc.

[roweenie]

Buescher bass saxophone

[Charlie C Chowder]

I own more then I play. Beside the standard bass clef brass, add alto, tenor, and, soprano sax, flute and SATB recorders. Strings include piano, guitar (various style), cello, mandolins (3 different sizes), Sitar, Koto, oud, uke, harp, and lute. I have taken lessons on most of these. Sitar is a no brainier after the guitar. I do have several percussion toys, but do not consider myself to really play them. As to the wife factor, She rates very highly, but I only collect musical items. She collect everything else. I just added my eighth tuba, for $2500. She just added her sixth sewing machine, a $20,000 long arm quilting machine.

I could store four tubas under it.

Charlie C. Chowder

[PaulTkachenko]

A whole bunch of things, including string bass and bass sax. Lots of fretted strings, piano and accordion. Trombone and euph...

[AnorakHorn]

I will play whatever is required. However I mainly play trombone as a second, then Tenor Horn when it's needed in my brass band.

[Ulli]

BBb-, CC-, EEb-, F- tuba, upright string bass- (arco and pizz.)