Playing Solo Transcriptions on Tuba

[windshieldbug]

Do many of the people who perform them transpose the parts from the original treble clef or do they read a transcription?

I always used treble clef and transposed if necessary, but my first instrument was Bb cornet, so I guess one could say that I regularly transposed bass clef for my CC and F...

[tubiker]

Try the Mozart Horn Concerto's for size - Treble Clef Horn parts in Eb make for easy reading, quality music which will encourage very tidy and musical playing.

Andrew Murray

[Gorilla Tuba]

What are some of the more popular transcriptions being performed? Do current university tuba instructors encourage the performance of these solos written before it became acceptable to write solo material for the tuba?

I highly encourage my tubists to do transcriptions. Actually, I require it. Classical and baroque flute music seems to play well on tuba, as does a lot of cello music. Vocal repertoire is also a great source of materials. Obviously the old warhorses (cornet solos) are fun for the audiences.

Although transcriptions are important musically and educationally, I try to keep the bulk of literature I use in the studio specifically for tuba because there is some really nice lit there, too. If we don't play enough tuba lit, composers won't keep writing for us. Roughly, the ration I use is on a typical Music ed Recital, there will be one transcription.

[vmi5198]

The Mozart Bassoon Concerto really rocks on high Tuba! This would also be good for Euphonium students as well!

[ThomasP]

I recently played Franz Strauss Nocturno Op. 7 for my senior recital, I just read off of the original horn part and play trumpet fingerings (I played trumpet in middle school). I have also practiced the R. Strauss Horn Concerto that way as well. The original horn parts are usually cheaper too.

[BVD Press]

Schumann - Adagio and Allegro

My wife, who is a Horn player, does not even mind. I think she prefers to hear it on the Tuba. It eliminates the High C for Horn in the opening slow section. Then again, I would not touch the Mozart's if she was in the house!

Some others:

Handel Flute Sonatas
Telemann Sonatas
Hayden Horn Conecrto 2

Goedicke Trumpet Etude. Fun, but hard!

[THE TUBA]

I saw it at jwpepper.com; you can buy the tuba solo with band or piano acc.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Some others that I have done for some ideas:

Hindemith: Four Easy Pieces (originally cello)

Bolling: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano (flute movements on euph, bass flute movement on tuba)

Goedicke: Concert Etude (done with brass quintet - tuba with the solo part)

Capuzzi: Concerto for Double Bass (off the original part - not the popular transcription)

Don't be afraid to experiment and create your own transcription from the original parts - it's easy to do with notation software available these days, or just the old fashioned pen and paper. The advantage of doing your own transcriptions is that you can adapt the music to your own playing strengths and weaknesses. Best of luck!