What do you not..

[THE TUBA]

I don't like the fact that most people don't respect the tuba as a musical instrument. I find it very hard for some people to belive that tuba players are serious musicians.

[Tubainsauga]

My only complaint about the tuba in general is really its physical size. If only someone could come up with a folding tuba=p Beyond that, I like it.

Also, I'd have to disagree with T4S. I'd say the french horn is the hardest of all brass instruments.

[smurphius]

Well, I think this is a very fitting post.

Here's my thoughts:

1. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Tubas are so expensive.

B. F tubas really suck, but CC tubas are very beautiful.

and

3. Heaviness is a factor. A bass trombone is much lighter, I must say.

[Uncle Buck]

I think we all would agree that a tuba is a major expense, but compared to other instruments, strings in particular, we are lucky. Violin and cello players can spend more on a bow than we spend on a tuba.

[WoodSheddin]

I think we all would agree that a tuba is a major expense, but compared to other instruments, strings in particular, we are lucky. Violin and cello players can spend more on a bow than we spend on a tuba.

No matter how you try to justify it, tubas are darned expensive. I apply for a new tuba for one of my guys every year and every year it gets turned down while new trombones, trumpets, and clarinets keep finding their way into the pipeline. Why? Cause you can buy a couple of trombones, couple of trumpets, and couple of clarinets for about 1/2 the cost of one tuba.

Cost and the hassles of transporting such a large instrument are the major downers for me.

[Lew]

I second the vote for the cost and effort of transport being the main drawback. I had 2 concerts yesterday, one on Eb and one on BBb. At least I didn't have to use both for a single gig, although I have in the past. There's just no way to move both horns to a gig in one trip, especially when one is a 2 piece recording bell tuba in 2 gig bags. The worst was when I had a concert in which I used an Eb tuba, BBb tuba, and sousaphone. It's amusing to me to see the clarinet and flute players carrying their music, stand, and instrument in one bag.

Still I wouldn't want to play anything else. I've tried euphonium, and they do get great parts, but it's not as much fun for me as tuba. I think it's that I feel more connected to the horn because it takes up so much room.

[Charlie Goodman]

The respect thing is the biggest thing that gets me. In high school, being particularly good at tuba is almost worse than being bad at it. And no how good you get, a lot of (immature) people will still laugh at you.

It's ok, though. In college I'll be able to beat the hippie guitarists out in the quad with my tuba case. It's best to take out frustrations in a non-destructive manner.

[windshieldbug]

What do you not like about tuba?

I don't like the fact that I can miss conductors by as much as two feet when shooting rubber bands with my F.

[Tubaryan12]

The respect thing is the biggest thing that gets me. In high school, being particularly good at tuba is almost worse than being bad at it. And no how good you get, a lot of (immature) people will still laugh at you.

Not where I went to school. Only drummers get more love than tuba players In college (Tuskegee University) the tubas are the only section in the band that the entire crowd chants their name as they march into the stadium. We even had groopies! Whenever I play for small children they are more amazed at what the instrument sounds like than any thing else. They may not remember the trumpets and french horns, but they always remember the tuba.

The only thing I don't like about tuba is the size and cost.

[tubatooter1940]

I guess I had it made when I played trumpet-an itsy witsy case in one hand and music and stand in the other.So I added guitar-not so big but that Fender Super Six amp ruled out mini-cars and trucks. Still not satisfied,I added tuba and stand,followed by a large P.A.system.
Now a mini-van is required for my stuff only and the rest of the band has to have at least another S.U.V..When will it end?

[Tubaman485]

I have to agree with THE TUBA I hate how people think we just play oompah all day long, but one of my biggest pet peaves and this really isn't the tuba's fault but its still involved is the band directors that tell their students a month before auditions, "hey if you switch to tuba you'll get a scholarship." As dumb as that sounds I guarantee every tuba professor that reads this post with say, "yep, had those before." Not only is it seriously cruel to the kid who takes the audition it gives even more bad rap to the horn, thus the whole disrespect thing.

JB

[bort]

1) Cost. This alone can discourage people from starting to play, and can certainly keep them from continuing to play after they're away from school-owned instruments. Hell, I was "benched" for a year out of college because I couldn't afford a horn.

2) Finding a place to practice. I've had trouble with this recently - I live in a small rowhouse in the middle of downtown, so it's not like I can sit around the house and practice all night. When my boss gets back from vacation, I'm going to see if I can arrange to practice in the office after hours.

3) Relatively speaking, there aren't that many female tuba players. I mean the other tuba guys are fun and all, but, well you know...

[me]

i hate how everyone (who plays tuba) considers themself a poor unfortunate soul. it's big, goofy, and loud...duh. it's a tuba, it's supposed to be big, goofy and loud. i knew what i was getting into when i picked up the tuba so i'm not going to complain about it now. i will agree with the "it's hard to keep a silver instrument polished " comment, but then again at least we dont have to maintain a certain humidity in our cases year round a la strings.




p.s. looking for "quality solo literature"? pick up the pendriky capricio, or bach cello suits...or hey, just play the music we already have (which is not that bad) better. you dont have to have beethoven to have music

[MartyNeilan]

Cost, transportation, places to practice, and boneheaded comments are real problems, and have all been covered quite well so far. I would like to add:
AVAILABILITY
There are a half dozen places within a 30 minute drive that sell guitars and other stuff. Just this afternoon I went to a local shop and tried out a few new e-basses, as well as some used ones (all far cheaper than the worst student tuba, BTW).
But, if I want to buy a tuba, there are only a handful places in the entire country I can go to really try a few out different brands and models.

[NeilMacQuarrie]

.

[THE TUBA]

I do not like it when I play at my high school's football games, because students (from MY school) will stand behind us (the sousaphones) and throw small objects, boo whenever we stand up, take our seats when we go for the halftime show, and shout at us in vulgar language about how we block their view of the game. I also don't like having to explain to students every day why sounding like a contrabass chainsaw is not good, although some very bad tuba players do (no offense to those who unintentionally sound like contrabass chainsaws do to poor instruments).

[MartyNeilan]

They're the people you catch leaning on your horn while they talk to you (or someone else) or the extra special variety who step on your bell flare as they walk by. It's been my experience that bassists can leave their instruments lying in a pile, end pins out and everything, and nothing ever happens, but bring out a tuba and all it takes is 5 minutes.

Even worse are chairs. I do not know how many times I have seen people put a chair leg on a tuba bell, dinging it (or even tearing it) when a tuba is left unattended. I am very careful where I leave my tuba, but once I had it down right in front of me during a "mass ensemble" performance. The bunghole trombone player sitting in front of me slid his chair back about eight inches and sat down, putting his chair leg on my bell and dinging it nicely. I immediately scolded him for it; he turned around and said, "that's not my fault" while his chair leg was still on my tuba. I wanted to jump up and slug him, but you can't really do that during the middle of a performance at a Christian university and still hope to graduate. I had words with him later and he conceded to cover any repairs; I consulted with my repairman and he said the cost would be minimal and it is nothing to worry about, so I ultimately let it go. I was sure to remind the offender about this the following semester. The horn still sounded the same and the new owner didn't seem to take issue with the damage.
I had one side of the bell on my current big horn slightly flat spotted when a guy thought he could sit on it (in its gigbag) while he loaded other instruments under a tour bus until I got him off it.
And, I had a woodwind case dropped on the bell of my old bass trombone once, while it was on a stand in my own locker.
Our instruments get NO respect, we have to be virtually violent in our protection of them if we don't want them to turn into garbage.

[kegmcnabb]

Really Funny Guy: "Betcha wish you had taken up piccolo!"

Tubist: "Oh my Gawd! That is soooo funny! I've never heard that before."

[tubaribonephone]

I don't really hate anything about the tuba, for me it's the cases that I hate. My Miraphone by it's self fits in my car fine but when I have to take it somewhere far (and I don't want to use my gig bag) I can barely fit it into my back seat! (I drive a 1989 Chrysler Lebaron (the greatest car ever built!!!))

[JB]

-Buying vehicles to accomodate the size/space needed for one or more tubas. I can't buy a cheap, gas-saving 4cyl car.

Amen to that, brother. I agree!

I also had someone ask me once if I was going camping. I replied, "No. I've got my mother-in-law in there. The guy didnt' know what to say.

A similar response, one that is particularly effective for public school performances (where the smart-*** "cool" losers greet you as you arrive...), is to tell them the thing slung over your shoulder is a body bag -- and add that you have your grandmother in there.