Switch to CC

mTaUrBkA · Post by **mTaUrBkA** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 4:30 pm

I own a mirafone 186, and the reason that I want to possiblely start using a CC tuba as well is because I really enjoy playing in orchestra's and even mroe so in brass quintets/quartets. And from knowledge that I have acquired, CC tubas are more common in those groups. Even though I want to study music ed, I still want to do my fair share of performing

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 5:26 pm

Lots of people play in orchestras with a Bb trumpet as their primary... Given your interests, though, if I was buying another horn, I'd look for a CC. That being said, the MOST important thing (rather than key) is that the horn play comfortably for you and sound good.

Arkietuba · Post by **Arkietuba** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:53 pm

I'm a sophmore @ the Univ. of Central Arkansas and a music ed. major too. I personally prefer the CC tuba to the Bb (except in marching band). Most of the orchestral excerpts and solos are easier on CC that Bb. I have also noticed that my sound and tone are much bigger and darker since I made the switch (but that could be that I spent more hours practicing on CC in the past year than I ever did on Bb). Plus...there are some high schoolers who play on CC (I know one personally, I beat him out for 1st chair at All-State). I still know my way around the Bb since I play it in marching band and next spring I'll play one in Dixie Land Band.

Tubaman485 · Post by **Tubaman485** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 12:42 am

I have noticed lately alot of Junior Colleges and community colleges buying CC instruments to rent to the students. A couple Universities are doing that also.

JB

porkchopsisgood · Post by **porkchopsisgood** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 2:39 am

James Jenkins of the Jacksonville Symphony plays on a B-flat.

He's the only professional tubist who exclusively plays BBb....just never made the switch. And more importantly: he wasn't forced to by his conductor.

If you're going to a respectable college with a respectable teacher, he/she will most likely want you to play CC. If it's a large studio and you aren't a performance major the teacher won't care UNLESS you are looking to buy a horn, in which case they'll want you to play CC.

Buy a CC. It won't hurt ya.

Nuff Said......

Keith Sanders · Post by **Keith Sanders** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 3:47 am

I am a junior music ed major @ Louisiana Tech Univ., and I play a Mira 186 1970s model CC tuba that I bought. I did play BBflat for the majority of my freshman year though, I still play, just in marching band. The main thing with switching is that you find an instrument that you sound good on and that you are comfortable with. BBflat-CC doesnt really matter, most band directors, unless they play tuba, have no idea between the differences of the different keyed tubas. Nor do they care, mine said it was a "personal" problem, I tried explaining it and it didnt work. Many people will sound better on CC, and others on BBflat, just what do you sound best on is the most important thing. Plus learning the different keyed tubas makes you a better all around player. I play BBflat, CC and a little Eb for tuba ensemble, It all depends on what ya sound good playing.

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 10:06 am

One of the other guys in my group is borrowing my BBb (we play on GG contrabasses) for additional practice in anticipation of going back to college this fall, and he recently had a lesson with one of the local pro tubists.

They started talking about what key of tuba to buy, and the pro started making these points (some of which have already been mentioned) --

- You're already used to BBb, so why switch now?

- There's no reason anymore to play CC just because of the quality of the horn -- there are a lot of really, really nice-playing BBb's out there.

- 50% of music you'll play will be easier on BBb, and 50% will be easier on CC.

- Almost always, performance majors don't spend most of their time on CC or BBb. They spend it on F tuba.

I think I'm forgetting a couple, but those are the ones I can think of right now.

Uncle Buck · Post by **Uncle Buck** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 10:07 am

porkchopsisgood wrote: He's the only professional tubist who exclusively plays BBb....just never made the switch.

Wow - you must have done an amazing amount of research to come up with that conclusion. I'd love to see it. How in the world were you able to come up with a list of ALL professional tuba players on the planet, and then determine the exclusive horn used by each of them?

mTaUrBkA · Post by **mTaUrBkA** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 2:29 am

Would you suggest, 4 or 5 valves.....or just whatever I can get my hands on?

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 10:50 am

windshieldbug wrote:That being said, the MOST important thing (rather than key) is that the horn play comfortably for you and sound good.

rascaljim · Post by **rascaljim** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:28 am

What about switching to C because you love playing the tuba and would like to increase your abilities as a tuba player. You won't forget fingerings, but it does open up a ton of tubas that you can choose from when you make purchases down the road (hopefully based on sound). That and learning a bass tuba is a breaze after the swich.

I am a big C tuba fan and I play C in orchestra and happen to like the way the fingerings line up as well as the response of the tuba. There is a slightly quicker response on C tubas and I would expect this is from the shorter tubing length for the fundamental pitch. I know many people on the board yell that people should only do what they think is enough(ie you don't need to play C because you can do just fine on Bb), but when I was in undergrad I did know quite a few students who made the switch to C just to become a better MUSICIAN. Besides even if C's are only slightly better than Bb's that should be a good enough reason, as artists, to go that way because the higher level you reach as a player the bigger the difference the little things make.

Just twisting up the Bb C arguement
Jim Langenberg

mTaUrBkA · Post by **mTaUrBkA** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 2:18 pm

I really like his view on it!

mTaUrBkA · Post by **mTaUrBkA** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 12:56 pm

what exactly are the pluses of a 5th valve? Does it help playing in tune?

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:19 pm

mTaUrBkA wrote:what exactly are the pluses of a 5th valve? Does it help playing in tune?

It enables more properly-fingered notes, allowing them to be played chromatically all the way down to the pedal. Depending on how the 5th is set up, it can also play certain notes more in tune and with a cleaner sound (B and low Eb on a BBb tuba, or Db and low F on a CC, for example).

That being said, a 4-valve compensating system can play at least as well in tune as a 5-valve horn, or even better.

mTaUrBkA · Post by **mTaUrBkA** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 11:24 pm

I assume that companies that make great BBb horns make great CC horns as well.....for the most part at least

mTaUrBkA · Post by **mTaUrBkA** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:18 pm

As far as CC horns go would I be best off with 3/4, 4/4, or 5/4? Or should I try em because its personal preference?

THE TUBA · Post by **THE TUBA** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 1:13 am

As far as CC horns go would I be best off with 3/4, 4/4, or 5/4? Or should I try em because its personal preference?

It depends on what and where you will be playing.

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:29 pm

THE TUBA wrote:
As far as CC horns go would I be best off with 3/4, 4/4, or 5/4? Or should I try em because its personal preference?
It depends on what and where you will be playing.

Could it also depend on what else you've got, and what you could justify?

mTaUrBkA · Post by **mTaUrBkA** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:09 pm

I would probably use it for orchestra, quintets, and some solos....so I figured a 4/4 to balance stuff out...I gotta get otu there and try stuff!