TubaChristmas: Need tuba or euph?

[SplatterTone]

This will be TubaChristmas #1 for me. I asked the guy doing the organizing, and he couldn't say. The question: Usually, is there more of a need for euphonium players or tuba players? Or is there no "usually" but a "It depends" instead?

We're talking Tulsa, OK here if there is anyone on the list familiar with it.

[Shockwave]

Usually, the greatest shortage is in tuba players playing the top tuba part. Euphs could cover it, but only the worst ones consider playing a lower part.

-Eric

[MartyNeilan]

Usually, the greatest shortage is in tuba players playing the top tuba part.

Ditto, bring an F or Eb tuba if you can - there shouldn't be too many of them there.
Goes without saying, you could probably also play the top part on a CC or BBb

[SplatterTone]

I'm looking at the upper tuba part, and it will be a stretch for me to play it reliably on some of the higher pieces. I'm working on stuff like that now; sometimes I nail it, and sometimes I don't. Maybe in another year I'll have it under control.

I spent part of Saturday taking a half inch off the main tuning slide of the Raison Band (India) euphonium so that it is actually playing in tune now. I was kind of hoping to make this TubaChristmas extra special with a euphonium from India. Oooooo. Aaaaaah. The water key fell off when I was doing the soldering, and I haven't gotten around to putting it back on. For now, it's wrapped with Glad wrap and cellophane tape. Classy, real classy. Not that I would bring the Raison Band wonder euph, but I'd sure think about it. But it's sounding like another euphonium is probably not what will be needed. I can probably do the upper euphonium part more reliably than the upper tuba part. We shall see what we shall see.

Now, the VMI 3171 is big enough to handle most of that upper tuba part, but I don't know about the timbre blending in.

[Chuck(G)]

...of the Raison Band (India) euphonium...

Yes, but think of the fiber you'll be getting:

[Lew]

Usually, the greatest shortage is in tuba players playing the top tuba part. Euphs could cover it, but only the worst ones consider playing a lower part.

-Eric

Unfortunately there seem to be plenty of tuba players who want to play the "tuba 1" part, because it has a 1 in the title, and many of them can't do it well. This is not because it's difficult, but because, even though I don't think anything goes above a middle C, it seems to be too high for most Tuba Christmas attendees to handle. I agree that there seem to be very few bass tubas, so if bringing a tuba bring an Eb or F.

In the 6 different locations in which I have played, there always seem to be more tubas than euphoniums. Most of the euphs seem to want to play the 1st part too, so euphonium 2 would seem to be the one that is most under represented in my experience.

[Teubonium]

This will be TubaChristmas #1 for me. I asked the guy doing the organizing, and he couldn't say. The question: Usually, is there more of a need for euphonium players or tuba players? Or is there no "usually" but a "It depends" instead?

In Denver with 400 attendees, we have plenty of each, except for OPHECLIDES!,we only have 1 or 2

[SplatterTone]

In Denver with 400 attendees ...

That is difficult to imagine. It must be an amazing sound.
(But do you have euphonium from India? Hmmmm?)