Posted by Rick Denney on April 17, 2003 at 11:19:48:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Horn advice posted by Young Grasshopper... on April 17, 2003 at 10:59:27:
Tony, I don't think there was anything in my response that suggested it was a matter of agility or dynamic range. I can play my Holton very softly, and it is as agile as any of my instruments except the F. But even when I'm playing it very softly, it has a resonance and timbre that doesn't necessarily mix well in a tuba quartet that is trying to achieve clarity.
And I described quartets where the use of a BAT on the bottom was not a problem. But in those cases the performer was a master. By "master", I mean by even professional standards--I've heard solid pros who were not in that category in those situations. As I said, it's a question of efficiency. How hard will it be to get the desired clean, clear, almost spare sound? We tuba players are so much in love with resonance that we may not realize that those in our audience are not.
If I play in a quartet again, I'll either play third on my small F or I'll play fourth on my Miraphone. The Holton is just too hard to make work in that setting.
Rick "who doesn't think one earns bonus points for overcoming an inappropriate instrument" Denney