Re: Advantages of a F tuba over an Eb?


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Posted by ken k on August 16, 2000 at 22:13:42:

In Reply to: Advantages of a F tuba over an Eb? posted by Adam on August 16, 2000 at 21:18:17:

It is sort of the same question as BBb vs. CC. Nowadays there are so many options. There are tiny Ebs that sound like the "traditional" F tuba and there are big Fs that sound like CCs! So it is just a matter of finding the horn that sounds the way you want it to sound and "running with it." Actually, as I often tell my students at school "Never run with your instrument!"
It is also a geographical and social issue. In England the traditional brass band uses BBb and Eb tubas. The music written for these ensembles is written in treble clef and is transposed to sound the correct pitch when playing the "C" fingerings as you would on a trumpet or C tuba (C,G,C,E,G,etc. being the open notes). So in this setting the Eb tuba is the prefered instrument. I believe in France, although I may be mistaken, F tubas are more prevelent. In America Eb tubas used to be the "student" horns that students began lessons on and then "moved up" to BBb (or CC). The reason being the Eb tubas were smaller than BBbs. Now we have many "3/4" sized student model BBb horns so that is not so much the case. And there are big EEbs too! (I understand why it can be all very confusing!)
So as you see there are many different reasons for the various models of tubas offered out there. But look at it this way; you have many more options from which to choose!.
ken k


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