Posted by Klaus on February 06, 2003 at 23:56:47:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I envy all of you posted by JoeS on February 06, 2003 at 22:48:37:
There are aspects of tuba sound and intonation, that you hardly have too much first hand experience of, as you after all mostly move around in pro circles, when you play, Joe.
From playing a lot with younger (and not so young) amateur students and in not top-notch amateur bands it is my experience, that if a player with rich/full and in-tune playing joins such circumstances, then the general being in tune of the ensemble improves.
These experiences can be had with tenor or bass trombone (where a good euph student took the clues, so that we could run the small group by our in tune intervals).
They can be had with the euphonium, where a full and in tune playing can make it far easier for the one good trumpet player to have it his way with his bad section.
Even from a large belled US style BBb bass it is possible to make the cornet/trumpet section sound more homogenous and in tune. Even so much that the cornets comment on that.
In my interpretation of the physical aspect of the acoustics, the difference is, that where the German type tubas lay out a grid of overtones, that are strong in what I call the "cold" notes of the chord (octaves, fifths, and maybe ninths), there the US type tubas are more full. Which in my interpretation means that they have a much better representation of mostly the thirds and sevenths without sacrificing the overtones being present in the German style tubas.
That closer and more balanced overtone grid of the US style tubas by itself offers more support to the upper voices. And then it has one specific effect very desirable on the human ear: the thirds in the overtone series are not sharp. That helps the cornets getting their thirds into the right place (haven't we all heard a cornet section playing a Bb major chord, where the 3rd cornet has its 1+2 D going way sharp?)
That steering ability of the US style big BBb's of course puts a great demand of responsibility on their players. When to use 3 in stead of 1+2. What to do with ones lips and diaphragm on notes fingered 2+4. And so on.
So I don't think, that the wide belled US type tubas are better in disguising their being out of tune. I think, that they simply are more supportive for upper voices. Probably to a degree, that they make other players/instruments follow them, when they stray intonationwise. They simply invite to be blended with. Their hall filling qualities make them persuasive.
Not necessarily attempting to be provocative this posting of course only expresses my own observations.
Klaus