Re: CC Opinions?...


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Posted by Jeff Miller on March 10, 2000 at 21:32:30:

In Reply to: CC Opinions?... posted by ?? on March 10, 2000 at 13:44:20:

I luuuuurve my HB-2P - stick a deep mouthpiece in, and get a big orchestral sound (you really don't have to have a 6/4 tuba to play in an orchestra, even though it's nice) - stick a small mouthpiece in it, and use it quintets, etc to great effect.

In my opinion, the main thing is to go for something which has loads of character. Find a tuba that can produce all sorts of different colors and express different personalities. A good way to tell if a tuba is like this is to play some mid register notes and see how much you can bend the pitch of the notes purely with your chops. My HB-2P lets me bend a middle G (bottom of the stave) a minor third flat. Some people like tubas with tight slots because they can be easier to play cleanly, but for me that's like wearing really tight underwear - more secure, but constricting and less fun.

I remember buying a didgeridoo once, and the didg guru I was with told me that this some thing (bendability indicating character) holds true for didgs as well.

Incidentally, David Fedderly once told me that he sometimes uses his Yorkbrunner in his brass quintet (with a small mouthpiece).

Of course, the other side of the coin is widely practiced here in the UK, where 99.999999% of players play absolutely everything on Besson Sovereign Eb tubas (the old kind, not the newer smaller model). These tubas are EXCEPTIONALLY versatile, and are used here in everything from solos and quintets right up to the largest orchestral works. I personally prefer a bigger CC, but the point is that a good musician can produce a very convincing sound on these instruments - and next to a Cervany piggy, they have to be (IMHO) the best value for money you can get in a new tuba.


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