Sunday, December 25, 2016
I LOVE my Little Tuba
Okay, I'm a "low brass" music geek.
My primary instrument, euphonium, is a "esoteric" horn ... and the "euph" I own is still considered one of the better "professional"-level horns available.
---
The "euph" is the "tenor voice" of the tuba family.
---
The flugelhorn, that Chuck Mangione made famous in the 1970's (with the tune "Feels So Good" (and the picture for this video, is Chuck hugging his "flugle"), is the "soprano voice" of that family.
---
Thanks to the vagaries of history, there is no "alto voice", in this musical instrument family, anymore. At least not in America.
---
HOWEVER, there are "tenor", "bass", and "contrabass" members of the family still current in America.
---
The "tenor" voice is the euphonium (or as some people call it (and I HATE this term, because it is SO innacurate) the "baritone" horn.)
---
The "normal" tuba is a contrabass tuba.
---
The "bass" tuba is, pretty much, an esoteric instrument. Even more so than the euphonium.
Anymore, in America, the bass tuba is just used for solo works, in small brass chamber ensembles (sometimes), and for certain tuba solos, in the orchestral repertoire.
---
Anymore, for most "tuba work", the bass tuba is considered to be too small, and not powerful enough to do the job that a modern tuba is called upon to do, in a large ensemble.
With that said, a few years back, tuba manufacturer's started building bass tubas that were capable, sometimes, of doing more than what had become their traditional roles ... if they had help from a contrabass tuba, or two.
---
Before I go any further, let me give you a graphical representation of what I am talking about.
In terms of relative size, and EXACT relationship, in regards to key, you can compare the relationship between euphonium/bass tuba/contrabass tuba to soprano sax/alto sax/tenor sax ... just double the length of the saxes to be exact.
---
The small horn, in this picture, is about 18" long.
The largest horn, is about 3 feet long.
---
In terms of this discussion, a euph is the smallest horn.
The largest horn in the picture is a "normal" tuba.
MY TUBA is the horn on the left.
The key/pitch relationships between these horns are EXACTLY like the euph/bass tuba/contrabass tuba ... except they are all half the length, internally.
---
Traditional bass tubas, though, are not capable of the "projection", and "size" of sound as a contrabass.
The horn is just too small to pull it off. ... It's physics.
They are not capable of providing enough "foundation" for much more than a VERY small group (17, at most.)
---
I have a bass tuba that is built a bit larger than a traditional one.
---
So, yesterday, my "little tuba" and I had to contend with an ensemble that was, at one point: 5 other brass players, about 12 strings (violin, viola, cello, and string bass), and 5 piece "electric" rock/pop group, using amplification.
---
I SHOULD have been OVERWHELMED by the ensemble, given the relative "weakness" of my horn, and how I was outnumbered.
---
I WASN'T.
Thanks to my "little" tuba.
If anything, I was told to pull back on the volume.
---
While, one day, I want a contrabass tuba (I prefer used (the link is for new), and I don't care if it is BBb or CC (more on "vintage" vs. new later)) SOMEDAY, my "little" tuba and I are "kicking butt, and taking names" ... and getting gigs. ... They aren't often, but when we have them, we make serious bucks.
---
ANYWAY, in the spirit of the season, check out one of my "tuba heroes" SINGING.
Did you know that Santa wants a tuba for Christmas?
My primary instrument, euphonium, is a "esoteric" horn ... and the "euph" I own is still considered one of the better "professional"-level horns available.
---
The "euph" is the "tenor voice" of the tuba family.
---
The flugelhorn, that Chuck Mangione made famous in the 1970's (with the tune "Feels So Good" (and the picture for this video, is Chuck hugging his "flugle"), is the "soprano voice" of that family.
---
Thanks to the vagaries of history, there is no "alto voice", in this musical instrument family, anymore. At least not in America.
---
HOWEVER, there are "tenor", "bass", and "contrabass" members of the family still current in America.
---
The "tenor" voice is the euphonium (or as some people call it (and I HATE this term, because it is SO innacurate) the "baritone" horn.)
---
The "normal" tuba is a contrabass tuba.
---
The "bass" tuba is, pretty much, an esoteric instrument. Even more so than the euphonium.
Anymore, in America, the bass tuba is just used for solo works, in small brass chamber ensembles (sometimes), and for certain tuba solos, in the orchestral repertoire.
---
Anymore, for most "tuba work", the bass tuba is considered to be too small, and not powerful enough to do the job that a modern tuba is called upon to do, in a large ensemble.
With that said, a few years back, tuba manufacturer's started building bass tubas that were capable, sometimes, of doing more than what had become their traditional roles ... if they had help from a contrabass tuba, or two.
---
Before I go any further, let me give you a graphical representation of what I am talking about.
In terms of relative size, and EXACT relationship, in regards to key, you can compare the relationship between euphonium/bass tuba/contrabass tuba to soprano sax/alto sax/tenor sax ... just double the length of the saxes to be exact.
---
The small horn, in this picture, is about 18" long.
The largest horn, is about 3 feet long.
---
In terms of this discussion, a euph is the smallest horn.
The largest horn in the picture is a "normal" tuba.
MY TUBA is the horn on the left.
The key/pitch relationships between these horns are EXACTLY like the euph/bass tuba/contrabass tuba ... except they are all half the length, internally.
---
Traditional bass tubas, though, are not capable of the "projection", and "size" of sound as a contrabass.
The horn is just too small to pull it off. ... It's physics.
They are not capable of providing enough "foundation" for much more than a VERY small group (17, at most.)
---
I have a bass tuba that is built a bit larger than a traditional one.
---
So, yesterday, my "little tuba" and I had to contend with an ensemble that was, at one point: 5 other brass players, about 12 strings (violin, viola, cello, and string bass), and 5 piece "electric" rock/pop group, using amplification.
---
I SHOULD have been OVERWHELMED by the ensemble, given the relative "weakness" of my horn, and how I was outnumbered.
---
I WASN'T.
Thanks to my "little" tuba.
If anything, I was told to pull back on the volume.
---
While, one day, I want a contrabass tuba (I prefer used (the link is for new), and I don't care if it is BBb or CC (more on "vintage" vs. new later)) SOMEDAY, my "little" tuba and I are "kicking butt, and taking names" ... and getting gigs. ... They aren't often, but when we have them, we make serious bucks.
---
ANYWAY, in the spirit of the season, check out one of my "tuba heroes" SINGING.
Did you know that Santa wants a tuba for Christmas?
