How many tubas (+others) do you regularly play?

[Stryk]

I was trying to ask how many instruments folk practice regularly and what it takes to keep various instruments "ready to go" whenever you need them.

Use regularly? Still 5. Ready to go? 10-12.

[bloke]

varies...

As many or as few that
> pay their own way
> make me sound as if I play better than actually do, and ~ as if ~ I actually practice...

...and how can you expect anything other than confusion, when you end your question with a preposition ?

[Rick Denney]

Wondering how many tubas, plus other instruments I guess, you keep in regular practice on?
I'm all for having the right tool for the job, but there is increasing appeal having fewer instruments alongside knowing the few REALLY well...

As an aside, is the conventional wisdom to warm up first on the biggest tuba you're playing that day, working up to smallest? That's always been my thinking but what do others do?

Cheers,
MP

Regular practice? None, depending on your definition.

That aside, the least number is three: big Bb for the symphonic winds, small Bb and F for quintet (depending on the music).

A couple of others I play often enough to stay in touch with them—a Holton Bb and a Euph.

Doesn’t seem to matter which one I use for warming up.

Rick “seeing three Bb tubas with mouthpieces in the at the moment” Denney

[MN_TimTuba]

Well I can't have been very clear -
I was trying to ask how many instruments folk practice regularly and what it takes to keep various instruments "ready to go" whenever you need them.

Some folk have one horn. Others have one big and one smaller, sometimes in the same key. Others have a horn for every group and type of playing.
For you, do you rather make your one or two horns work in every setting, or have 'the right tool for the job', even if that means a stack of practice re-learning the quirks of a horn? How many horns do you try to keep in-shape on regularly and why AND how? So many questions.

No right or wrong here - only opinions...

All interesting responses anyway!
Thanks

Ahh, now I get it.
My most accurate answer is 1.
Nearly all of my playing, practice, and performance has been on my Holton 345.
Since getting the little Yamaha less than a month ago, that's what I'm playing almost every day; not for the purpose of strict formal practice, but just because it's new to me and it's "something different", and it takes up less space being out than my big horn.
The other brasses get played whenever I get the urge, no strict practice schedule on them.
For what it's worth, I perform more on bass guitar than anything, and play most often on my 6 string and 12 string acoustics at home, simply because it's fun to play and sing along. Several other woodwind and string instruments reside in my den, but they only get played infrequently.
Tim

[Snake Charmer]

Due to home office and home university of the family only one at the moment. The Schlipf practice mute is my best friend, it keeps me alive. But it works only with the Eastman Eb.
I have one for the French C as well, but this compromises playing in the lower range so I don't use it too often. And no chance of playing Ophicleide, Saxhorn or my slender F tuba without being killed...

[Mark E. Chachich]

For many years I only practice one tuba (Alexander 163 CC tuba) on a regular basis and practice my second tuba (Meinl Weston 32 CC tuba) enough to keep my playing up to speed enough in case I have to play it. This is due to the time that I have to practice.

Best,
Mark

side note: I have been playing my Meinl Weston 32 for a couple of months because my Alexander has to be repaired (Pete and Sabina at Baltimore Brass are doing the work, this is good because Pete has worked on my tubas and Sabina has worked on Frank's (Heavy_Metal) tubas). They are both excellent repair techs! Moral of the story, I am glad that I practiced the MW 32 enough to get my playing of this tuba up to speed fast. I am also glad that Pete and Sabina are in the area.

[edfirth]

King monster rotary Bb, King 1241 and 2341, YamahaEb, King front banger euphonium,King 3B and 8B trombones. I retired a few years ago and sold the trombones but used everything pretty regularly when I was doing it full time.Ed

[prairieboy1]

Right now, my King 2341. I need the time to really solidify the fingerings on a four valve horn. I have played my 3 valve King “Symphony” for over 30 years and the false tones are ensconced shall we say! No group playing at all here in the wheat belt, so I certainly have the time. I like to play the Holton “Mammoth” as well. The recording bell is on an extended vacation for now.

[grayax]

I currently own a 1241 and a Pan American Eb that I play somewhat regularly. I also have played whatever was in the shop at the time. I also own a Reynolds dual rotor bass trombone that I do play once every week or two, and a King 2280 and two King 601 trumpets that I rarely play. I have three electric basses that I will play when the mood strikes me.

[scottw]

I play my 1972 Mirafone BBb for pretty much everything except Civil War-era brass band. For that I use a Moses Slater NY Eb from 1865.
Always takes a little bit for my brain to decide on the correct fingerings going between the 2.
I also have a small 3-piston valve BBb, a Swiss-made Hug from @1887, but rarely get to play it.

[pjv]

If I have the time (and since Corona that's been a lot!) = 3
BBb tuba (about 50%)
F tuba (35%)
tenor trombone (15%)

Gigs determine how much time I spend on any instrument (one of the above or other low brass in my stable). Not only the frequency on any specific instrument but also on how much time I have to practice at all.

If I could do it all over again I would have stuck to one tuba...

[bloke]

Gigs determine how much time I spend on any instrument (one of the above or other low brass in my stable). Not only the frequency on any specific instrument but also on how much time I have to practice at all.

a resounding “yup” to this.
I did not quote the last part (about sticking to one tuba), because I always will pick the easiest to play instrument that will do the job very well (which - as posted earlier in this thread - promotes a level of performance which sounds more to others “as if“ I have been practicing.)

This is sort of the same mindset with the three vehicles that are in our carport:
If the littlest one that uses the least gas does the job amazingly well, that’s the one we will take.

We just drove 12 hours straight and a bit over posted limits (two ways) for Thanksgiving. We came back with three large tubas, a bit of luggage, and one extra person. Everything fit just fine, there was a complete line of sight out the rear window, and the vehicle did its job to perfection...
...oh yes: (more analogous info) and it’s a very well-made vehicle that we did not buy brand new.

[Doc]

For me, it's 3. My main horn is my 496 Hagen, I practice on my Zo "Tiny Dragon" because it's easier to maneuver in my 750 square foot house and on occasion I'll play my helicon.

For some reason, I can't quite picture a 6'6 guy and 3 tubas in a 750 sq ft house! Hope y''all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

And wearing a helicon, no less!

[Doc]

I try to keep up on three of the five:

Hagen 496 BBb
Symphonie F
blokespecial 186 CC

Occasionally, I'll break out the Conn 20J (brush up on it before a gig) and the JP 274 euphonium (play it for fun, stepson uses it as his home-practice instrument).

Sadly, I just don't have enough time to practice any of them as I prefer. That working-70-80-hrs-per-week thing tends to get in the way.

[pjv]

a resounding “yup” to this.
I did not quote the last part (about sticking to one tuba), because I always will pick the easiest to play instrument that will do the job very well (which - as posted earlier in this thread - promotes a level of performance which sounds more to others “as if“ I have been practicing.)

This is sort of the same mindset with the three vehicles that are in our carport:

Yeah, always, right tool for the right job. This is the path I chose as a musician.

I also know musicians that have chosen for a one instrument relationship and spend all their time making that instrument work. It's a choice and it works really well for them.
Often (but not always) these are musicians who are faithful to a particular music style. 1 music style+1 tuba=life in heaven.

I say this because, for me personally, the more instruments the more upkeep.
Often practicing the same shXt over and over again. First on one tuba, later on the other, etc.

And then there's the other upkeep; oiling (always), screw loosening (on instruments that sit for a month before they are used) or even part removal (for instruments that are used 2x a year or less: I remove valves and slides to avoid problems later on).

In short, with all the time involved in the upkeep of various instruments, I might have been happier if I just stuck with one!

[tclements]

In a big orchestra (6-8 basses; 10-12 celli) I use a 6/4 CC. If the work requires more punch, I'll use a Tuono. For pit work, or small low string section (3-4 basses; 4-6 celli) I use a 4/4. I use 2 Fs depending on the requirements of the work.

[Alex C]

What an interesting post, Peach.

Think of the tuba players from the previous generation and you know what horn they used throughout their career. Bill Bell being a notable exception.

I think Tommy Johnson may have also used numerous instruments. But tubaists used to buy a horn and learn to play it.

I'm not sure if it's the demands of the time that make tuba players want to own an F tuba and a CC and/or BBb along with a cimbasso... or whether conductors demand it. I remember a Tommy Johnson interview where he said that he and Bobo thought an F tuba was cheating, now a tuba play hoping for a professional career must have a CC and a F tuba.

If you are a professional, you are now investing nearly $20,000 in equipment before you have a job. After covid, we don't even know if there will be jobs. Things have certainly changed.

I took a couple of lessons from Joe Hebert of New Orleans, a fabulous musician and tuba player. He was hired to play with the American Symphony by Stowkovsky and he owned a BBb Cerveny with four valves that he bought for $600 and no mute. Those days are gone.

[bloke]

In the past,

Tuba players American tuba players (even busy ones) KNEW about E-flat and F tubas, but either...

> were unfamiliar (as they generally we're available to test), and/or
> most the few that were on display (at tuba shindigs) for sale weren't particularly good.

People knew about the 180 Miraphone F tubas (not bad, but required that the player NOT "blow" into them like a 186, so...), the old smaller 45 Meinl-Weston F tubas (with a few being quite nice, but many offering faulty intonation - as well as the same "blow into" issues learning curve), and people knew ~of~ Alexander F tubas (but there were very few in the USA that could be played, so those - during that era - were "mystery tubas".

B&S Symphonie F tubas (past the mid-1970's) were (are) fine instruments, but none were in the USA (until the late 1970's), and - therefore - few knew of their existence. By the time one was used in some extraordinary nationally-televised and widely-viewed performances in mid and late 1985, these were already a known entity, and (as they are mostly seen, today) adulterated versions were already being offered.

E-flat tubas seen in the USA were mostly limited to the Miraphone 183 (a non-remarkable instrument) and compensating E-flat tubas made in England (which suffered the same American biases that they continue to suffer today...ie. "don't wanna learn comp. fingerings"..."don't wanna play top-action".

[Kirley]

Since I don't often need to play multiple instruments on the same gig, I mostly stick to one instrument per day.
Those instruments are:
King 2341 (old-style)
Wessex BBb helicon
Yamaha 321 Euph
Shires .525 trombone

During non-covid times I usually just kept the Wessex in the bag since it's my main gigging horn and only practiced on the King. Unlike most of y'all, most of my work is on sousaphone/helicon. The lap tuba rarely leaves the house. But with the very few gigs I've played during all of this, I was missing spending time with the Wessex so it now lives on a stand in my office/studio. The Wessex is also my preferred horn for recording, which I have been able to do from home a bit more during all this.

The euph I just picked up in October. It's really fun. Not a whole lot of "need" for it but I'm really enjoying playing it. These days, anything that inspires me to practice is greatly appreciated!

When I did have gigs that required switching back and forth, I'd try to actually practice like that. This was mostly with one group that was like 75% helicon and 25% bone. I'd often play a Rochut etude on both horns back to back along with some scale patterns and such in addition to some of the tunes for the actual gig. In general, I didn't find switching back and forth all that challenging, though.

[Peach]

Thanks all. Great info here - v interesting.

I know for myself I regularly play (and even practice):
Eb - 4v Comp / 5v non-comp
Bb - 4v Comp for brass band
Then I keep my C tuba as I love to play it in orchestra and even quintet but that happens in blocks, irregularly. It's a great tuba but I need to brush-up on it before a show.
And when teaching I frequently use Euph and sometimes Trombone. I never practice these sadly and if I play them too much it affects my tuba playing (along with a chronic lack of practice).

Thanks again.