Tubas, euphoniums, mouthpieces, and anything music-related.
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I had a student just purchase a nice Miraphone 1291CC. He already has a King 2341, and I told him he was fine on that. He has been mentioning every lesson that he wants to go to a open wrap piston CC. It’s his money, not mine.
How did he know that's what he wanted? Had he tried one? Or is there a constant murmuring somewhere that serious players need that?
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I’ve let him play my CC a few times. His high school teacher also played a CC. He is looking at graduate work and I know some teachers not only push CC, but certain brands and models. I’ve had other students in the past stay on BBb the entire time.
The only student I’ve ever pushed to go to CC (again, not required) was a student several years ago who seemed very serious about going the orchestra route. He ended up getting frustrated on the fingerings and I told him to go back to BBb. He did switch majors, but I told him a couple of the dream programs he wanted to go to would more or less require him to play a CC.
I will still stand behind my statement that a panel likely won’t be able to tell what key a tuba is in from behind a screen (keeping it between two keys of contrabass tubas).
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Dr. James M. Green
Lecturer in Music--Ohio Northern University
Adjunct Professor of Music--Ohio Christian University
Gronitz PF 125
Miraphone 1291CC
Miraphone Performing Artist www.russiantuba.com
russiantuba wrote: ↑Thu Mar 31, 2022 4:50 pm
I will still stand behind my statement that a panel likely won’t be able to tell what key a tuba is in from behind a screen (keeping it between two keys of contrabass tubas).
off-topic, but only about 90% off-topic:
Instead of shelling out the dough for a bland-sounding and out-of-tune piston F tuba (as a second F tuba...as the idea of owning two F tubas is absurd, anyway), I can stick one of my Imperial cup mouthpieces in my B&S Symphonie F tuba, it sounds bland (like a piston F tuba), yet isn't out of tune.
jtm wrote: ↑Thu Mar 31, 2022 5:12 pm
Is nickel silver cool?
only if the flanges are round.
Probably the most cool things about a C tuba are that you need five valves to play a low F and a (badly out of tune) low D, whereas the most cool thing about 6/4 tubas is that the third partial is useless.
Last edited by bloke on Fri Apr 01, 2022 11:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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bloke wrote: ↑Thu Mar 31, 2022 5:03 pm off-topic, but only about 90% off-topic:
Instead of shelling out the dough for a bland-sounding and out-of-tune piston F tuba (as a second F tuba...as the idea of owning two F tubas is absurd, anyway), I can stick one of my Imperial cup mouthpieces in my B&S Symphonie F tuba, it sounds bland (like a piston F tuba), yet isn't out of tune.
This is why I stick with the Gronitz. It is more comfortable to play than my B&S F but doesn't sound as bland as the piston Fs that people tend to play (The Blokepiece Solo #0 really energizes the horn too)
Dr. James M. Green
Lecturer in Music--Ohio Northern University
Adjunct Professor of Music--Ohio Christian University
Gronitz PF 125
Miraphone 1291CC
Miraphone Performing Artist www.russiantuba.com
bloke wrote: ↑Thu Mar 31, 2022 12:08 pm
OK… Here’s another one:
What is the proper name for the mental exercise that is represented by college teachers stating openly that they don’t care if their students play B-flat or C tubas, yet quietly tell their students they should get C tubas?
scumbaggery
These users thanked the author the elephant for the post:
It's something I have no words I have been playing tuba for a living for over 20 years, and I haven't used a CC tuba for anything. I have performed/worked with plenty of people who use CC tubas. I guess it's just a matter of personal preference. Whatever tool helps you achieve the results that makes your boss/audience/patrons happy. If someone wanted me to use a CC, F, Eb, tuba or sousaphone for a job I could and would. From my experience so far, nobody has asked for a specific tuba/instrument, only for a specific result/product
I played CC for 20+ years, and only started playing CC because ether one tuba the college had for me to use was in CC. It was that or nothing. Easy choice.
The last few months, I've been Eb only. I'll get a BBb shortly. CC still makes a little more sense to my brain, but for damn sure, nobody cares what you use as long as you don't suck.
B flat (3… possibly soon: 4)
F (2)
E flat
C
BB flat (2)
————-
For quite a while, I’ve owned all five.
For a long time, my only BB flat was a sousaphone.
Now that I own a really nice instrument of that length (and have re-acclimated myself to reading sheet music and playing BB flat), I am finding that it’s actually the best choice a tremendous percentage of the time…but not always…and I can’t imagine selling my amazing 5450 “because I now need something bigger” or “because I’ve outgrown it”.
bloke wrote: ↑Thu Mar 31, 2022 5:03 pmoff-topic, but only about 90% off-topic:
Instead of shelling out the dough for a bland-sounding and out-of-tune piston F tuba (as a second F tuba...as the idea of owning two F tubas is absurd, anyway), I can stick one of my Imperial cup mouthpieces in my B&S Symphonie F tuba, it sounds bland (like a piston F tuba), yet isn't out of tune.
So what's the appeal of a bland-sounding F tuba, anyway? Is that something that the director asks for explicitly?
John Morris
This practicing trick actually seems to be working! playing some old German rotary tubas for free