BBb or CC

[HoltonMammoth]

Any thoughts?

[tubanh84]

I played BBb for 6 years between 6th and 11th grade. I've played CC ever since, which is now almost 20 years.

HOWEVER.

To this day, when I sit down with my CC or F tuba, the first thing I do is play a Bb scale. And when I do certain exercises, I start on Bb. For some reason, Bb is still my "warm up note." No idea why.

[BopEuph]

I once played a contrabass trombone that was so flat you pretty much had to tune it to A. That was wild.

I play BBb. If I thought owning a CC would get me more work than BBb, I'd invest in one. But I doubt that's an issue at all.

[hrender]

Started on BBb tuba and sousaphone in HS. Before starting college I bought a YBB-641 that I played throughout college, although my teacher told me later he thought I should've gotten a CC. When I came back to tuba many years later, I bought a 4v Gnagey CC from Sam G., which I loved, but which my band director always complained was out of tune (it wasn't). Feeling I needed a recording horn to be heard in band, I bought an old King 1240, which my director preferred. Because the Gnagey wasn't getting enough playing time, I traded it to a college student for a Martin Mammoth, which I'm enjoying.

Shorter answer: yes.

[bloke]

Didn't someone decide to tell everyone that "BC" stands for something other than that for which it originally stood...??

maybe...(??) something having to do with a hangover relief morning-after medicine or something... :?

[GC]

Neither. Eb.

But if I ever buy a contrabass again it'll be a BBb.

[Jperry1466]

I played BBb in high school and part of college, then switched to CC because "I was told to", and most of major players and teachers (in the early 70s) played CC. I found that I was much more agile and better sounding on the CC, even when I played BBb during all my public school teaching years. In other words, it just seems easier to play for me, other than the crab-like fingerings in flat keys combined with arthritis in my fingers while playing in community band. I finally located a mouthpiece that lets the CC blend better with the BBb's.

[KorKoro]

I played BBb in high school and part of college, then switched to CC because "I was told to", and most of major players and teachers (in the early 70s) played CC. I found that I was much more agile and better sounding on the CC, even when I played BBb during all my public school teaching years. In other words, it just seems easier to play for me, other than the crab-like fingerings in flat keys combined with arthritis in my fingers while playing in community band. I finally located a mouthpiece that lets the CC blend better with the BBb's.

And that mouthpiece was? (another Mack Brass 410 desperately want to know) I've got a PT-36, 44, 50, a Helleberg and an AW-24 and can't decide.

KorKoro

[Levaix]

I have a very old tuba sitting 8 feet away from me that plays remarkably well in tune in the key of D. Great for playing along with guitarists!

I don't think it was intentional.

[Schlepporello]

I've always played BB. I tried switching to EEb once and it made my head hurt really bad. This angered the voices.

[BopEuph]

I have a very old tuba sitting 8 feet away from me that plays remarkably well in tune in the key of D. Great for playing along with guitarists!

I don't think it was intentional.

Those unintentional alternate keys are really the best.

[Bob Kolada]

Some wars never end...

[Rick Denney]

Switching to C always presented two roadblocks: spending a year learning new fingerings and paying extra thousands for an instrument of similar quality. The road on the other side of those roadblocks never seemed like it would lead anywhere interesting enough to be worth crashing through them.

Had I started on C, that’s where I would be now.

Rick “learning F was hard enough” Denney

[Doc]

Any thoughts?

BBb AND CC.

[Stryk]

Both.

I try to use BBb for band and C for orchestra. It took me quite a long time to make the switch to C in college and even longer to make BBb comfortable again after I retired. I"m not quite as fluent in BBb, but I have a great one (Alex) that I do enjoy playing!

[hbcrandy]

Play whatever works best for you. Neither BBb or CC has any advantage over each other in either band or orchestra. If you develop full command of your instrument, both can be played well in tune and fingerings for all key signatures will be learned on either pitch tuba. BBb works in orchestra. The Germans play it as their contrabass tuba as do the Russians. Also, Herbert Wekselblatt played a BBb Sander tuba for years in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. When I still played tuba, I played CC as my contrabass tuba in all orchestra, band and brass ensemble situations, orchestra being my primary focus. DO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU!

[bloke]

Switching to C always presented two roadblocks: spending a year learning new fingerings and paying extra thousands for an instrument of similar quality. The road on the other side of those roadblocks never seemed like it would lead anywhere interesting enough to be worth crashing through them.

Had I started on C, that’s where I would be now.

Rick “learning F was hard enough” Denney

You should have just bought one of those (has it been decades, now?) C♭ Tubas that were on eBay for a few hundred bucks...halfway between B-flat and C (really).

[Yorkboy]

For a free-lancer (specifically, one who makes his living playing all genres), BBb is the optimum instrument, IMO.

You will play in flat keys far more frequently (band, jazz, quintet, brass band, etc.) than you will in sharp keys. The CC tuba will need to employ more "cross fingerings" in these settings, and these parts will usually be more technically demanding than your usual orchestral parts.

Even when playing in orchestra, although you will be playing in more sharp keys, the tuba parts aren't so technically difficult as to take advantage of the easier CC fingerings. To a smaller degree, with the trombones being in Bb, the overtones "line up" easier.

In 35+ years, I have yet to encounter a trumpet player using a C trumpet on a jazz gig.

(I know some will say "a good player will be accomplished enough to overcome any awkward fingerings". True, but why start at a disadvantage when you don't need to?)

[Dubby]

I also like playing both. For a while I had a large 4/4 frankentuba in BBb built by Tabor (where is he anyway?) for late ensembles and a small 3/4 CC for smaller ensembles and fun stuff. It wasn’t a huge deal to switch back and forth, but then I was also playing euph and bass bone in other ensembles and those transitions took more work and time.

While I was in Germany, the only horn I had access to was a small BBb and that was a lot of fun, but then I was only playing in small groups and had no issues.

[bloke]

Is Tabor here ?