thinking of going to one tuba

[LeMark]

I'm playing more euphonium than tuba these days, but when I do play tuba I've been playing my good old Cerveny 4/4 5 valve model 68.

Very little slide pulling is needed on the thing, with only a few easy alternate fingerings. Great sound, as long as you aren't expecting it to sound like Neptune or something huge.

The more I play it, the better I get at it, and that had me thinking... I'm playing a BBb for students, a huge 601 usually for the symphony, I have an Eb I honestly dont play at all, and then the 4/4 CC get lumped into "everything else" which basically equals "also doesn't get played"

Every time I bring it to the symphony I get compliments on the tone, which is ironic because over the last 27 seasons I've upgraded horn sizes TWICE since I sold a tuba just like this one to buy first the piggy and then the 601. We've come full circle.

I don't think I would sell the 601 until I retire from the symphony, gotta save it for when I really need a lot of power, but I'm starting to think about selling the packer 379 and the Conn/York Frankentuba I have. I don't need the money, but I hate to have horns just lying around collecting dust.

Anyone else who owns a few horns think about going back to the days when you did everything on one?

[prairieboy1]

A very timely post as I have been pondering this for some time. The horn that I have done everything on is my King "Symphony" Recording Bass. First purchased in the summer of 1975, I have played in four different bands with it and enjoyed it very much. It is now tucked away in the case and I rarely play it except for ONE performance that we hold every summer. The King 2341 is now the horn of choice for both of the concert bands I play in. It is as much horn as I will ever need and a whole lot more. My section mates in both bands are very happy with it, so it gets a pass for now. The Yamaha 321 lives at the band hall so that I do not have to transport a tuba. After surgery this past January, I have really appreciated this feature, however it is not an absolute necessity for now. The fourth horn, the Holton 'Mammoth" 3 valve Bb from 1916 is now in the very capable hands of Lee Stofer. Lee will be creating a brand new leadpipe and receiver for it after the terrible fall that it had at the end of August in 2022. I want to play this horn long enough after the repair to see what it really sounds like. As much as I enjoy all of them, I am not getting any younger and can see that one or two horns at most makes the most sense. Time to make some decisions.

[bloke]

I'm not ready to sell the 4/4 wide-belled York-like Holton B-flat that I "built", because it fits in tight spots (church gig-wise) and offers some "zing" combined with contrabass breadth/accessibility.

There just aren't that many really great 3/4 - 4/4 contrabass tubas, out there...

[bort2.0]

Do you use every trombone that you own? Or every euphonium?

If it were me, I would sell the tubas. If you don't use them, there's no purpose in owning them. It's just physical and mental clutter and weight. Free yourself. And frankly, who cares if you're using only one tuba? Just pick the right tuba

[bloke]

You know what I do with tubas that I haven't played in a while, regardless of how attached I think I am to them or whether I built them or whether I bought them, and that I have to argue with my wife, because she doesn't actually want me to sell them.

As far as euphoniums are concerned, I have one that's easy to play in the middle range and low, and one that's easier to play in the middle range and high.

[MN_TimTuba]

As a 64 yr old who for some 52 years had only one tuba, I know it is certainly possible. My excellent 6/4 BBb did everything from large bands to small bands, dixie bands, orchestras, quintets, and solos, with nary a complaint from anyone. However, at age 61 I became a two tuba guy, and have really enjoyed the experience. It was great having a 14 lb 3/4 BBb to pair with first the 6/4, then a 5/4, and now my current 4/4 BBb. Then the 3/4 was sold and I have this bell front Eb tag-teaming with my 4/4 BBb. It's not necessary, but it's fun. (Plus, Eva just emailed me today; based on serial number and photos my Miraphone is from the late 50's. Ha, so am I!)
I do see the point, though, of simplifying again to a single tuba. When I feel I'm ready to tame my playing a bit, I can see moving to a smaller horn than even this King. For my playing - although another YBB-621 would be a joy to play and carry - I think it's just too small. Since finding that Lee is handling the new Lidl line, I've been dreaming up my retirement tuba; so far it's the Arion copy, just 4 valves, all (or bell only) rose brass, with kranz, vented valves, with a couple extra waterkeys, in a quality top load bag. I'd end up with a lightweight, competent large bore but compact do-all tuba with special eye-appeal to keep me happy. Per Lee, that's all available on special order. IF - in some crazy dimension - it were available with both bell-up and bell-front I'd believe I'd have died and gone to tuba heaven.
But that's just me.
Oh, to answer the original question - Yes, I do think about simplifying to one tuba again.
But don't tell my wife.
Tim

[ronr]

I recently went from one horn to two; I added a JP 179b to the pack, basically just because I wanted it. I had and sold a YBB621 many years ago and regretted it instantly, but can’t justify the expense of getting another. Besides, at 66 sooner or later I’m going to need a smaller, lighter horn.

[2nd tenor]

In general I’m not someone who’s happy to have just one of something but there are times when it’s the best way. YMMV but I have one wife and that’s plenty .

If you adopt the one route then there will be some stuff that you can’t do, but in practise that’s usually not too much loss and quite tolerable. I currently play a Besson Sovereign Eb and it does everything that I need and more, my route is to be content with the much that it can do and to leave other stuff to other people.

When I’m older I’ll likely be weaker too, at some point I’ll revert to a smaller (say 3/4 size) three valve instrument, probably Eb (*) but maybe Bb, and be content with what I can manage. What might I manage? Well, from personal experience, I find that small and simple Tubas can do much - we over complicate things and look for unnecessary perfection - so when it’s appropriate to then I’ll happily downsize and do some of what’s possible with whatever I have.

* I still have a small and low monetary value three valve Eb that I bought many years ago, it has given me many happy hours of use and it is a joy to play. That Tuba is currently stored away, in its case, its gathering dust and taking a little space. Should I sell it - it’s not being used and it likely won’t be used again within the next decade - to free-up a little space and to gain a little money? My conclusion is that if or when I come to need a smaller instrument then finding such a small Tuba will be both difficult and not cheap; so IMHO retaining a loved, low value and stored away spare works for me - I currently have the space and I don’t need the little money that I might get for it.

[donn]

When it comes to tubas, polygamy is a virtue.

[russiantuba]

I’ve always considered myself more of a bass tubist, but since the pandemic, I’ve focused mainly on CC. I try to balance both horns, but the shift to a CC focus with fundamentals came from doing a full season as a symphony sub (though used some F tuba), and new positions where I was teaching more tubas instead of trombones/euphoniums.

My DMA professor was a full time symphony player as well and during two of the years of coursework he used a Piggy CC, plus I studied with you while you had the piggy. I learned how to play with a big sound. You come from a generation who was taught to do everything on one horn, where bass tuba wasn’t a necessity.

Out of all honesty, some of the great American symphony recordings for some of the F tuba parts used a small CC.

What horn do you use for quintet type performances?

[bloke]

With (at least) a few tubas that are each more suited to various types of music, I'm able to fool some people into believing that I'm competent.

What horn do you use for quintet type performances?

Cimbasso (a non-crappy easily-able-to-be-played-in-tune one) might (??) be the best instrument for most brass quintet playing, but - as so few have experienced that - I can't possibly expect very many at all to agree with this...

I "get" the bass trombone thing, but bass trombones are just a little too small (almost "faking" being a bass instrument with not much more than extra tubing), and so many tubas (most?) tend to make a quintet sound somewhat like "four brass and and electric bass" - rather than five equal voices. The cimbasso voice sounds more like a low version of the other voices. ...and yes, the problem is that so many of them are difficult to play in tune (or - simply - difficult to play).

Here's a Renaissance transcription that I performed live with the Mississippi Brass Quintet (Ole Miss) a few years ago...
I was using my F tuba. I practically had to "whisper" to achieve this balance and avoid sounding (what I refer to as) "hooty".
Cimbasso would have been PERFECT, and would have blended better with the trumpets and trombones...

[bone-a-phone]

Ummm. I only have one tuba. But I'm not a real tuba player.

I have I think 11 trombones. I actually play 2/3 of them every week, 4/5 every month... The rest are things I've always wanted or stuff I can't get rid of.

And then a flugabone I play for special occasions, and 2 euphoniums, one of which I play due to peer pressure, and the other I prefer, but don't play due to peer pressure.

Honestly, I play a lot better when I focus on a single instrument. If I focused exclusively on keeping horns for a specific function, I could probably reduce to 3 trombones (double valve bass, medium/large tenor with F attachment, straight small bore bone).

Trombones are a lot less expensive than tubas, easier to justify. Also easier to hide a couple in a closet.

[bloke]

When it gets to be about a week away from having to play an instrument that I don't play particularly often, I only play that instrument.

A week is enough time for me to both reap the benefits of the advantage of having the right instrument for the right music, in addition to being comfortable playing it.

[Mary Ann]

Just be careful what you sell, because you might want it back again some day.

[LeMark]

I’ve always considered myself more of a bass tubist, but since the pandemic, I’ve focused mainly on CC. I try to balance both horns, but the shift to a CC focus with fundamentals came from doing a full season as a symphony sub (though used some F tuba), and new positions where I was teaching more tubas instead of trombones/euphoniums.

My DMA professor was a full time symphony player as well and during two of the years of coursework he used a Piggy CC, plus I studied with you while you had the piggy. I learned how to play with a big sound. You come from a generation who was taught to do everything on one horn, where bass tuba wasn’t a necessity.

Out of all honesty, some of the great American symphony recordings for some of the F tuba parts used a small CC.

What horn do you use for quintet type performances?

I'd like to say that I use Eb for quintets, but there are two problems with that.

1. My Eb reading just isn't strong enough to keep up with difficult music. It's on, but still a little tentative. I didn't get my first E flat until like 10 years ago and really have never played it regularly.

2. I haven't played in a regular quintet since before I got the Eb.

[arpthark]

Just be careful what you sell, because you might want it back again some day.

I never should have sold my piggy

[arpthark]

Just be careful what you sell, because you might want it back again some day.

I never should have sold my piggy

If there's any tuba I kick myself for selling, it's (okay, "one of the good ones") my old ca. 70's Piggy CC. John Cradler's old horn. Fantastic pig.

[eeflattuba]

In my 30 plus years of playing tuba i have used only one instrument.. a besson soverign 981 EE flat tuba.I can function quite nicely on other keys of tubas and currently own a Yamaha Neo BB flat tuba that i rarely play.The besson has been used in brass quintets,10 piece brass ensembles,british brass bands,wind ensembles,and the occasional orchestra gig.Never once have i heard a conductor tell me to bring a bigger tuba.I did encounter one of my section mates in the local concert band telling me to leave my besson at home.He called it a baby tuba.Despite the conductor being happy with my playing i decided to leave the group as a result of my section mates comment.In the hands of someone far better than my self,a compensating ee flat can be a powerful tuba and can cover virtually every kind of rep.In England many professionals use the ee flat as their only tuba.

[the elephant]

Yeah, I consider this all the time, but my job situation won't really allow me to do that. So I plod along through life, dragging a big CC, a medium CC, and a big F along with me.

[bort2.0]

He called it a baby tuba.Despite the conductor being happy with my playing i decided to leave the group as a result of my section mates comment.

You should have told him to go Fork himself and then brought a smaller tuba the next week. What a jerk!