IMPROVED HORN-TUBA CHRISTMAS DUET BOOK

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the elephant
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IMPROVED HORN-TUBA CHRISTMAS DUET BOOK

Post by the elephant »

For decades I have had a few books of duets that I more or less "tailored" to feature my wife's amazing high chops on her horn. When we perform these duets I *only* play F tuba, so that factors into how they were arranged.

Also for decades, I have offered these books to whoever wanted copies, but most people have had little success with them as they are "too hard" (having been tailored specifically to feature the strengths of two specific professional players).

And again, for decades, I have received requests to tone these down a bit and make them more accessible, which would have required me to rearrange them. Some of them would have to be pitched down as much as a fourth, but some would have to be completely reimagined from scratch.

And finally — also for decades — I have been too lazy to do this.

Since my wife retired her super chops have started to atrophy, and her aggressive practice has dwindled to about an hour every other day. Now SHE is asking me to dial these back. "They're too hard or too high for me now."

*sigh*

OKAY! I get it. I'll rewrite the whole, dang book.

DONE.

And yes, to the players who have requested this (for decades) a version for euph and tuba has been done, but will not be available until October or November. It, too, will be free.

Some of these will be too hard for some players. Most will work fine with practice. The margins are set to allow holes to be punched for spiral ("coil") binding by a print shop. I have busted my butt to make these as large and readable as possible. Click the link above. Grab a hornist. Take this book for a spin.

Now shut up and go make some music!

:cheers:
Last edited by the elephant on Thu Aug 15, 2024 5:13 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: IMPROVED HORN-TUBA CHRISTMAS DUET BOOK

Post by arpthark »

I think you deserve some compensation for this. Do you have a PayPal or something where folks can pay if they'd like to?
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bloke (Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:33 am) • the elephant (Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:42 am)
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Re: IMPROVED HORN-TUBA CHRISTMAS DUET BOOK

Post by bloke »

Just in case something isn't yet public domain (I have not looked, and probably wouldn't know), just send dough and call it "services" (or whatever...??) without being more specific.
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Re: IMPROVED HORN-TUBA CHRISTMAS DUET BOOK

Post by jtm »

These look fun. They're also loads better than just playing two parts from the Salvation Army mix-and-match Christmas songs set. I think I still have your paypal around here somewhere....

Now I'm wishing I'd seen the first versions. My daughter hasn't complained about horn range for the Pandemic Duets, but maybe that's because she's been playing mostly high brass lately, which makes the high horn parts easier.

Are the tuba accompaniment intervals in O Holy Night more compressed in this update?
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the elephant (Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:48 am)
John Morris
This practicing trick actually seems to be working!
playing some old German rotary tubas for free
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the elephant
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Re: IMPROVED HORN-TUBA CHRISTMAS DUET BOOK

Post by the elephant »

Just realized the Contents had misprints.

Reuploaded at 11:45 a.m. Central on 14 August (Wednesday). If you downloaded this prior to the listed date/time you might want to do it again and print from this new one. Unless you prefer fishing around books randomly…

:huh:
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Re: IMPROVED HORN-TUBA CHRISTMAS DUET BOOK

Post by the elephant »

jtm wrote: Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:45 am These look fun. They're also loads better than just playing two parts from the Salvation Army mix-and-match Christmas songs set. I think I still have your paypal around here somewhere....

Now I'm wishing I'd seen the first versions. My daughter hasn't complained about horn range for the Pandemic Duets, but maybe that's because she's been playing mostly high brass lately, which makes the high horn parts easier.

Are the tuba accompaniment intervals in O Holy Night more compressed in this update?
I am not sure I understand the question re. "OHN". I did not do anything to the "O Holy Night" arrangement. It *might* be lower, but the accompaniment is not substantively altered. It is very hard as there is no good place to breathe. I included it because *we* play it, but we also can play stuff like that at sight. I could not figure out how to make it more "humane" for the tuba player, so I left it up the the performer to edit as needed. "Shchedryk" (as well as a few others) is like this, too.

The Pandemic Duos were already moved down in range and altered to make them more accessible and with more places to breathe. The originals for that book were quire high and some of them were performed on descant horn by my wife, who needed some material to justify her purchase of one of those little beasties, heh, heh. The book you bought was tamed for normal players. Or at least I think it was. Send me a note about that book if your daughter has any issues with it.

Or just let her type me a PM on your account. I would be very happy to listen to her comments on that book, as well as this one.
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Re: IMPROVED HORN-TUBA CHRISTMAS DUET BOOK

Post by the elephant »

If anyone wants to donate to this ongoing project, my pAy p@l is

waderackley
____________
at
____________
me
____________
dot
____________
com

Please give me feedback if you play these. If you perform some of them please send me a link to a video so that I may enjoy your playing.
Last edited by the elephant on Wed Aug 14, 2024 11:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: IMPROVED HORN-TUBA CHRISTMAS DUET BOOK

Post by the elephant »

bloke wrote: Wed Aug 14, 2024 10:34 am Just in case something isn't yet public domain (I have not looked, and probably wouldn't know), just send dough and call it "services" (or whatever...??) without being more specific.
There are several that are not *ahem* kosher at this time. (Well, 13 out of 43.) Since I did not solicit payment (and this is a microscopic "potential market") I am not going to worry about it. If I receive a C&D letter from on high I will, of course, comply. But to spend thousands of dollars to sue me for making fifty bucks would be beyond ludicrous.
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