Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Tubas, euphoniums, mouthpieces, and anything music-related.
Forum rules
This section is for posts that are directly related to performance, performers, or equipment. Social issues are allowed, as long as they are directly related to those categories. If you see a post that you cannot respond to with respect and courtesy, we ask that you do not respond at all.
Post Reply
phmurphy1
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2020 8:28 pm
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by phmurphy1 »

Anybody know of any musical theatre books (or anything else for that matter) that calls for one person to double on bass trombone and tuba?


User avatar
tobysima`
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed Aug 19, 2020 8:32 pm
Location: Connecticut
Has thanked: 5 times
Been thanked: 7 times

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by tobysima` »

phmurphy1 wrote: Fri Nov 13, 2020 8:51 pm Anybody know of any musical theatre books (or anything else for that matter) that calls for one person to double on bass trombone and tuba?
I think Les Miserables does. There's a tuba solo within the trombone book, and even though the part goes high, a bass bone would be way better.
Toby Simard
M&M 5V CC Tuba - Bach 18
Mack EU1150S - SM2U
User avatar
bort2.0
Posts: 5214
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:13 am
Location: Minneapolis
Has thanked: 332 times
Been thanked: 981 times

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by bort2.0 »

Chicago, right?
User avatar
ronr
Posts: 203
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 10:13 am
Location: North of Bort2.0, south of MN_Tim
Has thanked: 42 times
Been thanked: 67 times

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by ronr »

bort2.0 wrote: Fri Nov 13, 2020 9:16 pmChicago, right?
Chicago book is string bass and tuba. Most fun I’ve ever had in a pit!
2013 J Packer 379 Bbb
1905 York Helicon
1960 Reynolds Contempora Sousaphone
2022 Wessex fiberglass sousaphone
frailingtuba
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:25 pm
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by frailingtuba »

I played an orchestration of Mary Poppins that had a bass trombone/tuba book. Quick changes between both horns and lots of mute work on bass trombone. Keeps you on your toes pretty much the whole show.

I think there is also a larger setting where the two parts might be separated, not entirely sure.
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 17631
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3447 times
Been thanked: 3746 times

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by bloke »

several...though I can't name them.
The touring versions of the many of the books compact orchestration/instrumentation.

I had to double on tuba and euphonium when playing the touring version of "Ragtime"...which (oddly) was a Broadway musical reverse-engineered from (sure: technically, a novel, but defacto...) a movie.

At one point, I had to play a very loud "crying out" upper G# on the euphonium, slam it on the floor, pick up the tuba, and produce a thunderous low D.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragtime_(musical)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragtime_(film)
hup_d_dup
Posts: 107
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2020 10:28 am
Location: Tewkbury, NJ, USA
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 15 times

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by hup_d_dup »

Lion King

Hup
Yes, I play tuba. What else is there to say?
User avatar
bort2.0
Posts: 5214
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 9:13 am
Location: Minneapolis
Has thanked: 332 times
Been thanked: 981 times

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by bort2.0 »

hup_d_dup wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 7:56 am Lion King

Hup
Ok, when I said "Chicago," I was actually thinking Lion King. Close enough, right? :facepalm2:

Only reason I know this is bc I know the guy who has played Lion King a billion times on bass trombone, who had also shopped around for a while for a pit-sized tuba.
User avatar
Snake Charmer
Posts: 148
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2020 8:49 am
Location: Schifferstadt, Germany
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 67 times

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by Snake Charmer »

Miss Saigon
:tuba: ...with a song in my heart!
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 17631
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3447 times
Been thanked: 3746 times

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by bloke »

When the double is from bass trombone to tuba, I always recommend to bass trombonists (who tell me that they wish to develop tuba as a "double") that they buy compensating E-flat tubas, as comp. E-flat tubas so closely relate to F-attachment trombones.
Druzone
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:53 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by Druzone »

The original Broadway productions of Mary Poppins, Lion King, Mystery of Edwin Drood, Beauty and the Beast and Cyrano (to mention a few) all had Bass Trombone/Tuba Books - I’m sure I’m leaving a few out).

The original Broadway Ragtime Production had a Tuba/Euphonium double. I played it a couple of hundred times. It was challenging - the Euph part was written as a 3rd Horn part, mostly soft and high - and in that pit you were close to the “Conductor” pointing right at him.

Original orchestrations often change for road/rental/revival versions of the same show. I subbed the first Broadway revival of Annie which had the Bass Trombone/Tuba double. (The original Annie on Broadway had a rare, non-double Tuba part -played by the great Tony Price).
User avatar
bloke
Mid South Music
Posts: 17631
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:55 am
Location: western Tennessee - near Memphis
Has thanked: 3447 times
Been thanked: 3746 times

Re: Tuba/bass trombone doubling for shows?

Post by bloke »

Druzone wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:29 am The original Broadway productions of Mary Poppins, Lion King, Mystery of Edwin Drood, Beauty and the Beast and Cyrano (to mention a few) all had Bass Trombone/Tuba Books - I’m sure I’m leaving a few out).

The original Broadway Ragtime Production had a Tuba/Euphonium double. I played it a couple of hundred times. It was challenging - the Euph part was written as a 3rd Horn part, mostly soft and high - and in that pit you were close to the “Conductor” pointing right at him.

Original orchestrations often change for road/rental/revival versions of the same show. I subbed the first Broadway revival of Annie which had the Bass Trombone/Tuba double. (The original Annie on Broadway had a rare, non-double Tuba part -played by the great Tony Price).
As mentioned in a previous post, I did the Ragtime double (road company) as you describe. I also played the tuba-only book a couple of times in EARLY road tours of Annie. The first time, I played it on a 6/4 Holton BB340 (the 3-valve version of the BB345 B♭, which I picked up for $75). It sounded amazing on those "BUMP!....BA-BUMP!" B♭...F-B♭ licks in the overture...particularly in the cavernous 1920's Orpheum-circuit theater, in which the touring Broadway shows were/are performed.
Post Reply