Re: Uses for a small F


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Steve Inman on August 05, 2001 at 16:28:57:

In Reply to: Uses for a small F posted by Scott on August 05, 2001 at 13:02:05:

Right now my small F is occupying a coordinate in the space-time continuum, as I don't know the fingerings! I intend to use the small F to cover euph/2nd 'bone parts in a brass quartet, where the typical voicings do NOT include a tuba, sadly. I've seen:
TptI, TptII, Horn, Trombone;
TptI, TptII, BoneI, BoneII;
TptI, TptII, Bone, Euph; etc.
I have not seen literature in abundance for TptI, TptII/sub Horn, Bone/euph, Tuba, which would be very nice for our quartet. The quartet "Brassworks 4" has some nice quartet literature in print (and CD), and much of the Euph parts were manageable on my Besson 983, but it's sound was broader than I wanted. A smaller mpc recently purchased helps some (two actually, Rudy Meinl 3 [med deep, 31.8mm cup] and the Miraphone Eb/F [shallow 32mm cup]mpc), but I think the small F will work better when blending with 2 trumpets and a bone or euph. I don't think it's the ideal quintet tuba, however. It may work with a little larger mpc but I need to be careful to avoid causing high register intonation problems, I think.

For now, I'm intending to use the F for quartet, and also for quintet whenever this group's music is either a quartet piece, or calls for bass 'bone (ala Die Baenkelsaengerlieder). Soon I'm thinking of selling the Besson 983 and hunting for a 4/4 contrabass for the rest of the quintet literature and any larger groups. With some practice and a larger mpc, the F might be more useful than I'm presently thinking for quintet, but the group seems partial to a BIG bass voice, hence the thought that a 4/4 contrabass horn won't be too big.

If in the future I'm floating in extra money (which won't be for a long time, I suspect), then I might consider adding a large 4/4 F to the collection as a "medium sized" horn, specifically for use as the ideal F tuba for quintet. I'd probably pick the YFB-822 for this purpose, because: 1) I already have the small rotary F, 2) the YFB-822's voice is a little broader, and very good as a "general purpose" horn, 3) it's more affordable than the Willson, 4) it's one of the small number of F tubas with a strong mid/low range [low D down to low BBb], which must be good for quintet playing. If I could handle tubas pitched in three different keys, and had the money, I would instead buy the Willson Eb, which IMO is my choice hands down as THE ideal quintet tuba. [YMMV]

Good luck,

Steve Inman
Kokomo, IN



Follow Ups: