Posted by Rick Denney on August 28, 2001 at 15:30:39:
In Reply to: German F theories posted by Matt G on August 28, 2001 at 13:07:57:
It seems to me a large part of our conception of these F tubas is how we were trained. Most of the fellows in Europe think of the German-style F tuba as a normal tuba, while the contrabass is the specialty instrument. I would expect that it is easier to go from an F tuba that requires coaxing in the low register to a more free-blowing contrabass than the other way around.
Had they spent their entire school career playing only sousaphones and BBb contrabasses, they might have a different view of their F tubas.
This is, of course, the same thing you said.
But it may take a bit more for some players than just a few minutes of tooting around. I had a German-style instrument for over a year before I bought the Yamaha, and the difference was astounding. I was less concerned about the sound and more concerned about reliably getting notes (this is often how we second-rate amateurs must think about things). My older F wasn't a great instrument, but it wasn't bad and represented the breed more or less.
Also, I don't think most commentators have said that the German-style F's are terrible. On the contrary, I think the consensus has been that they require a different approach in the lower register but have a quality of sound not present in horns that don't seem to have those problems. That seems a balanced enough point of view. And when we sit down to compare instruments, we are comparing how they sound and feel for us, not how they sound and feel for the best players in the world.
I have two priorities when I try a tuba: Can I make music on it? And do I enjoy making music on it? Believe me, my skills are so limited that if what I produce is at all musical it must be a horn that really sings. But life is too short to spend all of it fighting a recalcitrant tuba that demands a whole new approach.
I ended up with the Yamaha simply because I could play the stuff on it I wanted to play, with a sense of music, and without having to change my playing concept. Had that happened with a B&S, or a hosephone, I'd have bought that.
Rick "curious if our German friends wonder how we tolerate the quirks of our American-style BAT's just for the sake of some esoteric sound quality" Denney