Re: what!? no Ab tuba?


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Posted by Klaus on December 08, 2001 at 22:53:49:

In Reply to: what!? no Ab tuba? posted by Kenneth Sloan on December 08, 2001 at 22:23:53:

Kenneth you are a scholar/scientist by trade. Accustomed to research any viable option within your field. And hardly knowing when to stop, when you are out of your homefield.

There has been Db tubas. The first method book I was handed out from FDF ( a Christian boys organisation in my country) had treble and bass clef sections. Although my valved alto trombone should have lead me exclusively to the treble clef section, my curiosity had me study the bass clef section as well. There were fingering tables for tubas in F, Eb, Db, CC, and BBb (I am not too sure about the CC).

The only Ab brasses, that I have read or heard about are the quite rare Ab horn, which Wagner has been said to have used in the obscure depths of the Bayreuther pit.

Plus the Ab piccolo flugelhorn. I have seen such one on a shelf in a musicstore of my small provincial boyhood town around 1962. And such an instrument actually was in use in one of our all brass military band from around 1945 to around 1970, when its aging player retreated to Eb cornet. Military musicians are not forced to take their pension until the age of 60 over here.

The fourtitude of F, Eb, CC, and BBb tubas does not confuse me, as I have made my personal choices (Eb and BBb). I happily write quite a lot of arrangements, that are very much directed towards the CC.

A lot of people can easily live wit tubas in 4 keys (8 if one counts in euph, French C tuba, Drum corps G baritone and GG contra). But asking for the ninth of tuba pitches might be to push the luck of our community.

Klaus


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