Posted by short answer on December 20, 2002 at 08:41:03:
In Reply to: tuba keys?? posted by noname on December 20, 2002 at 00:26:23:
I'm sure the archives have covered this thoroughly. Since I don't remember the specifics, here's the general-purpose, short answer:
This does indeed have to do with the pitch of the instrument, and one of several naming conventions for varous notes (although it has been proposed that the wrong name has been chosen for the CC tuba, based on the naming convention used). So, either the name of the note that is the fundamental pitch (a.k.a. "pedal tone") of the tuba, or perhaps the name of the note one octave higher than the fundamental pitch has used to name the instrument.
The CC tuba is what the "typical" contrabass tuba pitched in the key of C is called. The letter is also doubled for the contrabass tuba in Bb -- BBb tuba. Since Eb and F tubas are pitched in the next octave higher, where notes are called D,E,F,G, etc. this is why only a single letter is used. With the previously mentioned note naming convention, the next octave lower has notes named DD, EE, FF, etc.
The "C" tuba is a designation typically reserved for a small, French instrument that is about the same size as a modern day euphonium, but with 6 valves frequently, and no longer widely used or available.
HHTTHH,
Steve Inman
Kokomo, IINN