Posted by More info on December 14, 2003 at 13:16:47:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Most 'agile'Tuba?? posted by Thanks! on December 13, 2003 at 21:46:39:
My source for all of this is "Grande Méthode pour Basse et Tuba" by Jules Watelle. It's pretty obvious from the exercises that the French C was designed for agility rather than gut-thumping low range. The pedal range was obviously used routinely, and the fingerings go down to Db 5 lines below the bass staff.
The exercises in the book take you from Bb below the bass staff to third-space C in the treble staff. Pretty daunting for a book that starts out with a chapter on "Here's how the valves work". Maybe a good player on an HB-2P or a 184 can do these 32nd note runs going from below the staff to way above it, but I've never seen that kind of stuff printed in any other (normal) tuba method book. Heaven only knows what the little French C can do in the hands of an accomplished musician.