Posted by Randy Mac Iver on February 26, 2001 at 10:55:21:
Maybe Mom droped me on my head one too many times but this whole BbvsCvsEbvsF thing is really driving me nuts. This whole dance of role reversal is not the real issue. To give an example Historically Bb and Eb have been Brass Band horns except in Germany on the 3rd thurday of the Epiphany and you must have a cubic zerconium plated 40lb bronze mouthpiece to pull it off in the traditional sense according to (insert pros name here). Or CC is a much faster responding Horn than any Bb, Or unless you use this Brand X horn with this cetain piece your doing it wrong. In the real world role reversal is common place and barriers of gender stereotypes are dropping like flies at a bug zapper convetion. Granted peoples preference to certain playing characteristics of a specific horn maybe very valid to them and their followers but what really makes a great Tuba a great Tuba? Is it the time of day, the brass alloy, the size, the mouthpiece, the placement of the tuning slides, the length of the mouthpipe, bore or mechanical valve choice. "Pop" there goes the lind on my can of worms cause I'm going fishing! So here goes for anyone interested especially the engineer types and the repair guys who actually may know.........
The Key of horn is irrelevent other than to determine range ie.(Soprano,Alto,Tenor,Bass)so The BbvsCvsEbvsF thing is not!! the issue......
From mouthpiece to Bell flare, what makes a Great Tuba a Great Tuba??? I would really like to get some perspective here. What really is the Big picture on this one? Talk to me...
Randy Mac Iver