Posted by Steve Inman on February 10, 2002 at 16:22:36:
In Reply to: Re: the key of a tuba posted by Rick Denney on February 10, 2002 at 13:24:12:
And, said yet another way, every time you switch to a tuba in a different key, you must therefore relearn the fingerings for all of the notes! The tuba MUSIC always stays the same (and is written in concert pitch -- sometimes called the "C bass" part, meaning it's written in concert pitch, NOT that it's intended for a CC tuba). BUT, if you've learned to play a BBb tuba, and you switch to a CC tuba, now all of the notes (which have not moved anywhere on the printed page) must be played with the fingerings that would be a whole step lower on the BBb tuba -- every note has a new fingering.
When switching from a tuba in one key to a tube pitched in another, most folks will pick lots of basic etudes, scales, arppegios, etc. and maybe write in the new fingerings for a while, and play them very slowly making a conscious choice of the new fingering. Within a few weeks the mental frustration begins to lessen. Within 2-3 months you're completely comfortable in the new key.
Good luck,
Steve Inman
Kokomo, IN