Posted by Rick Denney on February 02, 2003 at 21:08:03:
In Reply to: Re: Flogging a dead horse... posted by The Sock on February 02, 2003 at 19:23:19:
Crisper? Only if the player plays it that way. I've heard lots of players on both BBb and CC instruments that sound just the same. I doubt there is any conductor in the world who can tell a BBb from a CC by hearing alone. In fact, I doubt many tuba players could. My conductor, who is a top professional tuba player, asked me if my York Master was a CC tuba when I attended my first rehearsal (it's not). He obviously could not tell by hearing, and he also could not tell by looking (my music stand hid my fingerings). I would suggest not making this claim unless you have tested it yourself in a blind hearing test. You can't go on feel--they do feel different--because feel and sound aren't the same.
That said, most college professors will steer their students to C instruments, and if you study tuba in college, you are swimming upstream to insist on using a BBb. That has nothing to do with the sound.
But here's a more important truth: If you are the caliber of player who will win one of the coveted and incredibly rare pro gigs playing the tuba, you will be the sort of player who can play any of the instruments without much difficulty. If switching to CC whenever it is convenient poses a technical problem for more than a month or two, then maybe you are like me and most others on this board and don't possess the needed talent. I know an exceptional pro who plays CC and Eb, and claims to know nothing about BBb tubas. But this is the same pro who has been known to rip off Carnival of Venice on a BBb sousaphone. Draw your own conclusions.
If you aren't one of those players, you'll be studying something else in college and you can play whatever instrument makes you happy.
Rick "wondering if a player who believes Miraphones aren't efficient within their effective dynamic range is ready for a PT-6" Denney