Posted by JS on February 20, 2003 at 23:02:11:
OK. I recently attended another college band concert...perhaps not the best one I've ever heard.
I would like to comment on "macho" tuba playing. Those of you who play in fine community bands, brass bands, or conservatory or near-conservatory level college bands - and do so with taste - need not try to apply these comments to yourselves. Further, though these comments will be quite pointed, no offense is intended. If these comments possibly apply to you, before being offended and flaming back (Do so if you like.), first consider their validity and whether your feelings are due to seeing a bit of yourself in the mirror:
My comment is in regards to those who take "liberties" with their band tuba parts and take them down an octave - for their own amusement, to impress their colleagues/girlfriend, or because it "adds" so much "great stuff" to the texture of the sound. Most of you who do this are butchering your bands' performances.
Occasionally, I've heard Gene Pokorny, Principal Tuba, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, add a "low Eb" here or there.
1/ Most of the contrabass tubas used when the majority of the body of orchestral literature was written were narrow-taper 3-valve instruments. The mechanical possibility of low Eb's was not there, and with narrow body tapers "false tones" weren't very successful at all. Thus, Eb's were simply omitted by composers.
2/ The low Eb's that Mr. Pokorny (rarely) adds are almost always dictated by octave doubling with the bass trombone - simply omitted from a given tuba part due to 1/ above. (Ein Heldenleben, Mahler V, and a few other compositions)
Those who indiscriminately (not only) add low Eb's, but D's, Db's, C's, B's...even as low as "double-low" G's are (again) cluttering up (usually) fine compositions with (usually) out-of-tune, unfocused, and uncalled-for mud . Realize that 99% of band compositions were written for "modern" tubas and written by composers who are quite aware of the potential low range of the tuba. These composers wrote what they intended to write for the tuba. Knowledgable composers set up harmonies and dissonances based on how similar or dissimilar these various resonances are to the overtone series, and dropping the "fundamental" (or other chord tone) an octave simply disrupts and distorts the intended sonorities - (again) in addition to simply (often) adding out-of-tune undiscernable mud.
The too-oft witnessed "re-creational" activity of one or more tuba players assuming the role of "8va Hero" goes hand-in-hand with other predictable amateur concert band on-stage stuff such as the dark-blue-suit/black-bow-tie/black-tennis-shoes-tuxedo-substitute, the plunging-neckline-and/or-bare-back-young-ladies-dress-black-outfits, the quietest-sound-is-mezzo-forte-and-most-stuff-is-overblown dynamics, the fraternizing percussion section, and the figetting-with-sheet-music-during-applause type of stuff. Further, when I hear one or two "8va Heroes" in a college band, I automatically know that anytime the range of the tuba part approaches or moves above the note "D" in the middle of the bass clef staff, that one or more of the players in the section (most likely the "8va Hero" is likely to split those notes.
I encourage you college band "8va Heros" again, THANKFULLY only a few of you in only a few bands to master your written parts and save the rumbling noises for the bus rides back home during your spring break.