Re: Why not start new players on CC or F ?


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Posted by Gus Pratt on January 12, 2000 at 14:17:24:

In Reply to: Why not start new players on CC or F ? posted by Tom Brekhus on January 10, 2000 at 23:00:13:



I lean more toward keeping the BBb in the schools. Probably less then 10% of the tuba players in high schools go onto play in college bands, even then unless they become a serious student they have no need for the CC or F in my opinion. All the music is pretty much directed toward bands in the key of Bb (usually flat keys). The fingerings of the notes need to be as consistent as possible among students who may not be as talented to keep the notes in tune. Image if you will a piece in the key of Db Major being played on a CC tuba by a mediocre middle school student. All of the sudden you have a group where the bass note of the group is playing a fingering 1-2-3 against the trumpets playing the same note 2nd valve, the baritone playing the fifth of the chord Ab 1st valve and another trumpet playing the third of the chord open. All of the sudden you have everyone but the tuba playing notes that are fairly in tune on their instruments, but against an extremely sharp root to the chord. Doesn't make much of a chord now does it. The CC has scales that are hard to keep in tune when played with instruments pitch in Bb. Most orchestral works are in keys designed for the strings (not as many flats) and a CC works good for that. The CC was designed for the orchestra and not for the band. If what has been said in earlier posts is true (that switching back and forth from BBb to CC isn't that difficult) then certainly a student can wait until college to learn CC.











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