Posted by Leland on July 25, 1999 at 01:09:11:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Homemade contrabass marching tuba posted by Joe S. on July 24, 1999 at 21:38:38:
No, not all corps players are "pretty darned excellent". But, they spend hours a day working on the fundamentals of dealing with the instrument -- surprisingly nearly the same stuff that I found at the OU tuba camp. Doing that every day for three+ months straight makes it seem like they're excellent players, which, by August, they hopefully are.
Another key here is about being _section_ players. There are techniques in solo playing that just won't fly in a section, and vice versa -- some section techniques aren't good for soloing (stagger breathing is an obvious example). Instruction gets so specific and intensive because of specialized teaching and the luxury of having all that time to spend. I also know players who are great soloists and have a hell of a time fitting into a section.
PLUS, it helps that all those players actually want to be there, and aren't there just to get out of gym class. Saying that on this BBS is like preaching to the choir, but we all know those players back in school who just don't give a darn about how they sound.
Frustrated by these differences between school & corps bass brass sections, my friends & I actually took a bunch of tubas & sousies outside and ranked them for sound, and two of the top 3 were sousaphones -- a King and an Olds. We had no 20K at the time, but we might have one soon. The overall top ranked instrument, however, was a VMI 3302 -- and that was with the bell pointed directly at the judges. So, we decided that it IS possible to build a great marching tuba; it's up to a manufacturer to get off their rear and do it. I'd love to see something like a PT-7 in a bazooka configuration.
Contra-style tubas haven't been around very long, and the better-sounding big ones only started showing up in the early 80's in corps. We remember how the sousaphone went through different permutations early in its history. It'll be interesting, and maybe even exciting, to see how this instrument will evolve over the next decade or more -- especially with DCI's highly visible and infamous "Bb rule".
The best marching tuba and the best sousaphone are still different animals with different sounds, and it again comes down to personal preference. Both can be good, but they will be different from each other. Corps will favor contras over sousaphones for the same reason that many bands prefer sousies: TRADITION. That's one main reason it took until 1990 for three valves to be allowed in DCI shows. Who can picture sousaphones in the Blue Devils? I sure can't! I also can't imagine a contra dotting the "i" in the Buckeye Marching Band, either.
Of course, it's still easier to march sideways with a contra than a sousie....but it's easier to pivot with a sousie....
Seeya,
Leland