Posted by Don Shirer on July 26, 2003 at 22:32:16:
In Reply to: What's it mean????? posted by Stupid Tuba Player on July 26, 2003 at 21:42:18:
The Harvard Dictionary of Music credits Odo of Clugny (not Odo of StarTrek) with inventing a system of letter notation, which was extended by Guido 100 years later, and with many modifications is still in use where it is inconvenient to use notes and staves. Unfortunately there are several competing versions of this system, but a common one denotes the octaves going up from middle c as: c, c', c", etc
and those going down from middle c as: c, C, CC, CCC etc.
Tubas are commonly identified by the pitch of the lowest "normal" tone they can produce with all valves unpressed. Thus a CC tuba's base tone (NOT its fundamental-but that's another story) is based on the pitch two octaves below middle c, or two lines below the bass clef. An Eb tuba's base tone is a minor third above that (one line below the bass clef) which happens to lie in the A to G octave so it is noted Eb.
BBb tubas produce a base tone one whole note below CC, and F tubas one whole note above Eb. Take this all with a large dose of salt though, since not everyone agrees on this notation and tubas can produce lower tones than their base tone.
As far as I know, EEb is a marketing ploy of manufacturers trying to imply their tubas are "bigger and better". They should really be called Eb tubas.