Posted by js on June 14, 2003 at 00:00:22:
In Reply to: Re: Re: F Tuba Timbre posted by D.Graves on June 13, 2003 at 22:54:56:
Personally, I utilize an F tuba for clarity and ease.
F tubas with overblown bore sizes (several of these on the market)...or even overblown body sizes (fewer of these on the market)...are not of much use to me - any more than those very old oversize Conn Eb tubas (etc.) are of much use to me...except for dixieland, etc.
Some of the smaller F tubas are a bit too "curious" to allow me to concentrate on "beyond-tuba" goals. I once did play a very tiny Hirsbrunner prototype F (a true prototype that Msr's Hirsbrunner allowed me to play for a few minutes) that I would have strongly considered for use...a very consistent instrument. I don't believe it ever went into production.
Two or three that you mentioned - to me - are about "just right" (ala Baby Bear and his chair, soup, and bed) but they are not all from your "American" nor all from your "German" list.
I never think of any tubas by their "style" when I approach them, and auditors of my playing often remark that I sound about the same on all sorts of different tubas.
I think we - as tuba players - believe that a lot of the stuff that we experience on the physical side of tuba playing is transferred through to our listeners' experiences. I believe that this is barely the case.
As far as, specifically, the "large" MW F tubas, I've spent some time with them. To me, they just seem "out of balance"...extra work for the same results. After all, the bugle of those instruments is about the same size as other brands of so-called "4/4" F tubas. I didn't experience any appreciable low register advantages when playing them. Again, I sounded like "me" when I played them...just more exerted.
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Were these types of comments more along the lines of those you were seeking in your thread, or were you more looking for comments on "why indeed we play F tubas at all, rather than just contrabass tubas (or vice-versa, etc.)" ?