Posted by ken k on March 29, 2002 at 22:37:07:
This questions is not really geared to tubas but instruments in general. Why did the instrument families developed into Bb & Eb instruments (saxes,clarinets, "saxhorns", etc) as opposed to say C and F? It seems it would have been much easier to have C instruments as the soprano (or melodic) voice and then F instruments for the alto and bass voices. At least with a C trumpet, C Sax (like the old C melody saxes) or C clarinet the amatuer or casual user could more easily play their instrument; reading out of a hymnal or piano book, rather than having to transpose everything.
I just was trying (very unsuccessfully I might add) to explaing this to a student earlier today.
I understand why transposing was used. That way once you learned an instrument, be it a saxophone, or clarinet or brass instrument, you could play any of the instruments in that family. My question is why Bb & Eb rather than C & F (like recorder consorts and oboes/english horns)
ken k