Re: Re: Re: Re: Uses for Eb/F tubas


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Posted by Rick Denney on November 18, 2002 at 12:32:13:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Uses for Eb/F tubas posted by Mark on November 18, 2002 at 11:57:21:

I appreciate the compliment, even though it is completely undeserved, heh, heh.

When I learned F tuba, I considered it a completely different instrument, as different, say, as a tuba and a guitar. I set out to learn it from scratch, the same way I learned BBb. Any time I tried to relate the two (except in a general understanding of what the valves do), I just slowed myself down. It takes a little time, but there's no hurry and it is easier than you think.

Hey, we all do this for the fun of it. Trust me, there's nothing quite so fun as getting a good, rich, contrabass-only-need-apply low F, and there's nothing quite so fun as playing in a quintet with a horn that goes where you point it with clarity and ease. What for me is not fun is trying to play high technical stuff from quintet on the big horn while maintaining something like an appropriate sound and volume. Also not fun is trying to play a low, technical passage using all five valves of an F tuba. I originally bought the F tuba for fun, and it has rewarded me immensely.

I'm not arguing that amateurs should have two instruments, I'm arguing that using one instrument for everything involves some compromise. It was a pedantic point about the meaning of the word, nothing more, and it certainly wasn't intended to belittle those who make those choices.

Rick "in no position to be snobbish about anything" Denney


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