Posted by Mike Solms on October 02, 2001 at 15:18:10:
In Reply to: Eb tuba for a brass band posted by Mary Ann on October 01, 2001 at 16:10:39:
I have yet to hear a U.S. brass band that really sounded "traditional." This is in no way a slam, just an observation. Groups like the Illinois Brass Band or the Brass Band of Columbus are fine, musical ensembles. They don't sound much like Black Dyke, YBS, or the International Staff Band, though. The top ends of the U.S. bands are filled, by and large, with people who have been trained as symphonic trumpet players. They play with a broader and brighter sound than their U.K. counterparts (I will say here once that all these statements are genreralities, rather than qualifying every time). At the bottom of the band are trombonists who are using larger equipment and a more symphonic concept than U.K. players.
In the U.K. most of the top bands own a set of instruments. Tradition has tended toward a tuba section composed of BBlfat and EEflat Besson compensating horns. Some bands have received government grants that restrict purchases to instruments made in the U.K. German instruments are really expensive in the U.K. as well.
In most of the U.S. bands the players provide their own instruments- you take the player, you take his or her horn with them. Most of these players have other gigs and don't have the luxury picking a horn based solely on how it will fit into the brass band. The top U.S. bands have BBflat sections composed of a hodgepodge of BBflat and CC instrumets. Most of these are larger and can put out more sound than a Besson BBflat.
Playing the Eflat part you have be a bridge between the BBflat basses and the euphoniums. There are a lot of pieces where you will play passages in unison with the euphs and you can't bury them. You also have to be able to hang with the bigger horns in the BBflat section. A lot of music will have the Bflats and one Eflat playing in unison with the other Eflat playing a fifth or an octave higher. The highest note I've ever seen in a brass band Eflat part is a g above the bass staff (concert). These are pretty rare but you will spend a lot of time at the top of the bass staff or just above it. The lowest note I've encountered is a four-ledger-line below the bass staff f. Again, these are not very common. Most of your playing will be from the Bflat at the top of the bass staff to the Bflat two ledger lines beneath it.
All that said, what works? Any decent-sized EEflat, for one. If you are playing with powerful players on BBflat and stong euphers, the Willson Eflat would be a great choice. The Yamaha 321 blends well with the euphs but tends to run out of gas when you get very far below the bass staff. They also have some interesting, albeit largely managable, tuning quirks. Small CC's like Yamaha 621's and Mirafone 184's can work very well. I know a couple of very fine players who have used Piggy's on the Eflat part. This requires a bit of a deft touch but it can be done (this is one place where you'll never miss the fifth valve on a CC). I've known a couple folk who really like the Mirafone EEflat. I know of of a lot more, myself included, who think it's pretty dreadful. Of course any compensating Besson EEflat will always be a tasteful choice for the role. Even small BBflats would not, in my opinion, be a reall good choice. The timbre is not right at the top of the staff and you are playing quite a bit in the eight partial and up, where intonation can be difficult.
Sorry to run on. I hope some of this is useful to you.