Re: String Bass vs. Tuba


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Posted by Frederick J. Young on October 31, 2002 at 11:16:40:

In Reply to: String Bass vs. Tuba posted by Volker on October 31, 2002 at 05:30:47:

One of the reasons is that the spectrum of the string bass contains 20 or 30 times the amount of fundamental and 1st and 2nd harmonic contained in the conventional tuba. In spite of it being a string instrument the sound is much more like the large pipes on the pipe organ. When amplified, it can be loud without sticking out.

I once encountered a tubist who got a very fat old York or Martin BBb, cut it to a CC tuba adding a 5th valve and played it in a dance band. He placed a microphone a few inches past and below the bell. Then he played very softly relying upon the amplifier and speaker system to produce adequate volume. The result sounded almost identical to a string bass. It seems to me he could have had the same result more directly by playing the string bass!

The tuba is not the only bass wind instrument that is a fake bass producing almost no fundamental. It is the same for all of the reeds with the contrabassoon being the worst of the fundamentalless noise makers!


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