At 5:15 PM -0700 5/10/10, Ryan wrote:
When a writing for tuba, the part should be written at sounding (concert)
pitch, correct? If the performer is using an Eb tuba, they don't need a
transposed part, do they?
Here's the situation, a group in France wants some of my band music.
However, they use Eb horns and Eb tubas. No problem to transpose the horn
parts for them, but I thought that Eb Tubists read concert pitch parts and
just learn different fingerings for the notes. Any low notes that are out of
range (Ab and below) are automatically played an octave higher.
Perhaps in France the current practice is different? Would the transposition
be similar to that of the Bari Sax?
It's a community group and I don't think the volunteer person (the
"librarian," I think) I'm dealing with is particularly musically inclined.
Also, I'm sure that some things are getting lost in translation.
Anyone have any idea what they're looking for?
There are questions you need to ask, or else produce alternate parts for.
Orchestral and band tubas in the U.S. all read from bass clef at
concert pitch, yes. British brass band tubas, however, read from
transposed parts in TREBLE CLEF. A French band could need either
kind of part; it isn't possible to guess in advance. And yes, it
would similar to a bari sax transposed part.
As to the low range, it depends entirely on whether the Eb tubas are
3-valve or 4-valve. And you can't guess that without asking, either.
With a 3-valve Eb tuba A natural is the lowest clear note, but notes
below that, down to the pedal Eb, can be forced by an experienced
player--not fun and not a great sound. With a 4-valve Eb that range
is filled in and possible, but it's getting pretty low for an Eb bass
as opposed to a BBb contrabass.
John
--
John R. Howell, Assoc. Prof. of Music
Virginia Tech Department of Music
College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:john.how...@vt.edu)
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
"We never play anything the same way once." Shelly Manne's definition
of jazz musicians.
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