The Franco-Flemish band tradition writes for Eb and BBb tubas and for euphonium/bass trombone in transposed bass clef.
On compensating low brasses the 4th valve is not an octave key. It is a fourth valve, as in the interval of a fourth. Like with a compensating horn the 4th valve loop is rerouted through the valves, and compensating loops are added to improve the pitch. The pitches of the two notes right above the open pedal note are sharp on compensating instruments unless one has a main tuning slide trigger like I have had mounted on my YEP-641 comp euphonium or a push rod like on my Marzan comp euph. Hirsbrunner and Miraphone have issued models with triggers on the valve slides. For technical reasons it is very complicated to apply triggers to compensating tubas, so I don’t have triggers on my compers in F, Eb, and BBb. The compensating F tubas are extremely rare and were only made in 1923, 1961 and a some point of time before 2000. My sample is from 1923 and it was one of these Vaughan Williams wrote his concert for. There also are a few 3 valve compensating tubas in CC, but I haven’t come by one yet. Klaus --- On Tue, 5/11/10, Williams, Jim <jwilli...@franklincollege.edu> wrote: > From: Williams, Jim <jwilli...@franklincollege.edu> > Subject: Re: [Finale] Slightly OT: Tuba Transposition > To: "finale@shsu.edu" <finale@shsu.edu> > Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010, 3:38 AM > More tuba trivia: > A four-valve non-compensating tuba is not fully chromatic > in the low > register. > With an Eb tuba, 4 valves, no compensating, low a is 2-4, > ab is 1-4, g > is 2-3-4, gb is 1-3-4 (and sharp), f is 1-2-3-4 and very > sharp and low > e natural doesn't exist. For a BBb tuba with 4 valves, move > everything > down a fourth. > With 4 valves and the automatic compensating system, tubas > are fully > chromatic down to the pedal note and the 4th valve is an > octave key. > So with the compensator, on an Eb tuba, low a natural is > 2-4, ab > is1-4, g is 1-2-4, gb is 2-3-4, f is 1-3-4, and low e > natural is > 1-2-3-4 and still a bit sharp. Again, for BBb tubas with 4 > valves and > compensation, move everything down a fourth. > In British brass bands, all the tubas and euphoniums are > four-valves > with the compensating system. > In your case, it depends upon the band. > The compensating 4-valve tuba in BBb weighs as much as a > Citroen. > I could also say it sounds like one but I won't. > Right now I am going to pick up my compensating four-valve > euphonium > and practice it instead of posting. > > Sent from my iPhone, so please pardon all the typos. > > On May 10, 2010, at 9:20 PM, "John Howell" <john.how...@vt.edu> > wrote: > > > 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. > > _______________________________________________ > > Finale mailing list > > Finale@shsu.edu > > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale > > _______________________________________________ > Finale mailing list > Finale@shsu.edu > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale > _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
