Adventures in cross training

[acemorgan]

I work in a high school that has a very small band. With the sole tuba player graduating, I asked the band director if she would like me to cover for the ceremony. I mean, what is Pomp and Circumstance without endless tuba quarter notes? She was grateful for the offer, and is letting me use the school's 5/4 Meinl. It is a school horn, so it is well-(ab)used, but it's still great to play.

Anyway, I have been playing euphonium exclusively for the last two years, so I didn't know what to expect, climbing behind a contrabass again. Within a few minutes, it felt very familiar--with one exception: the upper end felt incredibly easy. Pushing a bit further, I went up to a Bb4. Yes, the one in the middle of the treble staff. When I played BBb tuba in the past, my upper range was nothing special, but neither was my low range; certainly not like my low range on euphonium. Here's the thing: after factoring in the octave difference between the two instruments, my contrabass range is almost a full octave higher than my euphonium range, and my euph range is an octave and a half lower than my tuba range.

So I have heard how this kind of doubling improves range on both instruments, but this just feels weird. Should I start playing Eb tuba? combining my euph low range with my tuba upper . . .(Mostly joking, but maybe I'm not.)

[bloke]

At the other end, I find that a little more resistance - than is offered by some of the big-mouthpipe tubas - helps facilitate the nearly-all-valves-down range, but that a little bit too much resistance hinders that same range… (It’s a balance.)
Additional resistance (again, to a certain point) also can assist a little bit in playing in the crazy-low range (just below the piano range), but (*with rare exceptions) I don’t make any money playing down there, so I’m not too concerned about those pitches.
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*If there is some really slow blues tune (played at a jazz band gig) and the band leader encourages me to play a second solo chorus, I will play down in that range - because it always prompts a bunch of laughs. That having been said, it always works out well, because I am so well warmed up - being that I play a bare minimum of two notes in each-and-every bar of each-and-every piece played.

[2nd tenor]

Playing in the USA has its own traditions and they might well be best served by a BBb. Whilst I’m an EEb Tuba player, and they work well for what is asked of them in a U.K. Brass Band, I wouldn’t push you towards one.

In Brass Bands you are first and foremost a brass player and secondly a specialist. Historically you could be asked (told) to play any instrument in the Band and folk just got on with things. For the player a plus side of that arrangement was cross training, things you did and learnt on one instrument informed your playing of another.

The Euphonium is a Star within a Brass Band (The Principal Euphonium is second only to the Principal Cornet) and only the most capable of musicians will hold that seat. The BBb and EEb are much less regarded but if you were a mediocre Euphonium player then you can be a top rate Bass player, if you have a good range on Euphonium you’ll have a stellar upper range on a BBb - though I suspect that it will rarely be called upon. If you can learn to fill a BBb then you’ll have air to spare on the Euphonium.

Aside from reluctances to play the big instruments good Bass players are actually hard to find. People who understand how the Bass fits in with and supports the rest of the Band are rare. People who have the technique to manage the Tuba well are rare. That’s not to say that I’m within those groups - I don’t believe that I am - but rather that I’m becoming aware that there’s a lot more to Tuba playing than the basics from which many people never move on from.

I suggest that you stick to low brass Bb instruments; when you wish to offer and when you find it helpful to your musical progress then be happy to double. Of course in time you might find that you wish the BBb to be your main instrument and will play the Euphonium when needed. There’s nothing wrong with that, just because a Bass player is rarely asked to play harder music does not mean that they can’t develop and maintain the skills to do so.

As an after though or an aside to share I used to be a Tenor Trombone player, it’s not unusual for Trombone players to have a second instrument/double. Euphonium seems more the typical double for Tenor Trombone players and Eb Bass seems more typical for Bass Trombone players. The jump from a Tenor Trombone mouthpiece (25.4 mm cup) to a Bass Tuba mouthpiece is large; when I switched to Tuba I effectively had to build a second set of chops and started off with a small cup (a Bass Trombone piece with a ‘big’ 28mm cup, IIRC).

Progressing, experimenting and chop building via a few intermediate pieces I settled on and now use a Wick 3 (31.25 mm cup) on EEb Bass, it’s fine for a BBb too but a Wick 2 might be slightly better. I sold some of the intermediate pieces but retained the Wick 5 (30.0 mm cup) and very occasionally use it on my three valve Eb (but not on the four valve Eb). Due to its (noticeably) smaller cup the Wick 5 is a tireless play and my (now sufficient) upper range limit is a note or possible two higher with it, but those gains are at the expense of a little tone quality and weakness in very low note production. For somebody doubling on Trombone I suggest using the 5 rather than the 3, the 3 is harder for the chops to control well and the 5 will give a good enough tone and - should it be needed - it can work well enough with the fourth valve lower range. There are some trade-offs and YMMV.

The rule of thumb I follow is: “play the biggest mouthpiece that you can manage (control, support and sustain) and the smallest that will do the job (well)”. I don’t know whether people who double on different pitch instruments build better chops, but I suspect that they do.

I hope that the above is of help to somebody.