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Here's a textbook example of one of the (likely: VERY MANY) times that I'll be grabbing my newly-frankensized B-flat tuba and bringing it along to various misc. gigs.

A really amazing 6-valve F tuba is (well...) amazing, but employing one when playing something like this (shown below) can begin to confound...

...but (VOILA !!! ) pick up a super-easy-to-play B-flat tuba, and...
(even though the last time I probably picked up a B-flat tuba and READ sheet music was kolij marchin' band charts)

...something such as this that (requires revisiting IF played on F tuba - even if I just played this chart only two or three years ago) appears on a no-rehearsal quintet gig becomes a no-worries B-flat tuba "easy read", that only requires one look-through (either only literally looking, or playing through only once) prior to the gig (rather than semi-confusing 6-valves "choreography")...


B-flat tuba: a maximum of two-button-mashes per note

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo

As you know, there are more than a few great BBb Tubas both past and present models. I have used BBb Tubas for most of my career in the military. Sure, I can play and have played performed on CC, F, EEb. Sometimes, that just makes sense, depending on the repertoire. However, a good BBb tuba can cover a lot of repertoire with relative ease.

I must warn you though, if you show up to a gig(here in the US) with a BBb tuba, you are going to be "one of those guys/gals"

The beauty of that little Holton BBb is that it “presents itself” like a CC based on shape and valve layout.

That being said, at what point do accidentals become so numerous that it may have made more sense to have written the notation in a different key??

Welcome to the club!

Post removed because I said something idiotic

“bloke” wrote:

Its licks like this that have kept me from adopting the E flat tuba as my default quintet horn - you’ve discovered something that I’ve debated for almost 40 years

I can do it, but why bother - especially when I’ve got 18 ft tubas that do stuff like that better, and other things just as well?

I think a great combo for small group playing (quintets and 10 pieces) would be a moderate sized bass tuba, a 4/4 Bb tuba (for jazz charts, low range pieces) and something cylindrical (either a large bass trombone or a cimbasso).
I want to like the 2341's but found the few I've played to be kinda stuffy. A slightly larger bore and perhaps an 18" bell would be interesting. The 56J I played for a while in the Army was only slightly easier to play but had a ton of issues otherwise.


Now I want a horn like that and I've only played in a group once in the last 6 years.

bloke wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:32 pm Bassoon like fingerings