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...for a recording bell ANYTHING yesterday.

Our orchestra's brass section got together for the first time since March yesterday. We rehearsed some Gabrieli. There were 8 of us, outside, spaced 10 feet apart. I had my usual horn, which is a wonderful horn for orchestra normally. I have been using it to play etudes and cello suites for the last 6 months. NOT playing orchestra stuff. NOT playing outside. And NOT trying to project my sound over that sort of a distance without the help of walls or a ceiling.

Not unreasonably, the conductor kept asking for more sound, longer notes, sharper attacks. I haven't moved that much air in a LONG time. It was fun but exhausting.

And I couldn't help thinking that an old bell front horn would have been MUCH more useful.

Will the performance be the same way?

And ... you’re saying I shouldn’t sell my old Miraphone?

I played the last in a series of “Don’t forget about the orchestra“/“Please continue to donate to the orchestra“ brass quintet outdoor concerts last night (in targeted patron neighborhoods, at other outdoor venues).
The last one was the only one in an outdoor amphitheater with a roof over us. I suddenly realized how loudly (not “loud” to the far-off patrons, but in “expended energy“) I had played at the other venues.
(it was a bit gratifying to get back more of what I was giving, just FWIW.)

It's really easy for the modern tuba world to poo-poo the idea of bell-front tubas being legitimate instruments with purpose, but they most certainly are the right tool for the job in some cases, and many of them are excellent instruments. Have they simply fallen out of favor/popularity generally, or is because they are seen as inferior and unacceptable by the CC/F ONLY uppity elitist university foo-foo crowd?

We've discussed before about how it's easy to work too hard on a bell-front tuba, especially a big one, as the feedback is going away from us and likely not bouncing off the ceiling to which we are accustomed. The beauty of a bell-front tuba is that you don't have to work so hard because sound isn't being lost straight up into the sky, but the feedback is typically different, and we need to get used to it. It's important to let the horn do the work, and the bell-front tubas will do that work well if you let it.

Doc (thinking this should really be in Monday's Rant)

jtm wrote: ↑Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:37 am Will the performance be the same way?

And ... you’re saying I shouldn’t sell my old Miraphone?

He should BUY your old Miraphone! One bell for outdoors, one bell for indoors, and one body to rule them all!

bloke wrote: ↑Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:49 am I played the last in a series of “Don’t forget about the orchestra“/“Please continue to donate to the orchestra“ brass quintet outdoor concerts last night (in targeted patron neighborhoods, at other outdoor venues).
The last one was the only one in an outdoor amphitheater with a roof over us. I suddenly realized how loudly (not “loud” to the far-off patrons, but in “expended energy“) I had played at the other venues.
(it was a bit gratifying to get back more of what I was giving, just FWIW.)

EDIT
The very first brass quintet thingie...I used that beat-to-crap 3-valve Holton B-flat (as it had just arrived in the mail, 30 minutes before I left for the gig).
I used my F tuba for all the rest.
Of course, neither are bell-forward tubas. My only tuba which features a detachable recording bell is my comp. E-flat, and (as I've admitted on forums more than once) my reading ability (while playing E-flat) is the weakest, in regards to the four common lengths of tubas...

...though that comp E-flat would have done a fine job, otherwise....

Yall were standing?
:sousaphone:

groovlow wrote: ↑Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:06 am Yall were standing?
:sousaphone:

If you're addressing me...(??)
We were furnished (at each venue) with folding chairs. At most of the venues, those chairs sat on turf.
Something that (just now, Joe) you made me realize is that (not being as huge as I once was) my chair did not sink into the turf, at any of those venues.

bloke "My weight - as I am a large-frame person - still begins with a '2'...but a low '2'...but no longer begins with a low '3'."

Hey Joe, I was asking the OP. Eight piece brass, 10 feet apart, outside...Gimme my sousaphone.
Congratulations on getting in shape! I know I've lost some muscle mass in the past 6 months.
I wanna be back to gear haulin' and concert level playing. Real world working hard satisfies me
much more than any exercise routines.
Joe H

Reminds me of an ensemble I performed in during the early-mid 2000's...no joke, a band of nearly 110 musicians! A lot of fun (Conductor was fantastic, and a mentor of mine), but I got tired of hearing "euphonium solo needs to be louder." Sorry, can't compete with that many people in terms of balance. Well, not without playing with a non-desirable tone quality...

I've come across several DETACHABLE BELL FRONT Edgware (UK) Besson 3-valve compensating euphoniums...

...so did they ever make them in the 3+1 compensating configuration?

I have one or two of those bells here...but sacrificed their male collars to solder on to cut-to-fit off-brand euphonium upright bells (to convert those instruments (for their owners) to two-bell euphoniums (choice of recording bell or upright bell).

The reason that I have the bells is because I did "hard" conversions on a couple of euphoniums (soldered complete upright bells into bottom bows - and completely eliminated the detachable feature).

tubanh84 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:00 am ...for a recording bell ANYTHING yesterday.

Our orchestra's brass section got together for the first time since March yesterday. We rehearsed some Gabrieli. There were 8 of us, outside, spaced 10 feet apart. I had my usual horn, which is a wonderful horn for orchestra normally. I have been using it to play etudes and cello suites for the last 6 months. NOT playing orchestra stuff. NOT playing outside. And NOT trying to project my sound over that sort of a distance without the help of walls or a ceiling.

Not unreasonably, the conductor kept asking for more sound, longer notes, sharper attacks. I haven't moved that much air in a LONG time. It was fun but exhausting.

And I couldn't help thinking that an old bell front horn would have been MUCH more useful.

This is why I got my 20J.

I also pulled outa beat up 20j for a recent outdoors concert. I think i did okay with it.