@@harpothekidrs3282 You mean "tiuba?" Because there is no such thing as a soft J. The Y sound isn't at all soft, more gaseous. Also, "fjord" isn't originally English.
To be extra confusing, tenor tuba in some music refers (e.g. some Bruckner Symphonies) to an instrument that isn't in the tuba family but these days is most commonly known as the Wagner Tuba (named after Wagner because he wanted a particular sound and commissioned Adolphe Sax to make it). These are played by Horn (or French Horn) players.
@@sophia1176 When Holst included the euphonium in his Planets suite, he called it "tenor tuba" in the score (and wrote the tenor tuba part in transposing treble clef).
If it's a forward facing bell it's probably a Conn 26J, and if its upward probably a Conn 25J. I have a 25J and love it, takes noticeably more air to sound good though.
@@Symphing12 Looking at Italian wikipedia pages, it seems to me that in Italy a euphonium is known variously as eufonio, tuba tenore, filicorno basso or, indeed euphonium. Confusingly (for Portugese speakers), the Italian word "bombardino" seems to be a synonym for "filicorno tenore" - tenor horn in English. In Italian, "bombardone" seems to be another way of saying "tuba"! One general thing I learnt from studying Italian many years ago - the suffix "-one" means generally "the big version", the suffix "-ino" means generally "the small version".
About the old timey name for the contrabass tuba and its further implications, here in Spain we call the euphonium (or the tenor tuba for that matter) a "bombardino"
@@soso-zz9qf Personally, I think that the F and Eb bass tubas would be more of subbass tubas, and the true bass tubas would be the euphoniums. Personally, I do not know what would truly be a tenor tuba, but it would be the same octave as the trumpet. It’s obvious that the EEb tuba is a subcontrabass, and the BBBb is an octocontrabass tuba. The EEE (natural) subcontrabass tuba would be a suboctocontrabass tuba. I respect your opinion if you think I am being stupid.
For years, I wanted an EEEb tuba, but never had the money to get one made, and never found one for sale. I'm now too old to get one and use it well, so I'll just stick to my Eb and my CC tubas. @@mr.vorrnyvorrn2516
You forgot to mention that the bell detaches on almost all sousaphones, and some concert tubas for ease of travel. Also, in terms of sizing, it goes from 2/4 with the wessex mini to what I've seen as 7/4 being the largest from a few manufacturers. There are also lots of really weird but awesome looking tubas out there, like the one miraphone made which has the bell section wrapped around both shoulders. Tuba has the most diversity of any instrument in my opinion
One I thing that is important to note is when writing out the contrabass tuba pitches to should be BBflat and CC. This is mainly for the BBflat as the euphonium (tenor tuba) is pitched Bflat an octave higher. So having the second B shows it's the contrabass tuba and not the euphonium. Great Video as always!
Every day's a school day! Having been in the UK brassbanding world for 25 years, I've learned some new things about the tumblers that sit behind me in rehearsal. Thanks for the vid
But the picture he showed was of convertable concert tubas. They are like contras, but the valves are played different because it is essentially a concert tuba with a rerouted lead pipe.
There are 2 variations of the over shoulder tubas, convertables and contras. The contras are contrabass bugles while convertables are concert tubas with conversion kits.
I'd suggest a video about the differences between a BB flat tuba and a CC tuba since there seems to be a lot of controversy about their uses at times. Cheers!
@@nikozollner7604 BBb. There are many different keys of tubas, but the most common are in BBb. They are an octave below the euphonium, which is in Bb. That's the reason for the extra B.
@@nikozollner7604 In UK brass bands a Bb bass is smaller than a Bbb bass - and a lot lighter to cart around. It just doesn't have the massive resonance that a Bbb can provide.
Awesome vid! You should do one of these for each member of the brass family (euph, trombone, trumpet, french horn, etc) please. They would be really good educational tools and just interesting in general. Thanks!
I play the tuba so I already knew all this but I just wanted to see you could get all the nook and crannies like the contra and the subcontrabass. Btw I tried out for DCI this past winter (Spirit of Atlanta) and they use Adams instruments and their contras are quite possibly the one of the best instruments I've ever played.
Great video. I have a Olympic baritone like the one hanging over your left shoulder. I'm a trombone player mostly but sometimes I cover odd parts with the baritone. Love playing Tuba Christmas. Great fun!!
The slang name for the DCI American tubas you hold up is also called a "shoulder buster" Edit: at least that's what we call it where I'm from (Columbus Ohio)
I mastered on four-valve Euphonium and then Contrabass Tuba -- those marching tubas, frankly, are impossible to make sound better than glorified sewer pipes. And the adjustable lead pipes were always flopping around after a bit of wear. No go. Sousaphone or Helicon, only!
You should probably add that in Europe and Russia, BBb tubas are a lot more popular in orchestras rather than in America, where CC tubas are often more preferred. Besides the key, the CC and BBb tubas are also very different instruments. CC tubas are usually built with a more cylindrical bore and BBb tubas have a conical bore. The difference is small, but it means that the CC doesn’t give so much of an organ-like tone of a BBb, but it gives a lot of power.
Thanks, Isaac. Unfortunately I've never played a CC tuba, so my own personal observations are rather limited. Perhaps if I ever do a more in-depth followup video I will include more information :)
This is not true. There is no practical difference between BBb and CC tuba. The difference is in the make and style (American vs Britsh vs German). The key of the tuba denotes nothing about its make or style.
At least with some companies, they design their tubas this way. Many German Miraphone BBb’s have a more conical bore than my Eastman CC tuba. That’s not to say the bore on my tuba isn’t conical, but the bore stays more consistent until the bell section compared to German style tubas. I guess a better way to put this is that *German* tubas are more conical rather than *American* ones.
@@isaac_tuba Look at the Miraphone 186 CC vs BBb. They are essentially the same horn but with slight adjustments to the taper to remove about 2 feet of tubing. They have extremely similar bore profiles except one is compressed in length slightly. There definitely is no major difference aside from length. As stated above, it is a difference in style of horn, with american profiles having less influence on the mordern CC tuba market and the german style being prominent in both the BBb and CC markets.
I've certainly never played a CC tuba, but from what I hear they are markedly more agile, especially in sharp keys, than their BBb counterparts. Each has is merits depending on the music. Personally I like the depth of sound that a BBb has but it's such a messy instrument to play accurately.
Would be nice to hear about the Wagner Tuba, if you can find a suitable chinese model, loan or restoration project. Also might be nice to hear about the influence of Adolphe Sax (of both Wagner Tuba and Saxhorn Fame, and apparenlty might have done some minor work in reed instruments) on brass.
@@TrentHamilton I only know the Wagner Tuba from the French Horn and orchestra end. I don't really know much about the Baritone horn, except length, that it has a massive (ie. Not French horn sized) mouthpiece and your own demonstration vs. The Euphonium. The Bb and F Wagner are often one and the same instrument, the same as the French horn, but also the same as a four valve baritone in length. The bore of the Wagner Tuba must start narrower than a baritone, due to the mouth piece, but I don't know how much that would affect the sound. I know a wagner tuba sounds somewhere between french horn and trombone in orchestras, but I've never heard it directly compared to a baritone to actually know if it sounds similar when playing similar material. Essentially I have some idea of the technical differences, but less idea of the actual sound difference.
@@TrentHamilton p.s. I appreciate all you've revealled about brass band instruments, and that won't change whether or not you're ever able to compare such an esoteric instrument to them. Thanks for the videos.
Bombardon was still used in Flanders (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) about 20years ago, when it started out in a Fanfare. The term is lesser used nowadays..
Hey Trent! I know of some Chinese made “Superbones”. There’s a brand called Levante, which isn’t utter crap like Mendini. These are kind of weird because they are slide trombones with a normal valve section that you would find on a valve trombone. Thank you!
Can you possibly make a video like this for trumpet, trombone, or other brass instruments? This was so informational and a well rounded look at the tuba!
That is so interesting .. I actually never knew that the standard Bb Tubas were technically classified as contrabass tubas... I suppose this is why most serious orchestras and symphonies usually end up suing Eb and F Tubas. Either way, I still love my Bb Tuba, and I know there is probably some opportunities for me out there playing in that key.
Yeah that statement about the nimbleness of the Eb tuba stands true for the F tuba, it's my primary instrument and I can guarantee that it's more agile than a Eb tuba e way more than a Bb tuba. I would say that the F tuba stands on the border between tubas and euphoniums
talking about tuba...I have a question that maybe you could have any info...I have a trumpet Willson, small and good european company especialized in tubas and big brass stuff. My trumpet, very good sounding, have serial number 509. I asked to the Company about "born" year...but no answer...Do you habe any idea about that?
I have other questions. What are BBb and BBBb Tubas and how do they differ from each other, including Bb Tubas? If we call tenor trombones trombones, shouldn't we call euphoniums tubas then? Why did we do what is seen today, call Tenor tubas euphoniums and call contrabass tubas regular Tubas? Just like the Euphonium and baritone, and trumpet and cornet deals, are there 2 "kinds" of Tubas? One that is cylindrical in tubing througout and one that gets wider in diameter and conical as the tubing ends? Why does it feel easier to play my high notes and harder to play my low notes on tuba, and as I get to higher octave instruments, it changes around? What is a saxhorn exactly? How would you say tuba in latin if Tuba is Latin for trumpet? If both trumpets and tubas are in Bb flat, why do trumpets read their Bb flat as C? And please dont just tell me because its treble clef, tell me more than that. Are these too many questions? Im just curios about them. I may come up with even more. Sorry.
Im thinking about buying a Sousaphone and am wondering about the whole "brass vs Glass-fiber" -deal. Have anyone heard about the differences in sound quality? Like is the glass-fibre okay? Because the weight and price for a glass-fibre seems good. I´m far an away from great so a "simply good" sound would be okay for me. Does anyone here have any experience with the difference?
B O I fiberglass won’t provide the same dark sound that a traditional metal instrument would plus I’ve heard that they can crack and can be damaged unlike brass which may dent but you can fix
Ive used both. If you were thinking about trying to blast much easier but sacrificing the tone in regular playing, get the fiberglass. Metal sousas are better in the way that they sound much better and i personally use it for concert use because of my school's limited supply of concert tubas but i much prefer it compared to the fiberglass. Now, you could get a fiberglass body but a metal bell, but i have no experience in that sound quality.
And yes, fiberglass sousas crack easily. I also have an issue where one of mine is airy and that may be due to the fact that it is not as durable as the metal sousas. But, the main reason that people would choose fiberglass overall (in my experience) is to be able to blast very loudly. This is typical of show-style marching bands in the US such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities. They tend to play songs in the stands that have the sousas blasting out the bassline or soli
My dad was an Army bandsman in World War I - he played a flugelhorn, but he always expressed admiration for the way that a “B bass” sounded. He’s been dead for 40 years now so I can’t ask him what he meant by B Bass. It seems to me he was saying that he preferred them to BB basses, but of course I never asked. After watching a bunch of your videos I’m coming to think that he was referring to a Wagner horn or a Euphonium. I can say that he was a serious bandsman in Indiana, USA, before the Army and was in Kiefer’s Boys Band, etc., and after the war worked himself through Columbia University as a union trumpet player so he had plenty of exposure both in the US and in France and Germany. I’m thinking he might have been referring to an instrument in a German military band. Any thoughts?
I have a euphonium and a BBb tuba. I find the BBb tuba pretty hard to play, and I have been thinking of getting a four valve euphonium or an Eb tuba. Eb tubas are pretty rare in the States, but sometimes are quite cheap, whereas 4 valve euphoniums are usually pretty expensive, and compensating euphoniums are REALLY expensive. Do you have any opinion on the relative usefulness and playability of the two? LOve your videos!
Trent, can you explain why tubas (and other brass) are made in different keys? I think you said it changes the pitch, but then it must change the fingering. How do you play all the instruments if the fingering is different?
In any non-transposing clef then yes, the player has to memorise different fingerings for different pitched instruments. The bigger the instrument, the bigger the foundation it makes, but is usually offset by being less nimble and agile. An F tuba is a very versatile instrument and has a range plenty big enough for all normal contexts, but is a far smaller instrument than a C or Bb tuba, and so if you're wanting a large, solid foundation for a big orchestra or band then you're going to want a bigger tuba.
I already play the drums, violin, and upright bass for my school, but I always wanted to learn a Brass Instrument. Is their any “easy” brass instruments that i can learn, along with my instruments.
"Easy" is very subjective, of course, but the euphonium wouldn't be a bad choice. It splits the difference in terms of instrument/mouthpiece size (not too big, not too small) and required air support (not too much), so starting there and scaling up/down might be easier than starting at one end of the spectrum. And although the trombone is in the same octave as the euphonium and uses the same mouthpieces, the trombone's slide has its own unique set of nuances and idiosyncrasies to learn. The euphonium's valves, on the other hand, work basically identically to other Bb brass instruments (i.e. trumpet, French horn Bb side, Bb/BBb tuba) so those skills are more transferable if that's your goal.
I also left a comment on the G/D baritone bugle but since this is newer I figured it might be worth reaching out here- what is your experience playing the baritone bugle like? I'm looking at possibly the same model but modified to have 2 valves. I'm told those kinds of horns have a stuffy bass trumpet feel so I'm wondering if you would agree with that.
Hi, I'm not familiar with the two valve model, but my experience with the G/D baritone bugle was adequate. There's nothing wonderful or exciting about the instrument to my mind. Perhaps with the right mouthpiece it might be made better. I've since sold it.
What is it that I see on some tuba youtubes -- during play sometimes the performer is I assume adjusting tuning with a slide? Seems obvious that this slide is not on all models.
That would probably be the first valve slide. To compensate for certain valve combinations that are somewhat "out of tune" a player can adjust the pitch by pulling the first slide. This is not common among amateurs but more professional players will certainly do it in order to play in tune with other instruments.
The first four as as normal, the fifth will lower the pitch by a flat whole tone (a whole tone that’s in tune when you have the fourth valve pushed down) and the sixth will probably be a flat half step (a half step that’s in tune when the fourth valve is pushed down)
It depends where you want the sound to be projected. In outdoor venues the top facing bell (also known as a rain-catcher) may result in the sound getting lost instead of being projected towards the listener... Although it depends where your listeners are.
Ok, so I've been wondering about this for a while. As a composer, when writing for tuba (I always write tuba in concert pitch) when one plays a Eb, F, or Bb tuba do they transpose what they see on the page, or is the music transposed into the key that the horn is in?
If you write in bass clef you write the pitch you want to hear and the player works out the correct fingering. If you write for brass band in transposing treble clef then the composer does the transposition.
90% of the time it is written in concert pitch. When you write for brass bands in treble clef transpose it the same you would for an Eb bari, or Bb tenor saxophone.
My band director has changed me to play a bass trombone. I was wondering if you have any tips or tricks to be better at the bass trombone? Or just playing low notes in general.
Buzz with just a mouthpiece. The lower you can buzz, the lower you'll be able to play. It's about training your lips to vibrate loosely enough to produce the required frequencies.
I skimmed through the 200+ comments and don't think anyone asked these questions. 1. Is there a difference in orchestral tubas/basses and band, both British brass band and American concert band, tubas/basses? 2. What about the direction of the bell of the basses in playing comfort - to the left, to the right, or straight up? I've seen all three. Thanks.
In British brass bands, tubas (which are invariably called basses) only come in two keys - Eb and Bb. My understanding is that British orchestras (which invariably call them tubas) use them in C or F - but I've never played in an orchestra, so that's only hearsay.
Open up your embouchure. Try to remain a little more flexible than you would for a trombone. But don’t get too loose when going low, as that will ruin the sound. And don’t worry about playing very high for the first 6 months or so. That will come naturally the more you practice slurs and long-tones. Also, do NOT underestimate how much air a tuba requires to produce beautiful tone. The better you get, the less air you will need, but practicing with LOTS of air is very beneficial for your sound. Hope this helps. :) happy playing!
@@AeroCraftAviation Air , Flexibility, Air, Long-tones, Air, Slurs, Air and Air. The more control and expanse of air that you can utilize the better you will sound.
@@NeilABliss Precisely. Air is the key. A big, full sound promotes easy agility, more security in all registers, and more musical confidence. BTW you can find some of my recordings under Elihu S Conant-Haque on Spotify.
One of my favorite brands is Wessex! Give them a try when you can. In addition to that many people consider the ophecliede as a part of the tuba family. Could you do a video on that, despite it not being a very relevant instrument at all
Never heard of this fabled 'Chuba', sounds like a great instrument though.
The Chuba is an irrelevent cousin of the tuba
I know it's a joke, but it's his accent.
@@xHadesStamps I know, I pronounce it the same way.
I think it's more of a "tjuba" with the "j" being soft like in Fjord.
@@harpothekidrs3282 You mean "tiuba?" Because there is no such thing as a soft J. The Y sound isn't at all soft, more gaseous. Also, "fjord" isn't originally English.
Cool. I had not thought about a tenor tuba and euphonium being synonymous.
It makes sense though
Never heard a euphonium called a tenor tuba
To be extra confusing, tenor tuba in some music refers (e.g. some Bruckner Symphonies) to an instrument that isn't in the tuba family but these days is most commonly known as the Wagner Tuba (named after Wagner because he wanted a particular sound and commissioned Adolphe Sax to make it). These are played by Horn (or French Horn) players.
When I played euph, I always described it as a small tuba, so I was pleasantly surprised to hear this.
@@sophia1176 When Holst included the euphonium in his Planets suite, he called it "tenor tuba" in the score (and wrote the tenor tuba part in transposing treble clef).
I started out being a trumpet but im Switching to tuba
Wish me luck
Yes
Opposite here
Good luck
How’s it gone?
Same here
I found what I believe to be a 6/4 size Tuba from the 1920s in my school’s jazz room. My band director let me play it, and it was SUCH A JOY to use
What make and model?
Conn. I can take a look at it later.
@@Jurgensen1 Very nice.
I couldn’t find the model on it, but I’m pretty sure I found it in a time before, 26M I think?
If it's a forward facing bell it's probably a Conn 26J, and if its upward probably a Conn 25J. I have a 25J and love it, takes noticeably more air to sound good though.
In Portugal we call euphonium "bombardino"
In Brazil we call euphonium "bombardino" too
I think it's called bombardone in Italian
@@Symphing12 Looking at Italian wikipedia pages, it seems to me that in Italy a euphonium is known variously as eufonio, tuba tenore, filicorno basso or, indeed euphonium. Confusingly (for Portugese speakers), the Italian word "bombardino" seems to be a synonym for "filicorno tenore" - tenor horn in English. In Italian, "bombardone" seems to be another way of saying "tuba"!
One general thing I learnt from studying Italian many years ago - the suffix "-one" means generally "the big version", the suffix "-ino" means generally "the small version".
@@martinrodzzz5329 I think I meant "tuba" when I wrote this. I myself play violone, which is a big viola da gamba.
About the old timey name for the contrabass tuba and its further implications, here in Spain we call the euphonium (or the tenor tuba for that matter) a "bombardino"
So in Italy too... obviously ("bombardino" is an Italian word).
Contrabass Tuba is a Bb and CC tuba. A Bass Tuba is EEb and F Tuba. A tenor tuba is a euphonium.
Is from the word Bombardon, Bombardino is a diminutive
@@soso-zz9qf Personally, I think that the F and Eb bass tubas would be more of subbass tubas, and the true bass tubas would be the euphoniums. Personally, I do not know what would truly be a tenor tuba, but it would be the same octave as the trumpet. It’s obvious that the EEb tuba is a subcontrabass, and the BBBb is an octocontrabass tuba. The EEE (natural) subcontrabass tuba would be a suboctocontrabass tuba. I respect your opinion if you think I am being stupid.
For years, I wanted an EEEb tuba, but never had the money to get one made, and never found one for sale. I'm now too old to get one and use it well, so I'll just stick to my Eb and my CC tubas.
@@mr.vorrnyvorrn2516
Tuba is the instrument us epic gamers choose
Shud
Dont you mean trumpet?
Mech-X-Xavious No, I mean tuba
@@mech-x-xavious no
Agreed
You forgot to mention that the bell detaches on almost all sousaphones, and some concert tubas for ease of travel. Also, in terms of sizing, it goes from 2/4 with the wessex mini to what I've seen as 7/4 being the largest from a few manufacturers. There are also lots of really weird but awesome looking tubas out there, like the one miraphone made which has the bell section wrapped around both shoulders. Tuba has the most diversity of any instrument in my opinion
One I thing that is important to note is when writing out the contrabass tuba pitches to should be BBflat and CC. This is mainly for the BBflat as the euphonium (tenor tuba) is pitched Bflat an octave higher. So having the second B shows it's the contrabass tuba and not the euphonium. Great Video as always!
Awesome video! Love your work and, obviously, I'm a tuba player!
TUBAAAAAA!!!!!!!!1
I'm a tuba player in my 8th grade band
i play tuba also
@@josefstaliin9479 Me too but...I really wish to be a trumpet player again. It is so much easier to deal with it. Except their high notes.
I love tuba!!!!!
Every day's a school day! Having been in the UK brassbanding world for 25 years, I've learned some new things about the tumblers that sit behind me in rehearsal. Thanks for the vid
Thought it was cool how he mentioned the contra
But the picture he showed was of convertable concert tubas. They are like contras, but the valves are played different because it is essentially a concert tuba with a rerouted lead pipe.
@@bazingabot2311 no. that was a Yamaha Contra
tuba gang
There are 2 variations of the over shoulder tubas, convertables and contras. The contras are contrabass bugles while convertables are concert tubas with conversion kits.
Not any more....yo can still get a true G contra, but it's a special buy. The VAST majority of marching tubas are purpose built and not conversions.
I'd suggest a video about the differences between a BB flat tuba and a CC tuba since there seems to be a lot of controversy about their uses at times. Cheers!
Yes!
Is it BB or BBb
Or are they two seperate things
@@nikozollner7604 BBb. There are many different keys of tubas, but the most common are in BBb. They are an octave below the euphonium, which is in Bb. That's the reason for the extra B.
@@majcrash that and its an old naming scheme for tunings
@@nikozollner7604 In UK brass bands a Bb bass is smaller than a Bbb bass - and a lot lighter to cart around. It just doesn't have the massive resonance that a Bbb can provide.
Thanks for the accurate mention of the marching tuba/contrabass.
At my [American] school, we have a sousaphone for marching season and an upright, piston-valve tubas.
0:00 has the best intros 😫😩
2:06 In spanish euphonium is "bombardino", I always wandered where did it come from, now I know
In Spanish speaking countries we use bombardino or bombardón as a name for saxhorn or for the euphonium
Awesome vid! You should do one of these for each member of the brass family (euph, trombone, trumpet, french horn, etc) please. They would be really good educational tools and just interesting in general. Thanks!
I play the tuba so I already knew all this but I just wanted to see you could get all the nook and crannies like the contra and the subcontrabass. Btw I tried out for DCI this past winter (Spirit of Atlanta) and they use Adams instruments and their contras are quite possibly the one of the best instruments I've ever played.
Great video. I have a Olympic baritone like the one hanging over your left shoulder. I'm a trombone player mostly but sometimes I cover odd parts with the baritone. Love playing Tuba Christmas. Great fun!!
youtube genuinely thinks you're saying tuber, look at the captions. I love it
A 6 minute video about why the tuba is freakin amazing
My favorite youtuber on my favorite instrument? Maybe today isnt so bad.
THANK YOU! After how many years you finally made this video!
The slang name for the DCI American tubas you hold up is also called a "shoulder buster"
Edit: at least that's what we call it where I'm from (Columbus Ohio)
you're from Ohio?
3:00 well he did a video of a compensating french horn with rotary valves
Wasn't expecting much to be honest. But after watching it I have to say that this is a good, informative Video about the tuba.
I mastered on four-valve Euphonium and then Contrabass Tuba -- those marching tubas, frankly, are impossible to make sound better than glorified sewer pipes. And the adjustable lead pipes were always flopping around after a bit of wear. No go. Sousaphone or Helicon, only!
Can you review the Bb jinbao tuba?
I bet if you send him one he will!!
“If you send him a tuba”
You should probably add that in Europe and Russia, BBb tubas are a lot more popular in orchestras rather than in America, where CC tubas are often more preferred.
Besides the key, the CC and BBb tubas are also very different instruments. CC tubas are usually built with a more cylindrical bore and BBb tubas have a conical bore. The difference is small, but it means that the CC doesn’t give so much of an organ-like tone of a BBb, but it gives a lot of power.
Thanks, Isaac. Unfortunately I've never played a CC tuba, so my own personal observations are rather limited. Perhaps if I ever do a more in-depth followup video I will include more information :)
This is not true. There is no practical difference between BBb and CC tuba. The difference is in the make and style (American vs Britsh vs German). The key of the tuba denotes nothing about its make or style.
At least with some companies, they design their tubas this way. Many German Miraphone BBb’s have a more conical bore than my Eastman CC tuba. That’s not to say the bore on my tuba isn’t conical, but the bore stays more consistent until the bell section compared to German style tubas.
I guess a better way to put this is that *German* tubas are more conical rather than *American* ones.
@@isaac_tuba Look at the Miraphone 186 CC vs BBb. They are essentially the same horn but with slight adjustments to the taper to remove about 2 feet of tubing. They have extremely similar bore profiles except one is compressed in length slightly. There definitely is no major difference aside from length. As stated above, it is a difference in style of horn, with american profiles having less influence on the mordern CC tuba market and the german style being prominent in both the BBb and CC markets.
I've certainly never played a CC tuba, but from what I hear they are markedly more agile, especially in sharp keys, than their BBb counterparts. Each has is merits depending on the music. Personally I like the depth of sound that a BBb has but it's such a messy instrument to play accurately.
Would be nice to hear about the Wagner Tuba, if you can find a suitable chinese model, loan or restoration project. Also might be nice to hear about the influence of Adolphe Sax (of both Wagner Tuba and Saxhorn Fame, and apparenlty might have done some minor work in reed instruments) on brass.
The Wagner tuba appears to me to be just a baritone with the valves actuated by the left hand. Although there are 'bass Wagner tubas' in F...
@@TrentHamilton I only know the Wagner Tuba from the French Horn and orchestra end. I don't really know much about the Baritone horn, except length, that it has a massive (ie. Not French horn sized) mouthpiece and your own demonstration vs. The Euphonium. The Bb and F Wagner are often one and the same instrument, the same as the French horn, but also the same as a four valve baritone in length. The bore of the Wagner Tuba must start narrower than a baritone, due to the mouth piece, but I don't know how much that would affect the sound. I know a wagner tuba sounds somewhere between french horn and trombone in orchestras, but I've never heard it directly compared to a baritone to actually know if it sounds similar when playing similar material. Essentially I have some idea of the technical differences, but less idea of the actual sound difference.
@@TrentHamilton p.s. I appreciate all you've revealled about brass band instruments, and that won't change whether or not you're ever able to compare such an esoteric instrument to them. Thanks for the videos.
Got my yamaha neo bbb tuba today ;)
In my high school band my friend (the tuba section leader) calls them "bazooka tubas"
I was just going to add that I play in a drum corp that still uses G bugles. I play contra with them and it is a blast!
Bombardon was still used in Flanders (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) about 20years ago, when it started out in a Fanfare. The term is lesser used nowadays..
TRENT. LOVE YOUR INFOBLOGS. VERY WELL DONE.
Hey Trent! I know of some Chinese made “Superbones”. There’s a brand called Levante, which isn’t utter crap like Mendini. These are kind of weird because they are slide trombones with a normal valve section that you would find on a valve trombone. Thank you!
I have always known and played them as Basses either as Eb/EEb or Bb/BBb and tubes as something that toothpaste comes in!
Can you possibly make a video like this for trumpet, trombone, or other brass instruments? This was so informational and a well rounded look at the tuba!
I just saw an austrian tuba player, that played a f-tuba with 8 valves.
Can you play duets by yourself?
I hope you have one or two triggers as well?
That is so interesting .. I actually never knew that the standard Bb Tubas were technically classified as contrabass tubas... I suppose this is why most serious orchestras and symphonies usually end up suing Eb and F Tubas. Either way, I still love my Bb Tuba, and I know there is probably some opportunities for me out there playing in that key.
If a 3/4 size tuba is easier to manage, what is the advantage to a 5/4 or 6/4 tuba which requires more air, just out of curiosity?
Breadth of sound, fullness of tone
Yeah that statement about the nimbleness of the Eb tuba stands true for the F tuba, it's my primary instrument and I can guarantee that it's more agile than a Eb tuba e way more than a Bb tuba. I would say that the F tuba stands on the border between tubas and euphoniums
Multi instrumentalist here. I mostly play saxophone, but my band director needs me to play tuba, so I’m learning more about it
talking about tuba...I have a question that maybe you could have any info...I have a trumpet Willson, small and good european company especialized in tubas and big brass stuff. My trumpet, very good sounding, have serial number 509. I asked to the Company about "born" year...but no answer...Do you habe any idea about that?
Great info! Thank you for sharing. I’ll have to get some of my students to check the video out.
My dad plays Eb tuba for the Salvation Army Birmingham Citadel senior band
Hibike Euphonium/Sound Euphonium series features a bit of tuba.
Well done sir! Thank you!
I have other questions.
What are BBb and BBBb Tubas and how do they differ from each other, including Bb Tubas?
If we call tenor trombones trombones, shouldn't we call euphoniums tubas then? Why did we do what is seen today, call Tenor tubas euphoniums and call contrabass tubas regular Tubas?
Just like the Euphonium and baritone, and trumpet and cornet deals, are there 2 "kinds" of Tubas? One that is cylindrical in tubing througout and one that gets wider in diameter and conical as the tubing ends?
Why does it feel easier to play my high notes and harder to play my low notes on tuba, and as I get to higher octave instruments, it changes around?
What is a saxhorn exactly?
How would you say tuba in latin if Tuba is Latin for trumpet?
If both trumpets and tubas are in Bb flat, why do trumpets read their Bb flat as C? And please dont just tell me because its treble clef, tell me more than that.
Are these too many questions? Im just curios about them. I may come up with even more. Sorry.
Mech-X-Xavious BBb is just a Bb tuna but BBb would be even an octave lower and are really big
A BBBb tuba is an octave lower than a BBb tuba which is an octive lower than a Bb tuba (though most would call that a Euphonium or tenor tuba)
Im thinking about buying a Sousaphone and am wondering about the whole "brass vs Glass-fiber" -deal. Have anyone heard about the differences in sound quality? Like is the glass-fibre okay? Because the weight and price for a glass-fibre seems good. I´m far an away from great so a "simply good" sound would be okay for me. Does anyone here have any experience with the difference?
B O I fiberglass won’t provide the same dark sound that a traditional metal instrument would plus I’ve heard that they can crack and can be damaged unlike brass which may dent but you can fix
The fiberglass option is usually a bit cheaper but the sound isnt as rich and fulfilling as a brass sousaphone.
I've used both brass and fiberglass and if your going to be dedicated to it then get the brass you'll enjoy It much more
Ive used both. If you were thinking about trying to blast much easier but sacrificing the tone in regular playing, get the fiberglass. Metal sousas are better in the way that they sound much better and i personally use it for concert use because of my school's limited supply of concert tubas but i much prefer it compared to the fiberglass. Now, you could get a fiberglass body but a metal bell, but i have no experience in that sound quality.
And yes, fiberglass sousas crack easily. I also have an issue where one of mine is airy and that may be due to the fact that it is not as durable as the metal sousas. But, the main reason that people would choose fiberglass overall (in my experience) is to be able to blast very loudly. This is typical of show-style marching bands in the US such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities. They tend to play songs in the stands that have the sousas blasting out the bassline or soli
Thank you for making this video! I have been a tuba player for 2 years (Bb). Also, I’m still a student lol
My dad was an Army bandsman in World War I - he played a flugelhorn, but he always expressed admiration for the way that a “B bass” sounded. He’s been dead for 40 years now so I can’t ask him what he meant by B Bass. It seems to me he was saying that he preferred them to BB basses, but of course I never asked. After watching a bunch of your videos I’m coming to think that he was referring to a Wagner horn or a Euphonium.
I can say that he was a serious bandsman in Indiana, USA, before the Army and was in Kiefer’s Boys Band, etc., and after the war worked himself through Columbia University as a union trumpet player so he had plenty of exposure both in the US and in France and Germany. I’m thinking he might have been referring to an instrument in a German military band. Any thoughts?
& the tenor tuba/euphonium is sometimes seen as a baritone instrument.
It might be the same pitch as a euphonium, but the SOUND of the baritone is completely different.
Why am I watching this, I've been playing for like 3 years
Ànd I've been playing for 7 my friend... but he's been playing for longer than I've been on this Earth, so I still got quite a bit to learn.
@@jaredjohns777 Good point
Well, if YOU don't know why you're watching this, how the hell do you expect other people to know?
Love the video! Can you please do a review video about Heavy Trim kits on trumpet or a KGU booster cone for trumpet mouthpieces?
As a tuba player, i find it interesting to hear that the tuba used to be call that.
what is a baritone tuba?
LOL the barbershop tag intro arranged for low brass at the beginning, OOOOMG (leaves will fall)
I have a euphonium and a BBb tuba. I find the BBb tuba pretty hard to play, and I have been thinking of getting a four valve euphonium or an Eb tuba. Eb tubas are pretty rare in the States, but sometimes are quite cheap, whereas 4 valve euphoniums are usually pretty expensive, and compensating euphoniums are REALLY expensive. Do you have any opinion on the relative usefulness and playability of the two? LOve your videos!
Trent, can you explain why tubas (and other brass) are made in different keys? I think you said it changes the pitch, but then it must change the fingering. How do you play all the instruments if the fingering is different?
In any non-transposing clef then yes, the player has to memorise different fingerings for different pitched instruments. The bigger the instrument, the bigger the foundation it makes, but is usually offset by being less nimble and agile. An F tuba is a very versatile instrument and has a range plenty big enough for all normal contexts, but is a far smaller instrument than a C or Bb tuba, and so if you're wanting a large, solid foundation for a big orchestra or band then you're going to want a bigger tuba.
@@TrentHamilton thank you. Just one more question: non-transposing clef?
@@amsmithonline Bass clef is always concert pitch.
@@TheAvgCommentator not always Trombone is pitched in Bb but written in C
I already play the drums, violin, and upright bass for my school, but I always wanted to learn a Brass Instrument. Is their any “easy” brass instruments that i can learn, along with my instruments.
"Easy" is very subjective, of course, but the euphonium wouldn't be a bad choice. It splits the difference in terms of instrument/mouthpiece size (not too big, not too small) and required air support (not too much), so starting there and scaling up/down might be easier than starting at one end of the spectrum. And although the trombone is in the same octave as the euphonium and uses the same mouthpieces, the trombone's slide has its own unique set of nuances and idiosyncrasies to learn. The euphonium's valves, on the other hand, work basically identically to other Bb brass instruments (i.e. trumpet, French horn Bb side, Bb/BBb tuba) so those skills are more transferable if that's your goal.
Can you do a video on the flugelhorn? I'm quite confused by it and how it relates to other brass instruments.
I already have :)
@@TrentHamilton wow. Didn't expect a reply. Well thanks. I'll go look for it.
I also left a comment on the G/D baritone bugle but since this is newer I figured it might be worth reaching out here- what is your experience playing the baritone bugle like? I'm looking at possibly the same model but modified to have 2 valves. I'm told those kinds of horns have a stuffy bass trumpet feel so I'm wondering if you would agree with that.
Hi, I'm not familiar with the two valve model, but my experience with the G/D baritone bugle was adequate. There's nothing wonderful or exciting about the instrument to my mind. Perhaps with the right mouthpiece it might be made better. I've since sold it.
Thanks! The price for my horn seems fair and I can piece together a few tunes so it may be worth it.
What is it that I see on some tuba youtubes -- during play sometimes the performer is I assume adjusting tuning with a slide? Seems obvious that this slide is not on all models.
That would probably be the first valve slide. To compensate for certain valve combinations that are somewhat "out of tune" a player can adjust the pitch by pulling the first slide. This is not common among amateurs but more professional players will certainly do it in order to play in tune with other instruments.
Hey Trent man what songs do you use in your intro cause I am amazed
Would it be correct to call a contrabass tuba a "bombardon"? I would love to.
I think it was the old Eb bass tuba that was primarily called the bombardon.
@@TrentHamilton Thank you for your reply and also for you videos! They have been helpful in understanding brass.
@@TrentHamilton ok
the american marching tuba often doubles as a concert tuba when you switch out the lead pipes
Can you please review the Yamaha marching baritone? i'm going to be playing it in marching band and i just want to know more about it.
A band call Mnolzi brass has a tuba player that has 4 rotatory valves and an other 2 by his other hand what do these extra valves do?
The first four as as normal, the fifth will lower the pitch by a flat whole tone (a whole tone that’s in tune when you have the fourth valve pushed down) and the sixth will probably be a flat half step (a half step that’s in tune when the fourth valve is pushed down)
Trent Hamilton Thanks
What advantage does a top-facing bell have over a forward-facing one?
It depends where you want the sound to be projected. In outdoor venues the top facing bell (also known as a rain-catcher) may result in the sound getting lost instead of being projected towards the listener... Although it depends where your listeners are.
What's a good place to look for decently priced Tubas? I want to get one to own personally one day
Jordan Mozelle Mack brass
Ok, so I've been wondering about this for a while. As a composer, when writing for tuba (I always write tuba in concert pitch) when one plays a Eb, F, or Bb tuba do they transpose what they see on the page, or is the music transposed into the key that the horn is in?
If you write in bass clef you write the pitch you want to hear and the player works out the correct fingering. If you write for brass band in transposing treble clef then the composer does the transposition.
90% of the time it is written in concert pitch. When you write for brass bands in treble clef transpose it the same you would for an Eb bari, or Bb tenor saxophone.
@@Toledo2bateacher Eb
Just write the part in concert pitch and they tubas can play it on whatever key tuba works for them and transposing is off your shoulders.
The Contra is like the top level every Tuba player wants Contras because they sound like a concert tuba.
I can't tell if a euphonium is a Bb tuba or if the BBb tuba is a BBb euphonium
Neither.
If you ever do a trumpet review anytime soon, you should play Konzertetüde op. 49 by A.F. Goedicke
There was this one time I saw a Sousaphone irl. sadly it was about 100m away
My band director has changed me to play a bass trombone. I was wondering if you have any tips or tricks to be better at the bass trombone? Or just playing low notes in general.
Buzz with just a mouthpiece. The lower you can buzz, the lower you'll be able to play. It's about training your lips to vibrate loosely enough to produce the required frequencies.
Thank you. And when playimg lower I tend to blat. So would just practicing on the mouthpiece help with that as well?
I skimmed through the 200+ comments and don't think anyone asked these questions. 1. Is there a difference in orchestral tubas/basses and band, both British brass band and American concert band, tubas/basses? 2. What about the direction of the bell of the basses in playing comfort - to the left, to the right, or straight up? I've seen all three. Thanks.
In British brass bands, tubas (which are invariably called basses) only come in two keys - Eb and Bb. My understanding is that British orchestras (which invariably call them tubas) use them in C or F - but I've never played in an orchestra, so that's only hearsay.
In Brazil we still use the name "bombardão" occasionally
In the US, a euphonium is sometimes called a baritone horn. They were called that in my high school band in the mid-70s.
A baritone horn and a euphonium are not the same 8nstrument. They do look a lot alike.
What about that music intro? You compose it?
i have a question about the wessex dolce euphonium is it as good as said be? anyone have one i would like to know what people have to say.
Thx dad
How are your brass allergies bro, fully sick
Any tips for beginner trumpet players because im a beginner
What about chambasso (idk if that’s how you spell it)
I wish that there was someone who did videos like yours for woodwinds. (I play woodwind so...) This is great stuff though!
Come to the dark side, brass players have a lot more fun.
What about the cimbasso?
So it’s called the American marching tuba I was watching a marching competition for band and saw one I was wondering what it was
What about chimbasso(idk about the spelling) tubas?
I don't really classify the cimbasso as a tuba.
@@TrentHamilton oh, that makes sense.
Assisto todos seus vídeos!São ótimos
Just started playing tuba and I've been playing trombone for a year. Any tips to get better at tuba?
Open up your embouchure. Try to remain a little more flexible than you would for a trombone. But don’t get too loose when going low, as that will ruin the sound. And don’t worry about playing very high for the first 6 months or so. That will come naturally the more you practice slurs and long-tones. Also, do NOT underestimate how much air a tuba requires to produce beautiful tone. The better you get, the less air you will need, but practicing with LOTS of air is very beneficial for your sound. Hope this helps. :) happy playing!
@@AeroCraftAviation Air , Flexibility, Air, Long-tones, Air, Slurs, Air and Air. The more control and expanse of air that you can utilize the better you will sound.
@@NeilABliss Precisely. Air is the key. A big, full sound promotes easy agility, more security in all registers, and more musical confidence.
BTW you can find some of my recordings under Elihu S Conant-Haque on Spotify.
Very informative thank you!
I play tuba in my university Jazz ensemble. It's hard bc I'm playing trombone parts, but I am doing very well
You didn't mention that the tuba is like a bass french horn, in that it's a conical bore instrument
The tuba is not like a bass French horn...
One of my favorite brands is Wessex! Give them a try when you can. In addition to that many people consider the ophecliede as a part of the tuba family. Could you do a video on that, despite it not being a very relevant instrument at all
Serpent and ophicleide are the forefathers of the tuba as we know them!
@@McJays th-cam.com/video/lZzr4xXPeyw/w-d-xo.html