Expected range for an intermediate tuba player

[hyperbolica]

I'm a decent trombonist, but I'm finding more opportunity in bass bone and tuba these days. Some recent retirements have opened up some slots. So for a basic church-gigging sort of tuba player, what's the expected range? The hymns are all doable, but some of the brass tunes the organist pulls out require a little bit of practice. If the notes are easier to play on a euph, should you still play tuba? Is there anything else a new-to-tuba player needs to know? (like blow in the small end...?)

And just to check, has the tuba forum been hacked? https://www.tubaforum.net/

[BGuttman]

Are you in a quartet or quintet? If you are playing in a quartet you should look at playing Euph as the "Trombone II" parts are a bit high for a tuba (unless like me you play an F). If you are in a quintet then you are probably doubling the trombone in octaves for things like hymns or doubling the pedal tones. Either way, that lays better on a tuba.

[hyperbolica]

By the way, yes, it seems tuba forum was hacked, although sometimes it's hard to tell.

https://www.tubaforum.net/viewtopic.php?p=39746#p39746

Everyone over there is a troll. Or maybe the tuba forum is where all internet trolls come from. Anyway, you can't ask a straight up question like "what kind of range should a basic player have" over there without getting heckled no end. It must be what fat old guys who shave once a week when they shower and change clothes think is funny.

[Vegasbound]

Which tuba are you playing? CC, BBb EEb F ? As Bruce asked what/how are you using the tuba?

Remember your now adding a 3rd maybe 4th instrument and need to adjust your practice/ equipment accordingly as is the use of air.

[SimmonsTrombone]

When I took up BBb tuba, I fairly quickly got a range of pedal F to F above the staff. That was where I could sound the note. Decent sound was probably pedal A to F or G in the staff. I learned to read an octave lower on some of the church stuff. I’ve found that church music doesn’t always have the best brass orchestrators and we players have to help them out.
John

[hyperbolica]

3/4 BBb. Right now small band and quartet. I can get what's called pedal F on trombone on the low end and 4th line f on the high side. I can play above that, but it starts to sound "less musical".

[MrHCinDE]

I‘ve played BBb and EEb tuba, in both cases 3+1 compensating upright instruments (Besson Sovereign or equivalents) at a decent intermediate level. Certainly not professional level but I‘m talking top section British brass bands with stuff like the solo in English Heritage at my long-passed peak of tuba playing.

On the EEb I‘d say from around what we know on the trombone as Pedal Bb up to the Eb above the bass clef staff should be rock solid with a classy sound. I‘d have thought that sits very well with the parts you‘re describing so an EEb tuba (or F as mentioned by Bruce) could be a great match if you had one. Obviously a few tones either side of that range could also be playable for a typical intermediäre EEb tubist but some loss of sound quality could occur. Getting a huge,warm sound deep in the pedal register of the EEb isn‘t easy and probably beyond reasonable expectations of an intermediate player.

On the BBb I‘d have estimated from the F below (trombone) pedal Bb up to the Bb just above the bass clef staff could be solidly playable, but really anything above about the 4th line F usually sounds sweeter on a smaller tuba. No doubt that more experienced BBb tubists can also get a wider range to sing but personally I think a BBb tuba could be a bit on the low side for what you describe.

Caveat: I‘ve never played a 3/4 BBb tuba, I‘ve very rarely seen them in the UK, perhaps more often in Germany. Perhaps the range on one of those is different again to what I mentioned about the traditional ‚British‘ brass band instruments I know.

[BGuttman]

A 3/4 size tuba has a smaller bore and this makes playing higher easier. Of course the smaller bore means the sound is less. Not much of a problem with a modest sized ensemble (up to 40 players) but a bit small to support a large band.

[MrHCinDE]

A 3/4 size tuba has a smaller bore and this makes playing higher easier. Of course the smaller bore means the sound is less. Not much of a problem with a modest sized ensemble (up to 40 players) but a bit small to support a large band.

Makes sense, sorta like a small bore tenor relative to a large bore ‚symphonic‘ tenor?

[Mikebmiller]

By the way, yes, it seems tuba forum was hacked, although sometimes it's hard to tell.

https://www.tubaforum.net/viewtopic.php?p=39746#p39746

Everyone over there is a troll. Or maybe the tuba forum is where all internet trolls come from. Anyway, you can't ask a straight up question like "what kind of range should a basic player have" over there without getting heckled no end. It must be what fat old guys who shave once a week when they shower and change clothes think is funny.

Hey wait a second. I’m an old fat guy and I shower at least twice a week.