Posted by wcc3 on August 06, 2001 at 18:52:15:
My 11-year-old daughter has had a wonderful time over the last year playing the school's rather decrepit 3-valve 3/4 BBb Yamaha tuba. She's going to a new school next year that doesn't have any school instruments. The music teachers at the new school are excited about having a tuba in their ensemble and my daughter doesn't want to stop playing.
That puts me in the market for a tuba. I had no idea tubas were so darned complicated!
My current thought is a 4-valve 3/4 BBb instrument.
She's going to be playing behind a bunch of string players, so she won't need the more powerful sound of a 4/4 instrument. Furthermore, while she's a pretty big 11-year-old, she is still only 11 -- probably not big enough to pump a 4/4 horn well for several years yet. Finally, she has to get the horn on and off the school bus twice every band day. For those reasons, the 3/4 horn seems the right thing.
I figure 4 valves to get the better intonation. I only know of two arguments in favor of three valves: 1) It costs much less, and 2) an easier transition to the Sousaphone. Since the school has no football team and thus no marching band, I figure to bite the bullet and go for the better sound.
I haven't found any reason for anything but a BBb instrument.
Am I thinking right here? It's a lot of money to make a mistake with.
Any favorite instruments in this class? The Yamaha YBB-621 looks promising.
Comments, please!
Will