Posted by Leland on August 26, 2003 at 22:20:09:
In Reply to: Re: tone qulity problems from BBb toCC posted by Gus Pratt on August 26, 2003 at 18:11:57:
That's it for me, too. My mind expects a certain pitch with an open fingering, and when the horn wants to play a step higher, I end up feeling "pushed" to the higher pitch. It takes a while for me to get used to it, and sometimes, I try to make it easier by playing "in Bb" for a while with the 1st valve pressed, then moving back up to C.
Frankly, I can't buy the argument that a differently-keyed tuba will help you sound "better". There are really nice-sounding tubas in all keys, just as there are some real dogs in all keys. When you're at the level where you can distinguish between the horn's shortcomings and your own, then you'll know what to look for in a new instrument, whether it's in a new key or not.