Re: How to switch from Eb to CC/F?


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Posted by Mike Ross on February 11, 2001 at 21:36:28:

In Reply to: How to switch from Eb to CC/F? posted by Steve Inman on February 10, 2001 at 11:09:04:

Steve,

With a background of Canadian Concert, Army Reserve, and Brass bands, I have to recommend the option of using a matched set of BBb and Eb tubas to cover all the bases. I may not want to, but I have to - it's a British Commonwealth kind of thing. :^)

Seriously, and hypothetically (of course), I've kind of listened in on your adventure from the beginning and I get the feeling that you're experiencing what us engineers and science guys call "scope creep".
You started out to replace one horn with another horn to fill a specific set of shortcomings you perceived in your current set up. That's admirable. You then set out to play as many tubas as possible. That's also admirable. But somewhere along the way, solving a problem became turning over both your horns for two new ones to form a new "stable".

I would suggest (humbly, I hope) two other possibilities:

1.) During your search, you have found the tuba, or tubas, of your dreams to set up the perfect stable covering all types of playing. - BUY THEM IMMEDIATELY.
or
2.) The search didn't end up as clear cut as you thought it would. In this case, focus back on exactly what you were looking for in the first place, and buy the ONE tuba you've tried that best addresses those shortcomings. This will solve the problem you perceived in the first place, and leave you with at most one set of unfamiliar fingerings. As well, if you do find the dream horn in a couple of years, you can turn something over in your stable to buy the new one without the guilt of feeling like you spend more time buying than playing (this always bugs me - am I a player or just a collector?).

3.) If you were trying to address several shortcomings, ty to focus down on the one thing that bothers you most about your current tubas. This will help you choose the new tuba to buy, as well as help you decide which tuba to sell. At the end of the day you can rest easy knowing that you have absolutely solved at least one problem, and then start again examining how to solve the other problems.

4.) Post some info on which ever tuba you decide to sell. I have a relative who might (hypothetically, of course) be interested.

Hope this helps. It is, of couse, just one dude's opinion.

And I am jealous over all the tubas you've gotten to play during your search.

Mike "Green" Ross


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