Posted by Rick Denney on January 02, 2001 at 11:23:29:
In Reply to: F Tubas??? posted by Brad on January 01, 2001 at 22:25:37:
To restate Joe (at huge risk), German-style F tubas are made the way they're made because German-style F tuba players want to sound they way they sound on German-style F tubas. Joe says that you have to treat the notes below F the same way you treat notes below C on a CC tuba or below Bb on a BBb tuba. The other side of that coin is that you expect results consistent with a contrabass. Add that expection to the Joe's list of potential F tuba traps.
The F tuba was (and in many places still is) the standard orchestral horn in Germany. The players would pull out a BBb Kaisertuba when they needed to move earth. American playing style moves a lot more earth in a lot more of the repertoire. Traditionally, European orchestras have taken a different approach. You cannot move earth on many German-style F tubas easily, but it ain't a bulldozer, and the conductor would rather walk over the earth than push through it.
When I bought the Yamaha 621 F, my selection was based on wanting a horn with a lighter sound and a more secure upper register that would also provide a consistent scale into the lower register. In other words, I specifically wanted that horn to play more like a BBb, but sound more like an F. My previous F tuba was a Musica, a not-very-wonderful German-style F with actually a fairly sweet sound up high. I specifically chose the Yamaha so that I would not *have* to follow Joe S.'s advice. But it doesn't sound like a German F, and if that's the sound you want, it will disappoint you.
Rick "some people prefer rotary baritons, too" Denney