Posted by JC on January 23, 2003 at 17:50:37:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Should I buy an F tuba first? posted by Doug Whitten on January 23, 2003 at 12:02:50:
Starting each day by playing a big horn is imperative.
My former teacher at my undergraduate university had studied with Sam Pilafian, and said that Sam had a huge dump truck of a tuba in his office that he used exclusively for daily warm-up, as he felt that the big horn was a beneficial tool for a warm up.
As far a buying an F before a CC, I would ask this question: what happens when you are no longer provided with a contrabass tuba? 9 times out of 10 you'll need the contra first in a gig situation. While you're in school and have a CC to use, that's fine, but what happens after you leave? I'd consider getting an F first ONLY if you have the resources to get a contrabass in the near future as well.
IMO, getting a good contrabass of your own that you can build your skills on and really couple yourself to is of the utmost importance.