Posted by Mike Solms on July 19, 1999 at 11:51:01:
In Reply to: Doubling and bass players posted by JRTapes on July 19, 1999 at 09:12:27:
First off, I'm going to gently disagree with your premise that
tubists are more inclined to double than other players. Most sax
players, if they want to work, play clarinet. A lot play flute as
well since it's a big plus. Most trumpet players I know who play
in horn sections for R&B or Reggae groups have picked up sax to give
more flexibility to the back line. A lot of local trombonists have
a trumpet in the closet- they might not have lead chops but can
cover a third or fourth chair if the opportunity comes up. There
are basically two reasons to double. The first is economic- the more
you can play, the more you will play. The second is enjoyment of a variety of musical forms. Believe it or not, there are areas of music where the use of the tuba is not well established. In my own case, I like Celtic music so I play mandolin. I picked up lap steel guitar primarily because I like Hawaiian music. Speaking of lap steels, if you want to listen to one of the world's more unique doublers, pick up a Junior Brown CD. Junior plays a Stratocaster that has a Fender lap steel grafted on to the bottom of the guitar body. He switches effortlessly between the two and writes inventive songs that showcase his rather wicked sense of humor.