Re: Tuba trends of the past


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Posted by Rick Denney on June 08, 2003 at 18:19:55:

In Reply to: Tuba trends of the past posted by SHS Tubamaster on June 06, 2003 at 19:27:05:

Here's one trend that shows no sign of abating--the acknowledged greatest tuba players in the world, when at the height of their game, establish the popularity of certain kinds of instruments sometimes despite their actual playing characteristics. The popularity is based on what the great one accomplishes. Those instruments that can pass along some of those qualities to those who are not so great stay popular with the followers of that great one.

Thus: Jacobs (who was great enough to know what he wanted from an instrument early on) has made a legion of those who admire 6/4 piston tubas, at least when they do the things he described of his York, which not all do, and which not all players could do even if the horns could.

Also: Pat Sheridan rather single-handedly restored the popularity of both Besson and Eb tubas in the U.S.

And: Only Roger Bobo could make a Miraphone 186 do what he did with it in a large orchestra, thus its popularity for large orchestras rose during his era but then declined. When it declined, and when Jacobs's followers started getting the big gigs, the Alex faded with it, though the Alex probably had more going for it in the first place, in that application.

If there is one major trend, it is that as tuba players get older, they seek instruments that get the results they seek with less effort.

There is also a trend that goes beyond tuba equipment, though it reinforces the Jacobs/York trend, and that is that orchestras now compete with well-recorded and loudly played classical recordings, meaning that they must play louder to make the same or better impression. The trend to play louder and louder has favored the trend to larger instruments in orchestras. And the homogenization of orchestral sound resulting from everyone knowing what every great orchestra sounds like has made trends more irresistable.

In schools, the trend to entertainment-style marching programs where instruments must be pointed in one direction at all times and where musicians of all sizes and sexes must be able to handle the instruments has meant a decline in the use of sousaphones and a rise in the use of convertible tubas. Also, high-schoola and community-band tuba players now dream of specialized equipment rather than a general-purpose 4/4 instrument, and now high-school kids dream of $15K Hirsbrunners rather than the Miraphone 186 that was my own high-school dream tuba. This tracks trends in society and expectations that kids today start, in terms of purchasing power, where their parents leave off.

And, finally, there is a trend away from BBb tubas and towards CC tubas for all contrabass applications, but that is possible well-tied to the first trend I mentioned.

Rick "who has been sucked in by a few of these trends" Denney


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