Posted by Bill on May 22, 2001 at 07:26:17:
In Reply to: Role of EEb posted by Rob Suttie on May 21, 2001 at 23:07:39:
I play EEb tuba in the Georgia Brass Band from Atlanta, Georgia. I think the EEb tuba acts like an English Horn in an orchestra, to a certain extent. When the composer/arranger wants a solo sound that is not soprano but not very bass, the EEb tuba seems to get chosen. But I have also noticed that EEb tubas are used differently by the British Salvationists. They have no fear or trepidation of putting anything in the EEb part. American writers seem more prone to use EEb tubas as a higher bass voice. Often, when a composer wants to double a lead line in octaves, it will be given to the fleugle horn (or possibly the alto horn) and the EEb tuba.
I also use my EEb (a Willson) to do many other types of jobs and do not often mention that it is an EEb unless asked directly. Most conductors either can't tell or don't care what it is as long as I get the job done. Changing mouthpieces helps out here. In large ensembles, I tend to use a deeper mouthpiece than in smaller ones.