What are the difference between BBb tuba, CC tuba, Eb tuba and F tuba?

Question

like fingerings, prefered range of play and sound?
Pls give more info if possible

Answer 1

Unlike the other instruments in the band, tuba parts aren't provided transposed. Tuba parts are provided in concert pitch and the player learns a different set of fingerings for each horn. (In some older music, the Eb Tuba part is written in treble clef)

The order of pitch from high to low is F, Eb, CC, BBb -- why four pitches? A long time ago, bands used instruments in Bb and Eb while orchestras used instruments in C and F. This is also seen in the saxophone family but the C and F saxes pretty much died out - you don't see saxes much in the orchestra. We do see the tuba in both orchestra and band though so the instruments stayed alive.

The uses of the four:

The F tuba is most often used as a solo instrument. It doesn't have the low range of the common BBb tuba but soloists most often stay in the mid-range of their instrument. It has a tone quality very similar to the Euphonium (not Baritone Horn) and is only slightly lower in pitch. A good player can play most Euphonium pieces on the F tuba. It's also used in the orchestra for F Bass Trumpet parts since the Bass Trumpet in F is a pretty scarce horn these days.

The Eb tuba was intended for band music to fill the space between the trombones/baritones/euphoniums and the bass tuba (BBb). It has a solid role in the military band music genre and especially in the brass band genre. Some people think it's good to use to teach young players but this creates a problem when they progress to BBb and need to learn new fingerings. It also makes for a good solo instrument but not as sweet a timbre as the F tuba.

The CC tuba is an orchestral instrument and most professional tuba players own one. Orchestral music tends to be written in sharp keys -- an instrument in C makes that easier to play than one in BBb. It's also reasonably easy to transpose other parts when playing on a C instrument. The tuba player is occasionally called upon to take a part from bass trombone, contrabassoon, or bass trumpet. The timbre is true tuba.

The BBb tuba is the standard Bass Tuba of the band and wind ensemble. It's the lowest of the brass instruments and is in BBb primarily because early bands played instruments in Bb and Eb. Band music tends to use more flat keys and these are easier on a BBb instrument (or so they say). A 4/4 or 5/4 Bass Tuba adds just a little range downward as well. The timbre is true tuba but a little "muddier" than the CC

To play between the instruments, you will need fingering charts for each one. You'll be surprised though how quickly you pick it up. Be careful though - some modern arrangers put their tuba parts out transposed, you have to check the key signatures.

Answer 2

EEb tubas are most commonly found in a brass band. All the instruments in a brass band (except the bass trombone & percussion) are read in treble clef with the Cs being a concert Bb or and Eb depending on the instrument. This means same as trumpet fingerings . . . no matter which instrument (assuming you are not a trombone). So, treble clef fingerings are the same as if you were doing BBb tuba in treble clef, though the notes ARE different pitches, you read with the same fingers. When it comes to playing bass clef, that's the tricky bit. In brass band, the BBb tuba parts and the EEb tuba parts have different key signatures. For bass clef, it's BOTH in C. A trick (if you know treble clef/trumpet fingerings) is to pretend your bass clef part is in treble clef, and add 3#s (or subtract 3bs). Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm not a tubist, but with most instruments that have different voicings, the fingerings between the instruments is the same, but the concert pitch produced by the fingering will change. So a Bb tuba will sound a concert Bb when playing its own C note. A C tuba is tuned in concert pitch (C on the tuba is concert pitch C). So this tuba is one whole step higher than the Bb tuba for the same fingering. An Eb will play a concert Eb when fingered to play a C, and the F will play a concert F when fingered to play a C.

Obviously because the instruments are tuned differently they have different preferred ranges. The overall character or sound of the instrument should be about the same, other than the different tunings.

Answer 4

Tuba Range

Answer 5

All Tuba music to my knowledge in British and Salvation Army Brass bands are written in Treble clef, and they usually just stick to the Eb and BBb Tubas. In those bands the only brass instrument notated in Bass Clef is the bass trombone.

Answer 6

Military bb parts are in bass clef. Eb parts can be in either treble or bass. Eb players read bass clefs as treble and adjust key signatures so that only one set of fingerings is needed.