It looks like there was a misunderstanding. The music teacher used the word new to mean different. Paraphrased: “Your 3 valve tuba is OK for now, but when you get to HS you will need a new tuba.” Implying that he will need to find a 4 valve tuba, not that he needs a brand new tuba. So I’m looking a trying to find a deal or rent a tuba for a couple of years until my tuba player is more experienced. Hopefully when it comes time to buy an actual new tuba he will be able to buy it.
I’m curious how your son became a tubist. In my case after demonstrating my lack of ability with all the brass instruments the bandleader in the eighth grade suggested the tuba would be good for me because I was big enough to carry a sousaphone in the marching band. I hope your son has better reasons for pursuing this. I have met some excellent tuba players, but sadly they get treated like drummers in bands sometimes.
Good HS tuba players might find a home in a DCI drum and bugle corps…
DCI corps love and respect a good contrabass bugle line, and you don’t screw with the guy who carries a 30 pound horn for 10-12 hours a day in practice.
Drachillix: Sacramento Freelancers Contrabass line 87-89 (Folded to finals :D)
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People ask me where I got those big shoulders. It’s definitely a workout.
Happy to hear it. Sounds cool actually. I’m glad you weren’t wasting your time. I wish I had some musical talent, or at least wasted my time on something that would attract chicks.
Yes.
For most student purposes, a 3 valve tuba is sufficient. The majority of students do their studying and playing towards the middle of the register. This is not difficult to master on a 3 valve horn.
However, when you get to the notes on the very bottom (pedal tones, in the vernacular), these notes are difficult to impossible to play accurately with a three valve horn – the horn is just not physically capable of it.
The player really needs the extra tubing/compensation systems that come with having four valves. This enables easier and more accurate playing of the bottom of the scale. As the music grows in complexity the further you go along, the more you see notes and passages in this scale and it’s important to be able to play them accurately and cleanly.
You will not have a problem finding a horn for your son – for purchase or rental.
Hope we’ve been able to help you.
The school has a limited number of tubas. So there are no tuba players in 5th grade. For 6th grade the band director picks the top kids and asks them if they want to switch to tuba. The music teacher told my son “You’ve got all the makings of a good tuba player. You take your music seriously, but you don’t take anything else seriously.” So my son became a tuba player.
Is he a GOOD tuba player? Well I’m biased, but he did make first chair in a regional band, (beating out 20 other students), and his instructor says he’s advanced. So I’m going to say he’s good. Of course I’m hoping he will get a scholarship or two.
Well in the UK all brass instruments at non internet based auctions go for peanuts. One knowing what is good and what is bad could get a real bargain and export em to the US! i’ve seen at the Eden Project (big glass house) they have numerous planters made of tubas, trombones and i saw a big thing which might have been a Sousaphone, all with plants in them! I guess a post industrial place loses all its mine / large company based bands etc.
In my case, I wanted to join the band but didn’t yet play any band instruments, and the director looked at me and said “You have big lips. How about tuba?”.