tubatips

[tubatips]

A track from a recent CD release!  Enjoy!

[tubatips]

SOLOS FOR HIGH SCHOOL TUBA PLAYERS

*Reprinted from “Tuba Tips...and other Stuff!  Support for Music Teachers and Their Students” January 2008

SOLOS FOR HIGH SCHOOL TUBA PLAYERS

by Michael S. Milnarik

The tuba was invented ca. 1835.  This being the case we've had to beg, borrow and steal music to play - but this has helped increase the level of tuba players in the last fifty years, or so.  Fortunately, our repertoire keeps growing.  More and more composers are understanding what our instruments can do and what our limitations are.

One of the most important tuba players of our time was William Bell (1902-1971).  Perhaps you are familiar with the Tuba Christmas events that take place throughout the United States, and now in other countries, during the holidays.  Tuba Christmas was started in honor of Bell (born on Christmas Day!) for his significant contributions to the tuba world, and for setting a standard that have influenced many tuba players today.  Tuba players consider him "The Father of the Tuba."

Two of the many contributions that Bell made were arrangements of some very popular music by Bach and Beethoven.  (Unfortunately the tuba hadn't been invented when Bach and Beethoven were composing music or I am sure that Bach would have written a phenomenal tuba concerto!)  Beethoven wrote variations on the popular Handel work - "Judas Maccabeus" and Bell took these "Variations on a Theme of Judas Maccabeus" and arranged them for tuba and piano.  Bell also took a popular Bach Bouree and combined it with the famous chorale "Come Sweet Death" giving us another wonderful work called "Air and Bouree."

The practical range of a high school tuba player is from the Bb right above the bass clef staff - down to the F four ledger lines below the bass clef staff.  Of course, there are players that can play higher and lower, but this is a general practical range that high school players should work toward.

The two aforementioned solos are perfect for the high school player.  The range does not go above a Bb or below the F.  They gently push the level of the high school player and fit right where they are necessary and the young tubist's repertoire.  (I will list the titles discussed here at the bottom of this article.)

Another piece that works extremely well for this age level is by Harold Walters and titled "Concertante."  These three pieces are perfect for auditions.  Each state has their own system for doing auditions, so it is difficult to clearly explain the level these pieces fit.  Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, these pieces were used for the County and District levels - having a Regional and All-State level beyond that.  In Massachusetts they are also used on the District level - having an All-State level beyond that.

Moving up to a slightly more advanced level, but still attainable by high school level players, are "Suite for Tuba" by Don Haddad, "Suite for Unaccompanied Tuba" by Walter Hartley, "Suite for Tuba" by Sanae Kanda, "Suite for Tuba" by Vaclav Nelhybel and "Concertino" by Arthur Frackenpohl.  These pieces are very different from one another - but the commonality they have is that they slightly extend the range of the music (going up to about a C or D above the staff), and some of them are a little more rhythmically and tonally complex, such is the Hartley and the Nelhybel.  They are very good pieces to push your advanced high school students to the next level past the Bach and Beethoven.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  Should you be interested in any of these pieces, and need some help finding them, just ask and I can help.

Here is that list I promised...

SOLOS WITHIN PRACTICAL RANGE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

BACH (arr. William Bell) - Air and Bouree BEETHOVEN (arr. William Bell) - Variations on a Theme of Judas Maccabeus HAROLD WALTERS - Concertante

SOLOS FOR ADVANCED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

DON HADDAD - Suite for Tuba WALTER HARTLEY - Suite for Unaccompanied Tuba SANAE KANDA - Suite for Tuba ARTHUR FRACKENPOHL - Concertino for Tuba VACLAV NELHYBEL - Suite for Tuba

[tubatips]

IT'S ALL ABOUT THAT...AIR!

Although there are lots of things we can "fix" in our playing to make something better, try taking a bigger breath first.  About 80% of the time our playing problems can be blamed on not using enough air!  Any great tuba player uses their air well.  If they don't, they don't sound as good.  Blame it on the air first, then explore other possibilities!