Tuba Key

[jhatpro]

Not the right forum for this question I know but it is a fundamental query:

Can a tuba player use a fake book in C without transposing?
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[JoseLindE4]

Yes. They read C parts. The Bb tuba uses the same fingering as trumpet, but they think in terms of concert pitch. We call low concert Bb C; they call it Bb. We both play it open.

Other pitched tubas use a "different set" of fingerings, which is really just another way to think of transposing.

They always (except for maybe British Brass Bands) read C parts.

[jhatpro]

Thanks!!!
_________________
Jim Hatfield

"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

2021 Martinus Geelan Custom
2005 Bach 180-72R
1965 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
1946 Conn Victor
1998 Scodwell flugel
1986 Bach 181 cornet
1954 Conn 80A cornet
2002 Getzen bugle

[Richard III]

I've used material in the past where all it has is the C part. So I had to transpose parts for all the other instruments. The following really helped me solidify my knowledge base:

http://www.secretcomposer.com/Secret_Composer_Blog_Demo/Concert_Pitch_-_Instrument_Transposition_chart.htm

The good news was that once I had the C part scanned into Sebelius without errors, it was a simple matter to adjust for any instrument to fit the needs of the player.
_________________
Richard

King 1130 Flugabone
King 12C mouthpiece

[iiipopes]

Um, the question has three parts.

The first is whether the fake book is treble clef or bass clef. The treble clef fake books I have seen are for Bb instruments, and are transposed accordingly, unless otherwise noted. So if a tuba player is wanting to play a melody or improvise off a melody in a treble clef fake book the player will have to transpose down a step to concert pitch, if not used to reading transposed treble clef.

If the fake book is bass clef, then yes, the American convention is that tuba players irrespective of which key of tuba is being played, play concert pitch, just like trombones and euphoniums.

If the fake book is a piano book, then that is also concert pitch, which a tuba player reads.

And by the way: one of my pet peeves is that the parts of the concert pitch renditions of the fake book are exactly that: CONCERT PITCH being the correct nomenclature. They are not "C" parts. That only refers to parts written either in a specific key signature or for a specific horn whose tuning note is concert C.
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King Super 20 Trumpet; Sov 921 Cornet
Bach cornet modded to be a 181L clone
Couesnon Flugelhorn and C trumpet