Brass Clinic

The Ins and Outs of

Buyins Tubas
By Jason Bouchard

ubas are expensive, and most

band directors will have to buy
several during their career.
Because tubas are not uniform in size,
shape, or number and type of valves
from one maker to the next, the
choice can be difficult. It can be difficult to find one tuba to try at a local
music store, let alone several brands
and sizes of tuba. This often leads to
purchases made with inadequate information. Band directors should consider bell and bore sizes, instrument
length and width, valve set-up, and
key when buying a tuba.

Elementary School
A tuba for an elementary student
should be in the key of BB1> with three
upright valves and a bell no bigger
than 15" across. Upright valves work
best for younger students because they
make the instrument easier to balance

and protect the valves if the instrument is dropped. The bore size should
be no larger than .670, and the instrument length should be no longer than
32", which produces an instrument
width of 14-16" across. These types of
tubas will be listed as three-quartersized tubas, and some makers at one
time even made half-size tubas with
smaller dimensions. Get a hard case
to help protect the instrument; most
come with wheels to help students
transport the tuba. The stock mouthpiece that comes with the instrument
should work fine. The majority of
tubas appropriate for elementary students will be from American makers,
who usually make instruments with
three or four piston valves. European
and Asian makers will use piston or
rotary valves or a combination of the
two, and their instruments have three
to five valves.

Middle School
Middle school directors should have
tubas of different sizes to accommodate
students as they grow in size and
progress musically. Sixth-grade players
should still use the same BBl> tuba as in
the elementary program. This familiar
instrument feels comfortable and
allows them to continue their musical
growth without the distraction of a
new instrument.
Most seventh and eighth grade students hit a growth spurt. For them it is
ideal to have small tubas similar to
what a sixth grader would use, as well
as a larger instrument with frontaction valves. I recommend a BB^> tuba
with three piston valves, a bore no bigger than .690, and a bell no bigger
than 18". The body length should be
no longer than 36". Piston valves are
more durable than rotary valves.
Rotary valves are easier to use but have
more moving parts for students to hit,
damage, and lose. Many American and
Asian tuba makers manufacture three-

Si-

3 2 THE INSTRUMENTALIST / SEPTEMBER 2011

Maker: the company that !.

makes the instrument.
Stencil: a tuba made by a maker
who was paid to put a different
name on it. This can be for a ;
music store wanting its own
line of instruments. Marketing :
agreements in different countries may forbid one brand from
being sold in multiple stores, so
a stencil gives makers an opportunity to sell instruments in different places. These instruments are usually the same}
quality as the makers and some'
times even come from the same
factory with different names/
stamped on them,
Clone: a copy of another;
maker's tuba. This company:
generally does not stamp their '.
name on the instruments, but [
puts the names of other stores j
or importers there instead.,:
Companies that clone instruments do not develop new!
instruments, whereas makers 1
research new styles, sizes, metal j
combinations, bore sizes, andf
bell sizes.

valve, front-action tubas; Europ

makers are more likely to offer rota
valve or upright-piston tubas. Nk
four-valve instruments may be temp
ing, but students this age usually ',
the pinky strength to use a fa
valve well. A three-valve instrun
lets students focus on holding the (
and moving valve tuning slides
adjust pitch.

High School
High school directors should own)
least two three-quarter tubas and i

ROY
BENSON
W I N I ) I N S I K I M I. N 1 S

four- or five-quarter tubas. The biggestj

mistake I often see is a five-fbot'tall stu-1
dent with a 40" tall, five-quarter tuba|
that has a 20" bell. Such a student \t ju

Europe's fastest
growing line of
instruments now
available in the US.

this big, he will struggle to get it;

through the door. When a tuba is i
big and unwieldy for a student, it is dif-i
ficult to play the instrument comfort')
ably, let alone play with a good sound.
A good small high school BBt tubaj
should be 34-36" long with a 15- or 16
inch bell and a bore size of .709. Hig
school students, even the smaller on
should be able to handle a four-valv
instrument. At this level rotary valv
are a good choice; they have a quic
response and smooth valve moveme
and the finger paddles are close t
er, making it easy for students wid
small hands to play. Directors who (
for piston-valve tubas should choose i
model with the valves arranged in:
curved setup to help with
ergonomics of playing. Front actio
valves make a tuba easier to hold i
free the left hand to adjust pitch 1
pulling tuning slides.
Four- and five-quarter BBt tubas \e 36

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Perfectly composed.

from 16-20". The bore size will

between .740 to .850, and it is wofl
noting that the larger bore on
instruments will produce a big
sound that will surprise studen
coming off a three-quarter tuba
first. Such instruments with pis
valves will have larger valves pla
farther apart because of the incre
bore size. Rotary valves on the
tubas are also available and are easUJ
to damage than even those on
three-quarter tuba. Given how mu
tubas cost, it may be better to get <
with piston valves.

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THE INSTRUMENTALIST / SEPTEMBER 2011

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High school directors looking fors

option for marching band can ch

Tuba Sizes:Tubas come in BE

EK CC, and F. The most i
mon key for tubas in Americ
schools is BBk, but tubas
the early 1900s are likely to 1
in Ek In Europe E\> tubas are ju
as common as those in B|
Tubas in CC and F professio
tubas are used in orche
across the country. The
tuba is the primary choice
professional musicians, mu
students, and teachers.

f-'i.-""^ ^vw-iVV : .. -

convertible tubas or sousaphones.

Convertible tubas offer two tubas for
the price of one; the leadpipe is
detachable and can be set for concert
band or marching. The instruments
are usually well-made and extremely
durable, and students can use the same
instrument all year. However, these
instruments usually come with only
three valves, are made in one size, and
are sometimes difficult to hold in
either the concert set up or in the
marching set up.
The sousaphone adds an expense of
providing two instruments for every
student. Sousaphones can be used in
concert band, but this is usually
frowned upon. Sousaphones are easy
for students of any size to hold, and the
option to buy brass, silver, or fiberglass
instruments offers a couple of weight
choices. Another added benefit of
sousaphones is that when marching
season is over these instruments can be
taken home and used as practice
instruments.

instruments before buying one and

makes it easy to handle problems that
arise before, during, or after the purchase. Once you have an idea about
the student's budget and whether he
would like a new or used instrument,
and the local music store is on board,
students should try at least three
instruments of various sizes from one
maker. Once a size has been chosen
the student should try that maker's
instrument against two others of the
same size. This is a good way to narrow
down the choice.
Tubas are one of the few instruments
with numerous variations between
valve set-ups, piston or rotary, bore size,
bell size, key, new or used, or to choose
a maker, stencil, or clone. No other
instrument offers more variation on the
way an instrument is made or set-up.
This makes the tuba a misunderstood
instrument by many. Knowing the
basics of why the sizes, different valves,
and number of valves exist helps you to
pick the right type of tuba for your
music program.
D

Advising Parents
When the parents of a tuba player
ask what that should buy for their
child, and there is no private teacher
to consult, I recommend a four-valve
BBI> tuba, unless the student is planning to major in music. In this case it
might be good to consider a CC tuba.
A student who plays on a piston tuba
should stay with pistons, and if he
plays a rotary tuba, he should stay with
rotary valves.
Make sure that the student works
with a music store while shopping for a
tuba. This will allow a student to try

Jason Bouchard teaches instrumental

music for the Enfield Public Schools. He is
the principal tuba player for the
Manchester Symphony Orchestra, a member of The Capital Winds, a CUE A low
brass judge, and a private tuba and euphonium instructor. Bouchard received a bachelor's degree in musk education from
Keene State College, a master's in education in creative arts from Lesley University
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a
degree in educational leadership from
Central Connecticut State University.
SEPTEMBER 2011 / THE INSTRUMENTALIST

35