Music needed..

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Scott Pope

Ken, traditionally, the lowest note of a 3-valve BBb tuba, the instrument that Holst was familiar with, is E natural four ledger lines and a space below the bass clef. Of course, this is the actual pitch, not the transposed notation pitch, of a standard open E string of a 4-string double bass.

This is very convenient, as convention is to simply take a tuba part and play everything up an octave from what is written on double bass. Even today, until you get to some grade 5 or 6 pieces written for 4 and 5 valve tubas, 99%+ of all concert band literature has this same range. Even then, it's only the occasional note, playable with a handful of valves, in the same manner as playing the same notes on a C-extension double bass.

I still occasionally have to sight transpose, both ways. In my jazz/dance band, I occasionally get tuba parts that I play up an octave, and in concert band I occasionally get double bass or bass guitar parts that I play down an octave, or occasionally we'll get a piece that just sounds better on one instrument or the other, or even electric bass, and I just make it work.

Since the orchestra part is available, yes, I'd just get it, because it will take awhile, even with Finale or Sibelius, to rewrite the part up an octave. Then you'll always have it.

Yes, I know all about the transposing thing as I started playing bass at 13, turned 60 last Sept. and played 20 years professionally in NY. Rarely did I EVER have to transpose because in professional circles, they write the parts in the correct octave. Imagine being a trumpet player and they give you the trombone part!

I get one rehearsal this time before the dress reh. because there are only two pieces for bass this concert which was originally Brass and Woodwinds only. I also will play the Dvorak Serenade for Winds and Brass with 1-Bass and 1-Cello as well in that concert.

I played for a year and change about 10 years ago in a concert band and some of the pieces were only for Tuba of which I have to transpose. One piece I made up the part by copy/pasting a mix of the Tuba and Bassoon parts to make up a DB part. When I left that band, they had a real bass book. Something they never had for well over 100 years since that group was founded.

I never played/studied Tuba or Piano so reading below the 5-string B is foreign to me. Sight reading it at a rapid fugue tempo is just not happening. Even with bass parts that have sections in Treble or Tenor clef I have to learn the parts and even write in the notes above to I don't make mistakes i n rehearsals or concerts. Usually I have them memorized by concert time. This time around I am working with 4 different Orchestras and have 4 concerts all within a month. That is A LOT of music to work on. My reading is fairly good so all I ask of the people I work with is clean parts to play without confusion.

I will probably add the $5. to my cartage bill for buying the part when I turn my fee slip in. I just wont tell the conductor about it!

[Scott Pope]

That was great that you made up a DB book for them. I like your ideas of selectively combining tuba and bassoon parts for an actual "part" that supports the various voicings of the band. Occasionally, when I've played in a band that was sparse, I've had to take bassoon or contra clarinet parts and add some missing texture if it wasn't cued in the tuba parts.

The best year I had in a community band was completely different, however. That particular year I played conventional tuba parts, but we had a guy who recognized it was about his last, as Parkinson's was getting him. He couldn't hold his trombone anymore, but he could balance a bass guitar in his lap. So we took the entire book and made parts for him to be able to play that last couple of years before he had to give it up completely. Some were transposed tuba parts, others were DB parts, a couple of contemporary pieces had actual bass guitar parts, etc. Just like low woodwinds add so much needed texture to tubas, his musicianship was of the highest caliber and really broadened the foundation of the band.

Have fun at your gig!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Scott Pope

That was great that you made up a DB book for them. I like your ideas of selectively combining tuba and bassoon parts for an actual "part" that supports the various voicings of the band. Occasionally, when I've played in a band that was sparse, I've had to take bassoon or contra clarinet parts and add some missing texture if it wasn't cued in the tuba parts.

The best year I had in a community band was completely different, however. That particular year I played conventional tuba parts, but we had a guy who recognized it was about his last, as Parkinson's was getting him. He couldn't hold his trombone anymore, but he could balance a bass guitar in his lap. So we took the entire book and made parts for him to be able to play that last couple of years before he had to give it up completely. Some were transposed tuba parts, others were DB parts, a couple of contemporary pieces had actual bass guitar parts, etc. Just like low woodwinds add so much needed texture to tubas, his musicianship was of the highest caliber and really broadened the foundation of the band.

Have fun at your gig!

There was only one piece that I had to make up from scratch with the bassoon and tuba that I recall. Maybe half the book or less possibly were Tuba parts. The band had 3 tubas and they could really play. The two baritone horn players were smokin' as well. One night I borrowed a part to make a copy as it was something I would love to be able to play and these guys read the stuff like the morning paper! One rehearsal when I came in early to set up they were re-auditioning one of the F.Horn players that had been there for years. The conductor told her she just wasn't cutting it anymore and let her go. This was the Quakertown Band founded in 1877, 2 years after the Batchelder bass I was using was made, no joke. I used an amp as well so wrong notes had no where to go. They played a few numbers of classical, big band jazz and the majority was band music with some um-pa stuff in there. I hadn't played in 15 years so I was just getting my chops back. Then I realized from playing the classical where I stood chops-wise and realized I needed to play in an orchestra to really get my hands and eyes back up to snuff and then some.

I called a local Orchestra and was informed they did have openings in D.Bass but an audition was required. I gave my resume from memory in an email and offered to just come and sight-read the rehearsal as I didn't have any of the required music for an audition having packed it all up 15 years ago. They agreed and the rest is history.

Last night I worked on the piece and I think I can pull it off with the written-over part I've doctored up. Like I said, until I play the first rehearsal I wont know if I can read that muddy scribble part at tempo and see my notes thru all of the other mumble-jumble on the page. If not, I buy and download the part on-line when I get back from rehearsal that night and be done with it.

[Don Higdon]

Ken, I don't think a DB part exists. I went to Petrucci, which provides free downloads, but they don't have parts for this, so I can't help you. (I just wanted to remind you of what a great guy I am.)

Petrucci is a great resource, though; they have tons of free stuff. Go to
http://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page
Click on 'Composers', click on the composer you want, and you'll get a list of available works.
The full score for the Holst shows a staff for "Basses", but just as you say, that's really tuba writing. One option is to click on 'Full Scores' and select the Condensed Score. It's like a piano reduction, but you'll see notes on the bass clef for which instruments are playing. It will be clean, and you can transpose up an octave and write in where necessary. That's the best I can do.
I'm doing some concert band stuff now, and I do this all the time. I simply can't sight transpose from below low C.
Good luck, you old goat.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Don Higdon

Ken, I don't think a DB part exists. I went to Petrucci, which provides free downloads, but they don't have parts for this, so I can't help you. (I just wanted to remind you of what a great guy I am.)

Petrucci is a great resource, though; they have tons of free stuff. Go to
http://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page
Click on 'Composers', click on the composer you want, and you'll get a list of available works.
The full score for the Holst shows a staff for "Basses", but just as you say, that's really tuba writing. One option is to click on 'Full Scores' and select the Condensed Score. It's like a piano reduction, but you'll see notes on the bass clef for which instruments are playing. It will be clean, and you can transpose up an octave and write in where necessary. That's the best I can do.
I'm doing some concert band stuff now, and I do this all the time. I simply can't sight transpose from below low C.
Good luck, you old goat.

Don, I thank you for joining the party even those dinner is finished.. lol

There IS actually a DB/String Bass part as I found a listing for 'optional String Bass' within the instrumentation, and I DID find it on line for purchase here; http://www.onlinesheetmusic.com/seco...s-p311160.aspx

I was just hoping to avoid transposing and re-writing some of the notes that I can't read being more than 2 ledger lines below the staff.

I have since written-up my part to play and have practiced it. I spent more time doing this than the time it takes to make the $4.95 and spend it on line for the part. Being that I will probably never play this again in my life and the fact that the Orchestra directors think the part I have is good enough which it's nit really, I didn't want to have to pay to play! But, I might just do it to take the strain off my eyes and brain and be a sport for once. Just don't let anyone know I can be a nice guy. That would just ruin my reputation altogether..

Still buddy, thanks for the reply anyways. It's always nice to hear from you. One chart I did in jazz band in high school was titled "Better Late Than Never".

[Ken Smith]

Ok, I bought the part on-line and printed it out. The String Bass part is not 100% the same as the Tuba. In some places, the DB Tacits while the Tuba plays. Less work for me!

Reading the Tuba part all marked up caused me to stop several times when mis-reading the proper bass notes while trying to read the part in octaves, marked up or transposing mentally while not really knowing what register to play the DB part in.

With the actual DB part printed out, it's sooooooooooo much cleaner to read.

I'm all set now .. and $4.95 poorer..

[Terry McDougal]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

I'm all set now .. and $4.95 poorer..

So, what part of Scotland are you from Ken?