Klarinet Archive - Posting 001090.txt from 1998/12

From: "Jim O'Briant" <jobriant@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Basset horn vs. basset clarinet
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 12:34:32 -0500

Dan Leeson wrote:

> > >It is somewhat akin to calling a tuba a trumpet that plays low.

And then Bill Hausmann wrote:

> > Calling a tuba a bass trumpet doesn't offend me.

To which Edwin V. Lacy replied:

> Actually, I believe the tuba would be a bass cornet rather than a bass
> trumpet, as it shares with the cornet the characteristic of having a
> predominance of conical tubing.

Even a tubist has something to contribute occasionally on the Klarinet list!
The modern instrument with the range of a cornet or trumpet, but which is
most closely related to the tuba, is the fleugelhorn.

The members of the saxhorn family, from the bottom up (ptich-wise) are:

BBb Tuba
CC Tuba
EEb Tuba
F Tuba
Euphonium
Baritone Horn (same range as euphonium and more cylindrical; thus, only
marginally a member of the tuba group, but a saxhorn nevertheless)
Eb Alto Horn ("Peck Horn;" when used in British-style brass bands it is
called an "Eb Tenor Horn," but it's the same instrument)

At one time, Bb Soprano Saxhorns were made; they were an upright-bell or
over-the-shoulder marching instrument with the same fundamental and range as
a cornet, trumpet or fleugelhorn. To my knowledge, there are but two of
these instruments of modern manufacture, both built from converted fleugels
-- Larry Minick made one
for Tony Clements (San Jose, CA) 3 years ago and now John Sandhagen has made
the other. For lack of a better term, these instruments are now called
"Flubas," and they are played annually at the San Jose Christmas TubaFest.

This year there was a third similar instrument there, built from a cornet.
It was noticeably brighter in tone than the Flubas, due to its less conical
bore, and really didn't blend well into the extremely mellow "all-saxhorn"
ensemble. We dubbed it a "Tubet" (pronounced "toob-ET"), since it is a
tuba-shaped cornet.

Well, that's enough brass talk on a woodwind list for one day......

Jim O'Briant
Bayside Music Press
Gilroy, CA USA

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