Yes, I know this is a trumpet forum but they didn`t have a tuba forum so what the heck. My marching band didn`t have enough low brass so I volunteered to play the tuba( we coudn`t move our trumpet/trombone/french horns). My main instrument is the clarinet( we had too many clarinets, so my B.D. asked the woodwinds to play)and my music is in treble clef so i already know the fingering to the tuba. So my problem is that I`m marching w/ a sousaphone and I`m afraid it may be too heavy for me( I have back problems), is there any instrument that can replace the tuba but still lets me play the tuba part( i was thinkin baritone?)

Chow.

Maybe you could play the alto smaller than baritone.

but I don know if you could play tuba part on baritone or alto cause they all a little different. Maybe someone else knows better than me.

Dave

thanks.

chow.

well i play a concert tuba with marching attachment for marching band they are way heavier than our sousaphones and im not the strongest guy youll find im 6`1 140lbs not much muscle the first few weeks marching tuba was real rough but now i have incredible strength with the tuba you will work into being able to hold it easily. if ya got any other questions go ahead and email ill be glad to help

i should also say i also have problems with my back before i played but doesnt seem to bother me
just make sure you do stretchs before you march dont want to get hurt more than ya are

Thanks, that was "useful" info. Makes me feel good that I can actually do this w/o killin myself.

try a fiberglass sousaphone

anyway here is the link to the better tubaforum around

http://forums.chisham.com/

Baritone sax is the only instrument that comes to mind with the same parts as tuba, the other day in the band practice some sheets got mixed up and I played sax baritone sheets for like 4 songs before I realized they were not for tuba.

Hey dude I was in your shoes not to long ago. Last year I switched from clarinet to tuba. They gave me the feildshow music the second day of School and told me their first home game was in a month. I memorized the music on the tuba without actually knowing how to play the tuba. That was the easy part,.......... but they didn`t have a sousaphone. I had to march with a contra. The first couple of weeks was painful. My right shoulder felt like the grand canoyn (diced in two) and my forearms were stiff after every practice. I can tell you that your body gradually gets use to it because my body did. I noticed that my arms got bigger and I gained some weight. The pain gradually reduced until I could march with the contra without a problem. Almost a year later I can now toss that thing as if one of those colorguard girls. By the way, the tuba forum is also called the bass forum.

We march bass clarinets on the tuba parts. You might want to give that a try.

thanks for all your responses and advice! I`m glad to say that my marching season is over and I was a "success" with the tuba. I learned to love playing it! I`m thinking of getting private lessons so I can really really be good at it so when next year`s marching season begins I`ll rock the field even more! I`m currently playing it for concert band and it`s a fun experience. Bass parts rule!(I play bass clarinet also), I don`t care what people say about the tuba and bass clarinet about having easy and boring parts....we`re the foundation of the sound and without us the top parts would sound so out of place. Even though we may not get recognition, we`re one proud bunch of people( the basses that is).