Just made a request for a tuba version of Flight of the Bumblebee.

Anyone tried this before?

am I nuts?

Yes, you are nuts, but not entirely. I read somewhere that the tuba is now made well enough to do stuff like that, it's just that most music for tuba isn't that challenging. Have fun!

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I'm sorry about creating so much controversy over what I've posted above. What I was trying to say was that it can be done, it's just going to be more difficult since it's not something a tuba usually plays.

When I went to a band competition, I met this one man who played it on tuba... in the intended octave, I believe. so, go ahead, just don't expect it to be easy.

can you send me a copy of the flight of the bumblebee? i would really appreciate it
jgiavedoni@hotmail.com

If you work on your Chromatic scales everyday intensively, Flight of the Bumble bee won't be sooo difficult, though difficult it will be. It is more a show off piece. The Carnival of Venice is similar to the flight of the bumble bee but I think it might be a bit harder because it isn't chromatic.

Yes, you are nuts, but not entirely. I read somewhere that the tuba is now made well enough to do stuff like that, it's just that most music for tuba isn't that challenging. Have fun!

I think this is an unfair statement. There is plenty of music out there that is incredibly difficult written for the tuba.

I don't get what you mean by "Made well enough." The tuba has been made nearly the same way by most companies for years.

"I don't get what you mean by "Made well enough." The tuba has been made nearly the same way by most companies for years."

Nearly the same, yes, but not entirely. We use (typically!) nowadays lighter and more resilient materials and have refined many details that affect the playability of the instrument as a whole. Many innovations made the tuba a much more agile instrument then it used to be. Think of all the custom features Baadsvik had put on his own instrument so he could play things like Czardas which demanded an extremely light and responsive action.

I believe I read the bit about tubas being made better on the website of an accomplished tubist, so he was most likely talking about newer models and the such. I'm also sorry if I've offended anyone by saying that most tuba music isn't challenging, but you usually don't find a tuba part as complicated as a trumpet part in a piece of music.

Yes, you are nuts, but not entirely. I read somewhere that the tuba is now made well enough to do stuff like that, it's just that most music for tuba isn't that challenging. Have fun!

Oh trust me - there are some absolute belters of tuba pieces out there. Try Woods & Deaths arrangement of Hungarian Dance no. 5 - As well as putting in all the chromatic sequences they have put in some unnecesarily high notes in (top C# on Eb tuba, which is a concert E, not quite Bydlo but still nasty) Thats ABRSM Grade 8 level.

I think I might actually have the carnival of Venice somewhere, will need to give that a shot.

Bumblee isn't through though yet - I don't blame them.

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P.S. Never actually seen orchestral tuba parts like that - much more intersting that the dirge I normally get lumbered with.

Whoa, I had no idea people still played those... my school should buy some so we can learn to play them!