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I have a once in a lifetime call (okay I said I would never get to play a single one and got lucky) to perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 1.

I will already have my CC for Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. 95% of the time working the “solo” in the third movement of the Mahler, I have done it on F. I’ve always heard the color of the solo on F to blend with the bassoon and bass, and at least from listening, have heard the blend more on a smaller horn unlike his other 7 symphonies that include tuba.

I don’t mind toting two horns—I’m paid to sound my best, and I have a particularly strong trombone section (as in Pete Norton frequently plays with the group). This is one I hear all about the solo and not about the rest with the blend and balance and timbre that works best.

Looking forward to the discussion!

Play F.

On another platform, you expressed concern about open low F's as well as G's which tend to tune sharp with an F instrument with only 5 valves.

On my "antique" six valve, I have a legitimate in-tune valve combination for G and a cheat code for F.

I will tell you that most trombone players actually prefer playing with F tubas, of course, when played well. The sonority is closer to theirs, and (when some contrabass tuba players tend to sound a little fuzzy and puffy) a good F player's pitches are easier for them to interpret.

Personally, I don't get the contrabass tuba on any Wagner - other than the operas where it is specified, and nor do I get pulling it out some Yorkaphone to play Brahms anything - nor very much of Richard Strauss, and if I had a shot at Bruckner 4, I would be there with my F tuba.

I'm not looking back at the score, but - if there's time allotted - you can always pull your main slide for either of those pitches.

The first time I played it, I did take my contrabass tuba to the first rehearsal, but then left it at home (just not needed).

backwards sort of bad analogy:
Yesterday, I could have used my euphonium on maybe a third or fourth of the polkas and waltzes that I played with the tuba quartet at the brewery, but there really wasn't any point in it. I didn't bring it. I just brought the F tuba. Those instruments love playing above the staff anyway.

Realize, though, that I was the guy who got by with nothing but an F tuba for quite a few years. I dumped my contrabass tubas sometime in the early 80s, and didn't buy another one until about 2004 or so - and during those years I played a heck of a lot of tuba in a heck of a lot of places.

In regards to the repertoire that I name-dropped above, I suspect that (I might as well name-drop again) Matt Good would shake his head yes to everything I said up there.

The real answer is a Miraphone 497 Hagen Bb or Alex 164 Bb.

Jomaits wrote: Sun Sep 27, 2026 4:08 pm The real answer is a Miraphone 497 Hagen Bb or Alex 164 Bb.

...or an EEE flat subcontrabass tuba with a 40mm mouthpiece cup diameter featuring a 12mm throat.

Ask Roger Rocco

Ask Mahler.

He dead

#1 "a tuba that I own that I think is great"
#2 "a tuba that I wish I owned that I think is great"

Whichever tuba sounds the best after you spend an hour buzzing first.

AvrTuba wrote: Sun Sep 27, 2026 8:15 pm Ask Roger Rocco

Rocky Rococo? At your cervix!?

AvrTuba wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2026 8:13 amHe dead

Ouija Board. Easy.

Everything else aside, this is easy. You get to perform Mahler 1. You've always done the solo on your F. Don't compromise. What will six-months-from-the-concert you think? Oh man, glad I didn't burden myself bringing two horns? Or oh man, I finally got to execute that solo in a concert the way I always wanted? This is a two-horn concert to me without question.

I posted about it months ago, but I got to play Meistersinger in January. I always wanted to try it on a 184, which I happen to have now. I could have accepted that my Gnagey is a better horn and played it on that, but I'm so so so glad I didn't. I spent a lot of time figuring out the intonation on the 184 so it was performance ready, and I loved the product. It worked as well as I'd hoped, and after years of having a theory, I got to execute it and can look back on it as a musical and personal success.

windshieldbug wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2026 10:15 am Rocky Rococo? At your cervix!?

He dead, too.

Play the entire thing -- including the delicate/soft parts & solo -- on a massive Conn 'Jumbo' BBb sousa

I don't know if the part is specifially marked but if it came up on one of our concerts I would just play it on my King B flat. It's technically simple and it only goes up to A at the top of the staff. Yes, I am a caveman. Ed









i'd

catgrowlB wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2026 8:27 am Play the entire thing -- including the delicate/soft parts & solo -- on a massive Conn 'Jumbo' BBb sousa

Hell yeah. I'm man enough to do this, but a whole bunch of y'all are a bunch of wussies, don't know how to tame a beast, and get out them cheater horns.

Do not underestimate just how softly all who play before you are going to play. And do not overestimate your ability to play just as softly as they did. My two cents.

UncleBeer wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2026 1:28 pm Do not underestimate just how softly all who play before you are going to play. And do not overestimate your ability to play just as softly as they did. My two cents.

Play Mahler II on French tuba.

interwebs wrote:No, Gustav Mahler never lived in Paris, though he visited the city several times for professional engagements and medical consultations.

Option 4 - use F for the solo AND that exposed very soft sustained low F in the 1st movement. Some editions include that love note from Gus Mahler about giving the low F to the contrabassoon if the tuba cannot play softly enough. Getting a low F on a contrabass tuba to speak softly enough, when you have been sitting cold for the past 10 minutes, is sometimes not the easiest thing. I heard of a famous tuba player putting a restriction in the mouthpiece backbore just for that one note - may have been a bead with a hole in it.

bloke wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2026 3:17 pm No, Gustav Mahler never lived in Paris, though he visited the city several times for professional engagements and medical consultations.

The story I love is Mahler and Freud walking the streets of Leiden (NL), discussing Gustav's many problems. This really happened!