Hungarians invent a mobile tuba
UncategorizedThis could change lives – a few, at any rate.
Press release:
Since the tuba was invented, no such improvement has ever emerged as the innovation introduced by Roland Szentpáli and Zoltán Juhász that shall revolutionise the instrument. The newly developed mechanism now allows musicians to play the tuba stand-up and move freely on stage. The conversion from the traditional to the standing positioning takes only two and a half minutes. The significance of this invention is manifested by the German seventh-generation luthier, Gerhard Meinl’s involvement in the world patent and distribution.
Bravo to the engineers who invented this, but I wouldn’t be so hasty as to say it’s the best innovative tuba yet: the one owned by Gerard Hoffnung that dispensed beer certainly has to be competitive.
https://annesebba.com/journalism/still-a-blast-the-brassy-humour-of-hoffnung-2/
😀
Do tuba players want to stay or go around in the orchestra pit?
Sure not in the pit, but If You are a tuba soloist, I think it’s better to play by standing and be able to move with Your body. Not more than a violin player!;)
As a tuba player, on the surface, this looks fine but it looks like you are still having to bear the weight of the instrument yourself. In this sense, it is no different to the style of playing that the MOD bands have to put up with when performing in either ceremonies or marching. More interesting would be to develop something akin to the roving, video cameraman at a sports event where the weight of the camera is fully supported by the apparatus around his/her body and he/she is unencumbered by weight/awkwardness of camera/tuba.
Well, to have a stand for the tuba is strange for me. You can’t move with it freely. This Twoba is good, because it takes 2 minutes to assemble to normal. If Younolay jazz, or marching, You will not have a stand with You. The weight of the tuba is just 4-5kgs. It’s not that heavy. Of course if You have to hold it with Your hand it’s a lots of weight, but our Twoba is hanging on Your shoulders.
I’ve seen Carol Jantsch use some sort of harness when playing tuba concerti.
If you want to move around with a tuba, you should be playing a Sousaphone.
Hi! Sousaphone, Helicon is never as good as a tuba. The intonation, the sound, etc. Nobody ever played in a great concert hall a concerto with sousaphone.;)
Wessex now has a CC helicon, but it still wouldn’t be as versatile as the ‘twoba’. Is this being sold through Meinl-Weston?
Not a new idea!
There are photos of a player in Prague with an instrument in the same playing position dating back to 2011.
The valve system is new and a great idea!!
Here’s a video of the instrument from Prague from 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3RVaQzng7Y
Dear Mike, sure! The idea is not new. Few tuba players already tried to find to hold a tuba differently(caustically better). Thank for that video. Our Twoba has two positions not only one. Our development is the valve system.
Just missing accuracy improvements in the viola area now.
The only improvement is to be sought in the player.
;D
Great improvement. I have always been seriously worrying about the tuba player just sitting there at the back of the orchestra and nobody who could really see him huffing and puffing. This version should be indicated in the scores of new works, and also have the player sit at the front of the orchestra instead of at the back, so that the audience can admire both player and instrument, both finally redeemed from a minority position of acoustical discrimination.
It’s not for orchestra playing, but for solo, or jazz, or any free performances. The tuba is now not just huffing and puffing, please check any of my or leader tuba solo artist videos in YT! 😉
Oh Well!!! I guess it will be OK. Intonation pending. Valve orientation too.
I thought it was pronounced Chew -ba not two-ba. The latter is US the former UK.
The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary gives the pronunciation as ‘tiu.ba’. There is a perfectly adequate symbol for ‘ch’ and it is not used. Your ‘chewba’ is a result of sloppy articulation, not a UK pronunciation.
Also I think you may have missed the light pun in the title, as it is two kinds of tuba put together.
There was a tuba player for some years in Pittsburgh, Sumner Erickson, whose instrument was set up so he could always play in a standing position. He swore by it and prided himself on being original. His career was cut short, however.
Whilst I applaud the idea of exploring and developing the tuba, I can’t see how this is any more mobile or conducive to mobility than any other tuba. All that has happened is that the bell now points out more.
Dear Susan, it’s a lot more. Better projection, better accuracy, better communication with the audience and of course this can be assembled to the normal position in 2 minutes, that’s makes even more versatility for the Twoba.
Interesting!
Thank You for Your comment.