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Euphonium = contrabass sax!?

10K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  csax 
#1 ·
Recently at my middle school some of the band kids were fooling around after rehearsal. One of the alto sax players took his mouthpiece and put on another kid's euphonium. When he blew, it sounded exactly like a contrabass sax!

Has anyone ever tried this? I found you can get low C (Bb concert), and then all the notes down to low F#, but nothing above the low C. I guess it has to do with changing the harmonic series, which you can't do with this set-up. Does that have to do with the differences between the way a reed mp works vs. a cup mp?
 
#2 ·
The tubing length and bore might approach a bass sax, but not a contra. As far as the limited range you were able to get, you are correct as to the reason why.
 
#3 ·
BlueTrane2028 said:
The tubing length and bore might approach a bass sax, but not a contra.
You know, I wasn't sure about that. I've played a contra once, and a bass never, though I have heard recordings of both. It seemed to me that what I played on this hybrid sounded more like a contra; on the other hand, it would indeed seem odd that I was able to get a contra octave on a relatively small horn.
 
#4 ·
It could be that the reed vibrates at about the same frequency as your lips would use for the pedal (lowest notes possible on the baritone/euph)... which would put it in about the right territory.
 
#6 ·
I put a bari mouthpiece on a tuba for kicks one day.. it sounded like the low hum of a helicopter taking off o_O Very low frequency the only way you could really sense the sound was by feeling it.. and trust me.. you FELT IT.
 
#12 ·
My friend and I have done this since freshmen year of marching band (I'm a senior this year). He just grabbed my clarinet mouthpiece, stuck it into his trombone mouthpiece (still attached to his trombone), and told me to play. The resultant notes are very low, thought you can also get some very high squeaks. You get similar results with a bass clarinet mouthpiece and a tuba...
 
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