[78-L] Use of double bass in dance bands

[DAVID BURNHAM]

Re the question about which instrument is more difficult to play, tuba or string bass.  When I played the bass in a band many years ago,  we were playing a concert in which a tuba was required.  I had never touched a tuba but was told that since I was the bass player, it was up to me to play the tuba at the concert.  There was a book back then (early '60s), called "Easy Steps to the Band", with a different edition for each instrument.  The first page of each book contained a picture of the instrument, a staff containing all of the notes it could play and under each note the fingerings for that note.  I took the tuba edition home with the music for the concert and under each note in all the music I wrote which valves to push for that note.  I played the concert using this method and it sounded fine;  I have not touched a tuba again since that day.

db