Cavaliers Tuba Question

[behold888]

What is that high pitched whirly noise the tubas do? You know the one...

[PhantomCav]

What is that high pitched whirly noise the tubas do? You know the one...

I am just offering conjecture, but I think they might be humming/singing through the instrument.

[Drum Corps Nation]

It's basically them vocalizing through the horn, a technique made popular by Nat McIntosh when he was with Youngblood Brass Band. It's supposed to sound like scratching on a record.

[Noname]

I always thought it was electronic, until I heard them do it in the lot. So I assumed it was a vocalization of some sort.

My very first time seeing it (at the theaters), I was a little out of it and thought they were playing it. But immediately dismissed it.

[Spin Cycle]

I'm pretty sure they're singing into their mouthpieces.

[behold888]

So if they're using their voices, it must be falsetto or something, sounds pretty high (and convincing, if they're going for a record scratch).

[N.E. Brigand]

I'm glad someone asked this, as I was wondering the same thing, and also wasn't sure if it really was coming from the contras or was instead a synthesized or sampled sound. (It's sad that the latter must be considered a possibility these days.) For those who have missed the sound, try the Allentown performance at 4:13-4:16.

[behold888]

I'm glad someone asked this, as I was wondering the same thing, and also wasn't sure if it really was coming from the contras or was instead a synthesized or sampled sound. (It's sad that the latter must be considered a possibility these days.) For those who have missed the sound, try the Allentown performance at 4:13-4:16.

Well i'm sure it's real, I've heard another tuba player do it in a concert setting (brass quintet). I'll ask around, seems to be a (not-so)common technique, but at least tuba players know about it. Maybe not all can do it because of its falsetto requirements. And you know tuba players... manly men

[Dave]

It's called polyphonics or multiphonics. You have to sing very high or it won't come across over the note you're playing at the time. I do it from time to time, or sometimes just do the "scratching" imitation with my band. Nat did the multiphonics, but a lot of his scratching was layered in. He was inspired in large part by "Scratch" from the Roots, and YBBB has a couple songs that are lifted straight from the Roots' rep.

[JulesBry]

I'm glad someone asked this, as I was wondering the same thing, and also wasn't sure if it really was coming from the contras or was instead a synthesized or sampled sound. (It's sad that the latter must be considered a possibility these days.) For those who have missed the sound, try the Allentown performance at 4:13-4:16.

First, if synths were still illegal, we wouldn't be asking each other if that was a "real" sound. :-)

Second, a funny story. A couple of years ago, we were giving our sixth graders the opportunity to try out several instruments as they were picking what they would play in band the next year. One girl was deadset on playing the tuba, and when they sat her in front of the instrument, the most beautiful, lyric sound came out. For awhile, we thought she was a natural--the best tuba sound we'd heard in that middle school for many years--and from a complete beginner playing her first note.

Then, we figured it out--she was singing through the horn.

She's now a drummer. :-)