What's in a name

[ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar]

I searched the forums on the subject and didn’t find any recent discussions so I figured I’d start one. If the moderators feel this should be moved to the brass forums, please do so, but I think this is more about the naming quirks that come from our activity’s roots …

Conventional wisdom says that marching tubas pitched in the key of G are “Contras,” whereas marching tubas pitched in the key of Bb are “Tubas.” Is there a definitive answer as to why this is? Even if there is, why should it matter? Yeah, “contra” sounds cooler, but isn’t it just a voicing description, as opposed to an instrument?

Two anecdotes:

The first one happened less than a decade ago. I’m watching a DCI group (Bb hornline) with my folks. My mom turns to me and asks, “Are those large horns called ‘contras?’” I say they are, not wanting to go into the full history of G vs Bb -- especially considering this was right in the middle of performance. When I say so, this jackhole sitting in front of us turns around and goes out of his way to “correct” us, saying that only G horns can be called contras. If it wasn’t in the middle of a performance, I would’ve chewed him out, but I let it go.

The second instance was more recent. My buddy and I are at a bar the night before a DCA show. We’re chatting with a guy from another group. When he asks what we play, my buddy says we march Yamaha Bb contras. The guy “corrects” us, saying that ONLY tubas pitched in the key of G can be called “contras.” I’m too tired/buzzed to get into this debate. My buddy isn’t. He unloads on the poor guy a point-by-point argument, the gist of it being that the pitch of an instrument doesn’t determine the name. A Bb tuba is the contra voice in the brass choir, just like a G tuba is the contra voice of the brass choir. This stupid debate continues with neither side relenting.

So I now take this stupid debate from the bar to the internet. I don’t know which venue is more/less civilized, but have at it.

[SkyRyder_FMM]

Purely anecdotal, but here goes. The Blue Stars sell section patches on their souvenir stand. They have both trumpet and soprano, as well as tuba and contra patches. From personal experience working on the souvenir stand the past few years, todays kids tend to buy the soprano and contra patches over the trumpet and tuba patches. When I ask about it, the response is basically the same every time - it's drum corps, and the name is cooler.

[ATXGUY]

Tomato Tamahto to me. However, I was surprised in the Crown rehearsal today to hear the staff calling them Tubas. First time I have heard that. Always have heard them called Contras.

[FlamMan]

When & why did drum corps stop calling horns Sopranos, Mellos, Baritones, & Contras? Its too bad that all of the things that differentiated Drum Corps from Marching Band are gone.

[Kamarag]

The term has evolved somewhat over the last ten or twelve years. A lot of folks refer to any shoulder-mounted marching tuba as "contras". You'll still hear the terms interchanged by many staff members. I've used both at various times.

When I'm teaching, I generally will call them tubas...until they stop sucking. At that point, they graduate to contras. Worked as a nice motivational tool for younger members, and kids that studied their drum corps history.

When they *really* suck, the term "sousaphone" gets broken out :)

[sdstar]

A patch anecdote: our son, who marched a season with 25 lbs of tubing on his shoulder, made us trade in the Tuba patch we bought him for his jacket, and replace it with a Contra patch.

My 2¢ worth on the subject: contrabass absolutely is a voice not a key, and besides, a tuba sits on the lap not the shoulder.

[NR_Ohiobando]

It's simply terminology. Both people are right in their own merits, both people are also kind of annoying. Personally I say Contra because it sounds cooler and I like the voicing labels more than the literal labels. It's probably an aesthetic thing for me.

I've got frustrated over odd terminology too. I took a marching methods course in college and our instructor always referred to guard equipment as "props". Rifles, Sabres, anything that wasn't a flag was a prop. This made no sense to me and caused much frustration. Plus it didn't help that I already kinda hated the instructor.

But yeah, simply pick whichever one sounds more aesthetically pleasing for your own taste. Both are technically right.

[IllianaLancerContra]

When & why did drum corps stop calling horns Sopranos, Mellos, Baritones, & Contras? Its too bad that all of the things that differentiated Drum Corps from Marching Band are gone.

And then they wonder where all the fans went....

[bill]

The Kilties call them contras, from the members all away along the ranks of the organization from the mentioned members through the teaching staff, administration, etc. We do play on a G line, and will continue to do so; so dedicated to do so that the organization replaced the entire brass equipment line with new horns (over a couple season time frame) and all in G. So it was easy to the maintain the standard descriptions of soprano , mello, bari, euph and contra.

We did have one of our brass instructors (with a ton of experience, wisdom, a music educator and long time alumnus of the drum corps activity) call them tubas as one time, as a slip of the tongue. The entire brass line just booed...then we beat the snot out of him.

It's really just preference by tradition, but it is also (with G lines) the actual standard proper voice naming of each instrument in the key of G.

.....and that insight and information, and 47 cents still only gets someone a senior cup of coffee at the local McDonald's.

[N.E. Brigand]

When & why did drum corps stop calling horns Sopranos, Mellos, Baritones, & Contras?

I'll use this post as an excuse to ask: why are "mellophones" called that in the first place? As opposed to "Altos" or "Tenors", to match the other names?

Edited July 19, 2012 by N.E. Brigand