The type of tuba one uses in commercial work is very important. I feel the main considerations in selecting a tuba should include the following: a very centered tone (easier to get on the mike), quick and easy response throughout the registers, workable intonation. My basic tuba (used for most work) is a Model 185-5U CC Mirafone. For extremely high parts, I use a Mirafone F tuba.
The types of commercial jobs where tubas are used include, movie and television film scoring, radio and television commercials, records, and live television variety shows. However, eighty to eighty-five percent of employment for commercial tuba players occur in the motion picture, television film area. Some of the television programs that used tuba consistently in 1977 were: Baa Baa Black Sheep, Wonder Woman, How the West Was Won, Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Charlie's Angels, CHiPs, and Hulk.
Two major motion pictures actually used the tuba as one of the main characters of the story. They were, the shark in "Jaws", and the mothership in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Other motion pictures where the tuba was used frequently last year included, "The Car", "Smokey and the Bandit", "MacArthur", "The World's Greatest Lover", "High Anxiety", "The Betsy", and "Demon Seed".
There are a few types of other commercial tuba jobs in the Los Angeles area, such as, band work at Disneyland and other amusement parks, but basically the opportunities are very limited. Tuba use in the commercial field in the Los Angeles area has made tremendous progress in the last five years. The myth, that the tuba is a "limited ability" instrument has all but disappeared. Composers are writing more and more challenging parts that require really outstanding tubists to play the parts. The instrument is being used in ways that seemed impossible a few years ago.
However, there still remains a "big" problem to be resolved. The problem being, to use the tuba much more often in studio orchestras. The tuba is still being used more on an occasional basis than a regular basis. For example, for every ten television shows scored, the tuba will be used approximately once. In movie scoring, the average is slightly better, but still way behind the use of other brass instruments.
Because of the inconsistency of work, the opportunities for new players to break in are very, very limited. Until more consistent work is available, supply will greatly outnumber demand. Hopefully, this situation will change for the better in the next few years.
In summary, to become a top commercial tuba player, one must be thoroughly prepared. A good sense of rhythm along with outstanding sight reading ability is essential. A medium bore tuba with a centered sound seems to work best for recording work. All types of commercial jobs in Los Angeles use tuba, but unfortunately on a limited basis. Opportunities for work are sparse at the moment, but I feel this situation will really change for the better in years to come. Keep preparing and practicing, because you never know when the opportunity for employment will be available.
Tommy Johnson
About
Tommy Johnson, a native of Los Angeles, is clearly the most sought after tubist of the Hollywood studio scene. His tuba playing may very well be the most widely heard in the world through the electronic media and films. Since his emergence in the studio community the tuba has become more frequently used to some degree. But what is far more important is the remarkable change in the way in which it is used. The film and television scores in which Mr. Johnson has been significantly featured are far too numerous to mention.
This article was written in 1973 for a special issue of The Instrumentalist, which featured the tuba in conjunction with the First International Tuba Symposium held at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.A. Unfortunately, this article was not one of the several that was published in that issue. This article has been revised to better suit the situation of 1979, but it remains essentially the same as the original.