Vladislav Blazhevich (1886 – 1942)
Study for BBb tuba #43
- arranged as duet for various pairs of instruments
- notated in several keys, clefs, and transpositions
by Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre (2015)
This edition is the second step in my project of providing counterparts for BlazhevichÕs 70 etudes for BBb tuba. This etude #43 has two inherent challenges, the key of Gb major and the time signature of 5/8. I find the challenge of the time signature important enough to transpose this etude to fit the range of other instruments than the original target instrument, the BBb tuba.
The counterpart wrote itself in the first 3 bars of the beginning and in the first 3 bars of Tempo I, because the two original motives of these bars work together when layered. From there on the counterpart operates around the line of the original study, mostly active when the original has long notes and vice versa, thereby in the first section creating long builds of dominant tensions towards the releases of a local tonic. The chromatic modulation beginning at bar #27 has been supported by a sequence of tensions and releases, where the release notes are reinterpreted as dissonant by the moves of the original line. This passage takes a high level of exactness of the intonation as well as of the rhythm, if it shall make any sense at all. The enharmonic reinterpretations are not reflected in the spelling of the notes, which has been optimized for ease of reading (hopefully so). The counterpart has the wider range, as it exceeds the range of the original etude with a major third upwards and downwards for a total of 2 octaves and a major sixth.
During the early stages of preparing alternative versions for other instruments than the BBb tuba it occurred to me that this study was very well suited for one of my own check-up procedures towards important matters like precise intonation, evenness of sound, and smoothness of phrasing. By playing a given piece of music in as many keys as possible within ones range, shortcomings are easily heard. One may work around the circle of fifths or in chromatic increments. I start in a comfortable key in a comfortable range and then work my way first downwards towards my range limit, then back to the first key and working upwards from there. My goal is not about playing in equal temperament, but about making the music sound right in any given key. For me this demands leading notes and auxiliary notes being on the same partial (in the same register, on the same string, whichever applies) as their target notes. That implies that any given note not always is played with the same fingering, with the same slide position, or on the same string. Bowing string players usually are most aware about this trait of musical cohesiveness. So yes, this study comes in all twelve major key, even if many instruments have a smaller selection of keys due to range considerations.
A general principle has been about letting the original study stay as intact as possible through the transpositions. However, double accidentals have been respelled in all situations but for a very specific one. In bars #45 & #46 the recurrent auxiliary note has been kept as a double sharp, if the main note is a note raised by the key signature. Likewise the notes of E# and B# have been respelled. Aside from the original key versions with 6 sharps also come in their enharmonic alternative with 6 Flats.
Despite the present number of 187 versions the selection hardly is comprehensive. More versions will be made on request, if the respective instrument ranges match the given key. The available versions are listed by key and octave, which reflects the folder structure. As long as good balance is maintained, all versions within a given folder are fully compatible. This opens up for a lot of nonstandard instrument constellations. It may be of relevance to use the search function of Adobe Reader or of your browser.
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Gb Major: |
Soprano octave |
2 Clarinets in A |
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2 Violas ### |
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2 Violas Flats |
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Tenor octave |
2 Bass Clarinets |
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2 Bassoons |
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2 Ophicleides |
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2 Trombones - 2nd must have an F-attachment |
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Bb Trombone (treble clef) & Bass Trombone - brass band style |
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2 Bass Trombones |
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2 Bb Euphoniums - treble clef |
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2 Euphoniums |
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2 Celli |
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Contrabass octave |
2 Contrabass Clarinets |
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2 Contrabassoons |
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2 Contrabass Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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2 BBb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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2 String Basses |
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G Major: |
Soprano octave |
2 Bb Clarinets |
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2 Clarinets in A |
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Tenor octave |
2 Bass Clarinets |
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2 Bassoons |
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2 Ophicleides |
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2 Horns in F |
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2 Wagner Tubas |
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2 Trombones - 2nd must have an F-attachment |
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Bb Trombone (treble clef) & Bass Trombone - brass band style |
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2 Bass Trombones |
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2 Bb Euphoniums - treble clef |
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2 Euphoniums |
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2 Celli |
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Contrabass octave |
2 Contrabass Clarinets |
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2 Contrabassoons |
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2 Contrabass Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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2 BBb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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2 String Basses |
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Ab Major: |
Soprano octave |
2 Bb Clarinets |
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2 Clarinets in A |
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Tenor octave |
2 Bass Clarinets |
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2 Bassoons |
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2 Ophicleides |
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2 Horns in F |
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2 Wagner Tubas |
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2 Trombones - 2nd must have an F-attachment |
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Bb Trombone (treble clef) & Bass Trombone - brass band style |
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Tenor Trombone & Bass Trombone |
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2 Bb Euphoniums - treble clef |
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2 Euphoniums |
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2 Celli |
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Contrabass octave |
2 Contrabass Clarinets |
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2 Contrabassoons |
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2 Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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2 BBb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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2 String Basses |
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A Major: |
Soprano octave |
2 Bb Clarinets |
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2 Clarinets in A |
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2 Bb Cornets |
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Tenor octave |
2 Bass Clarinets |
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2 Bassoons |
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2 Ophicleides |
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2 Wagner Tubas |
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2 Bb Trombones - treble clef brass band style |
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2 Trombones |
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2 Bb Euphoniums - treble clef |
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2 Euphoniums |
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2 Celli |
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Bass octave |
2 Contrabass Clarinets |
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2 Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas ### - treble clef brass band style |
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2 Eb Tubas Flats - treble clef brass band style |
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2 BBb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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2 String Basses |
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Bb Major: |
Soprano octave |
2 Bb Clarinets |
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2 Bb Cornets |
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Tenor octave |
2 Basset Horns |
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2 Bass Clarinets |
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2 Bassons - tenor clef - 2nd also bass clef |
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2 Horns in F |
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2 Wagner Tubas |
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Alto & Tenor Trombones - alto & tenor clefs |
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2 Trombones - tenor clef - 2nd also bass clef |
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2 Bb Trombones - treble clef brass band style |
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2 Bb Euphoniums - treble clef |
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2 Celli - tenor clef - 2nd also bass clef |
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Bass octave |
2 Contrabass Clarinets |
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2 Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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2 BBb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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2 String Basses - tenor clef - 2nd also bass clef |
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B Major: |
Soprano octave |
Oboe & Clarinet in A |
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Alto octave |
2 Basset Horns ### |
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2 Basset Horns Flats |
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2 Alto Clarinets |
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2 Horns in F ### |
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2 Horns in F Flats |
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2 Wagner Tubas ### |
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2 Wagner Tubas Flats |
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Alto & Tenor Trombones - alto & tenor clefs |
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Bass octave |
2 Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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C Major: |
Super octave |
Flute & Alto Flute |
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Oboe & Bb Clarinet |
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Oboe & Violin |
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2 Violins |
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Alto octave |
2 Basset Horns |
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2 Alto Clarinets |
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2 Horns in F |
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2 Wagner Tubas |
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Alto & Tenor Trombones - alto & tenor clefs |
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Bass octave |
2 Contralto Clarinets |
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2 Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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Db Major: |
Alto octave |
2 Basset Horns |
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2 Alto Clarinets |
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2 Horns in F |
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2 Wagner Tubas |
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Bass octave |
2 Contralto Clarinets |
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2 Bass Trombones |
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2 Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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D Major: |
Alto octave |
2 Basset Horns |
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2 Alto Clarinets |
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2 Horns in F |
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2 Horns in Eb - brass band style |
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Bass octave |
2 Contralto Clarinets |
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2 Ophicleides – 2nd must be in Bb |
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Tenor Trombone & Bass Trombone - tenor must have an F-attachment |
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2 Bass Trombones |
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2 Bb Euphoniums - treble clef |
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2 Euphoniums |
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2 Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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Eb Major: |
Super octave |
2 Violins |
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Alto octave |
2 Basset Horns |
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2 Alto Clarinets |
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2 Horns in F |
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2 Horns in Eb - clef brass band style |
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Bass octave |
2 Bass Clarinets |
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2 Contralto Clarinets |
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2 Bassoons |
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2 Ophicleides - 2nd must be in Bb |
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Tenor Trombone & Bass Trombone - tenor must have an F-attachment |
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2 Bass Trombones |
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2 Bb Euphoniums - treble clef |
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2 Euphoniums |
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2 Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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Contrabass octave |
2 Contrabassoons |
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2 BBb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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E Major: |
Super octave |
2 Flutes - 2nd must have a B-foot |
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2 Violins |
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Baritone octave |
2 Bass Clarinets ### |
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2 Bass Clarinets Flats |
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2 Bassoons |
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2 Ophicleides |
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Tenor & Bass Trombones - tenor must have an F-attachment |
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2 Bass Trombones |
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2 Bb Euphoniums - treble clef ### |
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2 Bb Euphoniums - treble clef Flats |
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2 Euphoniums |
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2 Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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Contrabass octave |
2 Contrabassoons |
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2 BBb Tubas ### - treble clef brass band style |
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2 BBb Tubas Flats - treble clef brass band style |
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F Major: |
Mezzo octave |
English Horn & Basset Horn |
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2 Basset Horns |
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Baritone octave |
2 Bass Clarinets |
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2 Bassoons |
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2 Baritone Saxophones |
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2 Ophicleides |
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2 Trombones |
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Bb Trombone (treble clef) & Bass Trombone - brass band style |
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2 Bass Trombones |
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2 Bb Euphoniums - treble clef |
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2 Euphoniums |
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2 Bass Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - high range - treble clef brass band style |
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2 Celli |
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CB |
2 Contrabass Clarinets |
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2 Contrabassoons |
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2 Contrabass Tubas |
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2 Eb Tubas - low range - treble clef brass band style |
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2 BBb Tubas - treble clef brass band style |
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2 String Basses |
Kors¿r - June 17th - 2015
Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre yorkmasterbbb@yahoo.com