The PhD research of Jens Demey aims to develop an informed artistic practice for contrabass tubas from 1845 (its invention) to the present day, using a cultural-historical context and an organological study. With a tube length of approximately 6 metres, the contrabass tuba is the largest brass instrument and thus the foundation of the orchestra. Its construction has changed significantly throughout history, while local construction traditions have remained intact. This has led to an enormous variety of instrument types (i.e. contrabass tuba varieties), which this study examines for the first time from an artistic perspective.
This research consists of five steps.
In the first step, the contrabass tuba varieties made by instrument makers in Paris, Vienna and Berlin are catalogued. In the second step, the playing characteristics of these instruments are compared using practice-based methods and then tested by other contrabass tuba players. In the third step, the instruments are measured using three acoustic and electro-technical measurement techniques (impedance software, sound analyses and bore calculations), after which the results are linked to the artistic experiments from the second step. The fourth step involves categorising contrabass tubas so that they can be used in a targeted manner in concert practice. In a final step, research-based recordings are made to share the results with a research community. In addition to developing an informed performance practice, this research will also lead to a better cultural-historical understanding of the contrabass tuba and the development of innovative techniques in organology, which will be translated into contemporary instrument making.