Posted by Fred Youg on January 26, 2001 at 10:51:56:
In Reply to: Re: Re: 7 Valve Tuba posted by Jay Bertolet on January 25, 2001 at 11:10:03:
If that is what you want the solution is very simple. One should get a York-Brunner with a different valve system. There are several systems that might be useful and I'm sure Peter Hirsbrunner knows how to make them and already makes them sometimes. They are
1) the British three valve compensating system
and if you think this too stuffy (Hirsbrunner makes them in BBb for the Swiss Schools)
2) make 1) a double tuba in CC and AA so that the air passes through the valves only once.
3) 6 valves being 2, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 semitones in descent. This has the advantage of being able to produce FF, EE,DD#, DD and CC# reasonabley well in tune with various combinations. However, many tubists aren't really interested in these notes and can wing them using the preferred open or socalled false open tone FF and valves 1, 2 or 3. This would be the true straight through system.
In addition to one of these systems there should be a spring-loaded trigger attached to the tuning slide to raise or lower any note desired. This being necessary because my valve suggestions only bring you the right length tubing to be in tune with the equally tempered scale. In tubas and other brasses the tubing lengths may be slightly different depending upon what partial the valved note derives from. Also the player may have to depart from equal temperment to get it tune with the strings. The strings sometimes exaggerate the sharpening of leading tones etc.