Re: Re: thumb addicts


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Posted by Must agree! on January 30, 2004 at 04:22:10:

In Reply to: Re: thumb addicts posted by Gus Pratt on January 30, 2004 at 03:20:28:

I must agree with you.

Horn players on quite a number of models have to manipulate to valve triggers with their left thumb. One for the main shift between Bb and F (or F valve on a single Bb horn; this is my field of experience). One for the stop valve. The left thumb is quite agile, something I also have made use of on my recorders. So it is possible to achieve a good deal of agility in using either of the valves or combining them. That is the way players of 5 valve single Bb horns almost achieve to fill the gap above the 1st partial. My reservation "almost" comes from the fact, that the 5th (stopping) valve only adds tubing for a long semitone, not a long whole step like on tubas.

The single point, where I might differ from you, is about the rollers. Applying a pressure right on the rollers to activate both valves might carry a danger of slipping off one of the triggers. But I am sure the problem can be solved.

A quite different solution would be to keep the 5th and 6th paddles in the left hand and add two more paddles. The one for the left ring finger could activate a trigger for the 2nd valve. A thumb trigger could activate a slide adjustment of the 1st, 4th, or main slide depending on what the designers find optimal.

These thoughts are not very original, as just about all of these features have been present in various tuba models. Only they have not been combined in the same production model tuba yet.

Klaus


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