Posted by Rick Denney on July 06, 2001 at 13:56:00:
In Reply to: Re: MW F Tuba FS posted by Jim Andrada on July 05, 2001 at 23:51:18:
It seems to me that the main reason is so that each instrument will have a similar working range. I once owned a 4-valve F tuba that I could not use for most quintet music because the notes went too low. The 5-valve horn that I now use addresses that problem. But a 6-valve tuba would provide even more options for solving intonation problems in those very low notes.
Those same notes would be easy to nail with a 5-valve CC, and reachable with a 4-valve BBb. I mentioned in another thread the difficulty of a bandmate playing a low F with his 4-valve CC tuba. My BBb could play that note without any difficulty. If I had to play much below that routinely, I'd probably want 5 valves on my BBb.
Rick "who needs more than valves to play low notes well" Denney