Posted by Frederick J. Young on May 11, 2001 at 16:39:06:
In Reply to: Re: 5 valve euphoniums posted by Scott on May 11, 2001 at 10:09:10:
I have seen various Yamaha euphoniums equipped with a fifth valve as well as some German baritones. The presence of the fifth valve is not as useful as a compensating valve system. None of the players I heard really used the fifth valve except when warming up and trying rather unsuccessfully to get low notes. Under the most optimal condition a 5 valve instrument is off on the average by 9 cents. (5 is the limit of acceptability) An optimized 4 valve compensating instrument of off by only 4.3 cents. To optimize your instrument tune in the following way. First une the open note 3 cents sharp, the third valve 20 cents sharp and the fourth valve 38 cents sharp. Tune the second valve 2 cents flat and the first valve 7 cents flat. You must not use the third or fourth valve alone. Instead use the 12 and 13 combinations. 12 will be 2.7 cents sharp. 23 will be 4 cents flat. 13 will be 4 cents sharp (easily lipped in tune). 34 will be 3.2 cents sharp. 234 7 cents flat. 134 1 cents sharp and 1234 2.7 cents sharp.
If you don't try to optimize your tuning and the slide pulls the 4 valve instrument may be almost twice as out of tune as the optimized five valve noncompensating instrument.