Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 3 valve vs. 4 valve for beginner?


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Posted by Frederick J. Young on May 19, 2003 at 06:56:41:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 3 valve vs. 4 valve for beginner? posted by Rick Denney on May 13, 2003 at 16:01:14:

It is true that you have to worry about the intonation of the other brass players! Especially when there is a mix of ancient baritones and tubas along with newer ones including CC tubas. I have encountered groups where the low valved brass thought they were playing in tune only because they all had the same kind of out of tune instruments. An array of 1930 through 1950 American tubas would give you the same flat 23 combinations and sharp 12, 13 and very sharp 123 valve combinations. Because tubas and baritones often
play in octaves even the conductor might think the intonation was good. However, the inclusion of both BBb and Eb tubas would make a might clash! When I was a beginner there were many Eb players and the intonation on Db and B natural below the bass cleff staff was horrible on those old three valve instruments. Also F and E natural. For example the Eb tuba is flat on the B natural whilst the BBb is very sharp. I witnessed the demise of the Eb tuba in USA because of this misunderstanding.

The idea I am trying to convey is that the intonation is likely to be better if one has 5 different lengths of tubing rather than 3 for descending 6 semitones. I'll take a 833 batting average over a 500 anytime for three valved instruments.

With regards to the tuning trigger on the Besson Prestige euph, it comes about because the 6th open tone, F and the lower notes derived from it using valves is very sharp. Besson and others have had some success fixing this note without a trigger. However, leaving it sharp and having a trigger allows one to adjust it should one encounter a conductor who insists the euph be in tune with trumpets who tend to be sharp one octave higher. I was on the staff of a band camp years ago. We worked very hard with the euphs to get them to pull a slide to tune up said notes. The whole section became proficient at playing those notes in tune only to be reprimanded by the conductor for being flatter than the trumpets.


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