Attn: Miraphone 181 owners

rascaljim · Post by **rascaljim** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 8:33 pm

Have any of you tried shortening up your 4th valve slide?

Up until now I've been using 1-3 for the higher G on the staff. I am realizing that it's giving it a different color than compared when I use 4th valve. The problem is 4th is very flat compared to where it is on the lower g. I find I want to push it in more than what's there from the factory.

Just wondering if anyone else had noticed/tried this.

Thanks
Jim Langenberg

cjk · Post by **cjk** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:56 pm

Does your 181 have 6 valves?

If so, you could try 2+3+6 or 5+6+2 (if 2+3+6 is flat).

Or you could procure an F tuba that you can actually play that g first valve.

cjk · Post by **cjk** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 1:04 pm

Doc wrote:I can use 1st valve, slide in. Sometimes for left-hand convenience, I'll just play it 1&3. I don't notice a major change in timbre. Plus, I need my 4th slide out for the low range, and while the 4th slide is easy to manipulate, it isn't convenient to manipulate. I have two working combinations, so I never really tried 4th, but I'll have to check it out.

A combo using the 6th valve? YIKES! Not exactly a range of the instrument where I want to use some convoluted fingerings, unless maybe I'm staring at a page of footballs.

Doc

How is playing G 1+3 plus pulling a slide any more convoluted than playing it with three valves down? The alternate fingerings a flat half step valve makes available can really help out both intonation-wise and technique-wise. Learn to use that sixth valve. You'll dig it ... then again, most 6v 181 owners only have the sixth valve as a "hood ornament" .

IMHO, the best solution is to sell the horn and get one that doesn't have those problems.

ASTuba · Post by **ASTuba** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 1:05 pm

Doc wrote:A combo using the 6th valve? YIKES! Not exactly a range of the instrument where I want to use some convoluted fingerings, unless maybe I'm staring at a page of footballs.

Doc

That's why you don't play an Alex F.....

rascaljim · Post by **rascaljim** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:03 pm

The tuning slide is in a reasonable spot to let it be adjusted. I had not considered a kicker, but it might be worth looking into.

The alternate fingerings seem to work but I wouldn't want to mess with them much unless I'm playing whole notes.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Jim Langenberg