Explain 5th & 6th Valve Function on Tuba

[NCSUSousa]

Interesting that you're getting pedal D (not Eb like the charts suggest) with 124. It's pretty easy on my tuba with 234 and a little slide pull on 4th valve. This is why I sometimes pull 4 instead of 1 for Eb as 14 - it sets me up for the D.

I've always used 134 for Db. No slide pulling needed either. If I pulled a slide for Eb or D, I put it back for this note.

For pedal C, I've found that the false tone fingering works a little better on my current BBb tuba (I think 23, but I don't play this note often enough to remember if that's right). 1234 works better on my dad's Mack/Jinbao 210 and on his old Schneider (VMI Stencil). My dad has confirmed this too on my tuba. Either way, this note is weak for my instrument so I usually avoid it.

Actually my horn is a BBb. That fingering chart on that link you furnished (as well as a Google search for BBb pedal fingerings) have all been wrong on both BB flats I have owned over the years with 4 valves. My horns have always played: E-flat=14 D=124 D-Flat=134 C= 1234 I've tried those other combos and they clearly are not the corresponding note no matter how I pitch it up or down.

[eupher61]

I set my F up so 5th is Dr Pepper, 6th is beer.

[toobagrowl]

234 is not even a D on my horn...unless you mean WITH the 5th valve depressed?

Strange. No 5th valve for that low D; just 234. It should be in-tune on most conventional 4-valve BBb tubas.

My horns have always played: E-flat=14 D=124 D-Flat=134 C= 1234 I've tried those other combos and they clearly are not the corresponding note no matter how I pitch it up or down.

Kinda strange how you have a whole-tone-fingering-"break" between low D=124 and Db=134, with the 234 fingering "missing" between the half-tone-apart D-Db. I'd think D=124 would be very sharp in that register; almost an Eb.

All I can say is every tuba + player is different, and you just use what works for you. It's also good to record yourself and use a tuner every once in a while to see how things are REALLY sounding