Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:47 pm
Yes, the convention is to tune the 4th valve as a perfect 4th below the open note. However, depending on the piece and the key, that may not always be the best:
1) For playing BBb in a lot of sharps, or a CC in a lot of flats, consider pulling 4 so 24 is in tune as a B nat or D flat, respectively, to avoid constant pulls otherwise
2) With a readily pullable 1st, and 3rd pulled to get 23 in tune, and no 5th valve, consider pulling 4 so 14 gets a perfect 5th down, and use 13 with a pulled 1st for the perfect 4th down
3) With a 5th valve, consider leaving 3 as the in tune minor third down because 12 is sharp, pull 5 so 35 is the perfect 4th, pull 4 so 24 is in tune, and the 45 will probably be close enough to a perfect 5th down.
There are others, and it finally depends on you, the horn, and what you want to do with it. If I played a CC regularly in a concert band or a brass band, I'd definitely consider #1. Granted, #2 isn't used much anymore because of the fifth long whole step now pretty much standard, and more esoteric variations such as #3 are probably too off the wall unless the piece really has a lot of quick movement in the lower register necessitating some alternate fingerings just to get it played.
There are probably even others, but the point is to be flexible. I did find some degree of irony that the author cited above, in his article about tuning a tuba, warns a player to be responsive and flexible with the individual tuning slides, then in the 4th valve article gets pedantic about THIS is the way to tune the 4th slide.
1) For playing BBb in a lot of sharps, or a CC in a lot of flats, consider pulling 4 so 24 is in tune as a B nat or D flat, respectively, to avoid constant pulls otherwise
2) With a readily pullable 1st, and 3rd pulled to get 23 in tune, and no 5th valve, consider pulling 4 so 14 gets a perfect 5th down, and use 13 with a pulled 1st for the perfect 4th down
3) With a 5th valve, consider leaving 3 as the in tune minor third down because 12 is sharp, pull 5 so 35 is the perfect 4th, pull 4 so 24 is in tune, and the 45 will probably be close enough to a perfect 5th down.
There are others, and it finally depends on you, the horn, and what you want to do with it. If I played a CC regularly in a concert band or a brass band, I'd definitely consider #1. Granted, #2 isn't used much anymore because of the fifth long whole step now pretty much standard, and more esoteric variations such as #3 are probably too off the wall unless the piece really has a lot of quick movement in the lower register necessitating some alternate fingerings just to get it played.
There are probably even others, but the point is to be flexible. I did find some degree of irony that the author cited above, in his article about tuning a tuba, warns a player to be responsive and flexible with the individual tuning slides, then in the 4th valve article gets pedantic about THIS is the way to tune the 4th slide.
