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There was once a thread here about emptying the water out of your horn . It dealt with which is best - 1) opening your water key and just letting it flow out on it's own or 2) opening the water key and blowing it out. I have since then stopped blowing it on my euphonium because of that thread. I found that blowing it splatters the water everywhere including the horn and then I have to clean up. Also, just opening the valve seems to be enough to empty it.
Why I bring this topic up again is because at my group's last concert I was horrifed when between movements I and II, just after the final beat of the 1st movement which ended dramtically, as the director momentarily rested his baton before begining the 2nd movement, the complete silence was broken by the multiple "whooosing" sound of many brass players "blowing" the water out of thier horns. I was horrified ! Are they ****ing kidding me ? What a embarassment. Totally ruined the mood in my opinion. I too emptied my water but did so silently by just opening the valves and letting it drain ..... no loud "whoooshing " from me.
My questions are these :
Is it necessary to blow through the horn when draining out the water?
Does it serve a useful purpose at all ?

Professionals should probably think twice about the blowing idea, as for other situations, does it really matter?

I could see the blowing thing be counter intuitive. Sure the water key is open, but not all the spit is going to pour right out. Could the blowing possible blow it into the other valves?

I think blowing some air through the horn helps gets all the stuff out, but I also think that it's possible to do so discreetly. I don't let loose the Niagara Falls of air, but I blow what I think is enough to thoroughly get that detestable liquid out of my horn's circulatory.

I went to a concert tonight of a brass band I used to play with. The noise of 28 or so folks 'blowing' their water between pieces was very dramatic and quite distracting. This racket was combined with lots of pulling out of slides and lots of clinking and such putting them back in. Emptying water can be accomplished without all of the racket.

When I blow the water out of my horn I put my lips on the outside of the mouthpiece, not inside. Then slowly exhale and that is usually enough to get the water out and it's much quieter.

oldbandnerd wrote: Is it necessary to blow through the horn when draining out the water?

No!

Does it serve a useful purpose at all ?

No - except maybe the player thinks it helps.

This has always bothered me too. Blowing hard is really not necessary IMHO. In fact, blowing too hard may actually push the water in a slide past the water key instead of allowing it to fall out. The euphonium/tuba/trumpet/Tbone is an open tube so there is no suction keeping the water in the horn. Just opening the spit valve or water key will allow most of the water out. Maybe a slight puff of air to help break any surface tension - but no loud pffft'g is necessary.

I've always been a "set the tuba on the bell and pull slides" kind of guy. Seems to work fine.

I open the key, then pick up the horn off my lap and shake it a little while holding the key open.
(No breathing, no noise, all the water gets out.)
But I'm talking about rotary horns, I bet pistons might need some air to get all of the moisture out.

What I have noticed with my tuba, is that after some extensive practicing I hear the tell tale gurgle with certain valve combination, usually 23. I drain the water keys, empty out my slides - but still hear it. The only way I resolve this is to take out the third valve and spring, and blow down into the valve casing and blow out the water collecting in the bottom of the valve case. Then I am good to go. This is not a subtle maneuver though.

new King 2341:
pull 1st at top, drain slide and tilt over left knee
pull 3rd at top, drain and tilt (most of the water is here)
open 2 water keys that drain when the tuba is in playing position
push down all 4 valves, move some air (quietly, please, with all water keys CLOSED)
hold tuba straight up, open 4th valve water key, waggle

better than "The King Spin"!

One owner swears that water collects in the knuckle of the 4th valve and executes an eye-catching
waving of the tuba. Mine doesn't do that.

sloan wrote:new King 2341:
pull 1st at top, drain slide and tilt over left knee
pull 3rd at top, drain and tilt (most of the water is here)
open 2 water keys that drain when the tuba is in playing position
push down all 4 valves, move some air (quietly, please, with all water keys CLOSED)
hold tuba straight up, open 4th valve water key, waggle

better than "The King Spin"!

I am not so sure all the above shenanigans you got going on is better than my discreet King Spin. I bend slightly forward while lowering the horn to about the top level of my stand and beneath the height of the heads of the trombone players in front of me and spin once in a clock wise fashion. Most of it dumps into the number one slide and the rest in the main slide. That is usually it for an hour and half concert. Just in case space is really tight or for other reasons doing a spin would be obvious to the audience I do have extra water keys installed on the top slides and that works pretty well too.

tofu wrote:

sloan wrote:new King 2341:
pull 1st at top, drain slide and tilt over left knee
pull 3rd at top, drain and tilt (most of the water is here)
open 2 water keys that drain when the tuba is in playing position
push down all 4 valves, move some air (quietly, please, with all water keys CLOSED)
hold tuba straight up, open 4th valve water key, waggle

better than "The King Spin"!

I am not so sure all the above shenanigans you got going on is better than my discreet King Spin. I bend slightly forward while lowering the horn to about the top level of my stand and beneath the height of the heads of the trombone players in front of me and spin once in a clock wise fashion. Most of it dumps into the number one slide and the rest in the main slide. That is usually it for an hour and half concert. Just in case space is really tight or for other reasons doing a spin would be obvious to the audience I do have extra water keys installed on the top slides and that works pretty well too.

De gustibus non disputandum est.