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Howdy folks, for those of you with F tubas with 6th valves, how much easier does that 6th valve make life? Slightly more convenient or a major benefit? I'm contemplating an upcoming F tuba purchase (for quintet and possibly solo use) and was just trying to determine if I really need or want that 6th valve. In the past, I owned a Norwegian Star (5 valves) and that seemed to suit me just fine. Thanks for any input.

The sixth valve can be helpful on a horn that is more difficult to play in tune, and also helps with tricks and trills from time to time. If you have a good horn that plays in tune with five, there is little need for six.

Some rotary F tubas have such a sweet sound, especially in the upper register, but lack a crisp attack in the low register. If you like that sound--like on a Miraphone Firebird and the Rudy Meinl F tubas, it is worth having the sixth valve to help keep some of that floppy low-stuff in check.

J.Harris wrote: how much easier does that 6th valve make life?

The 6th valve (big bore rotary, 3 1/2 steps) is very helpfull for me! I like it very much on my Cerveny CFB 654-6X Harmonia

http://www.cerveny.co.at/tuben/f_tuben/cfb654-6m.php" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Some F tubas desperately need a 6th valve. Some are perfectly fine with 5. Try before you buy. I think that should answer your question...

I've played several of the popular modern F-tubas and most of them works just fine with five valves IMHO.

All of this is a great argument for the four valve compensating system.

A 5 valve F tuba (assuming a flat wholestep or larger) can physically play all the notes. However, a lot of this boils down to simple mathematics. There is an ideal length of bugle/valves for every note on the horn. The full octave between the open pedal and 2nd partial requires 11 different valve combinations 12 if you don't want to play the pedal open

Six valves give you more choices at finding a valve combination that is closer to that ideal length. 5 valves require more slide pulling and/or lipping.

On a contrabass tuba, those notes are so low they are easier lipped, and slight pitch discrepancies are not as apparent. Some F tubas have a wide open low register that makes it easier to bend the notes to exactly where they need to be, so 5 valves may be adequate. This is particularly the case on many piston F tubas. Many of the rotary F tubas, especially some of the older models, require more finesse in the low or medium low register. On such a horn, having a valve combination that puts the note exactly where it needs to be, instead of near where it needs to be, can be useful (if not essential.)

In the category of useful tricks, the long half-step sixth makes a usable (not perfect, but better than having to move four or five fingers in opposite directions) semitone trill valve that can really come in handy.

Rick "who often uses alternate fingerings for fingering convenience given tha good intonation is unlikely in any case" Denney