a practical (and lighter-weight) 4-valve SCHOOL BBb tuba

[roweenie]

Not a bad idea....

What would its length be - somewhere between a quarter tone and a semitone?

Make it with a thumb kicker lever, and that would be a very interesting concept.....

Or, I'll go one step further - how about that tuning, instead of a flat whole-step for the 5th valve? Practical, or not?

[imperialbari]

This idea has existed, and has worked well, for several decades within the horn world. I am of course thinking of the 4-valse single Bb horn, where the thumb valve formally has a length allowing the horn playing in true pitch when stopped. Really that valve lowers the instrument about 3/4 of a whole step when used alone. In itself useless, but very handy in combination with other valves.

Low F: T23
Low E: T13
Low Eb: T123

Klaus

[toobagrowl]

That's a good idea for BBb tuba; similar to what I've thought about before. A quarter-tone or half-tone "4th 'trigger'" would be a great idea for a BBb tuba or sousa. The more experienced/serious college, post-college and even some serious high school players would use that. And it would especially be great on a sousaphone for those sharp low 1+2+3 B and E naturals. But (seriously)..... good luck getting the typical middle or high school player to use that 'trigger'. Many of them don't even use the 4th valve on a 4v BBb tuba anyway

[TheGoyWonder]

Or it could be an ascending valve preventing 23 from being massively flat. 234 is a friendlier fingering than 134.

[Donn]

There's something to be said for it, but maybe it would make more sense to call it a 5th valve. BBb tubas might still usefully have the 4th valve, or not - for example, not on the sousaphone, but the same player might be wanting a 4th valve in concert band, along with the 5th valve that he or she has learned to use.

That would mean it's the thumb, or left hand. Don't let kids start grafting extra fingers on their hands, because it's a sure thing, once that starts, composers will start writing pieces that aren't practical without six fingers. I'm sort of joking there, but arrangers should not be in charge of what's practical/musical for high school players.

There are probably a dozen practical reasons why this wouldn't work, but I wonder if an automatic compensating slide could be designed around a mechanism driven by the piston caps. Maybe electronic - if your battery dies the compensating slide stops working, but my guess is that a purely mechanical system powered by fingers would be too heavy.

[Three Valves]

Don't let kids start grafting extra fingers on their hands, because it's a sure thing, once that starts, composers will start writing pieces that aren't practical without six fingers.

Back in the Iron Curtain days, all the six fingered kids were given F tubas at three years old.

Just like the kids with web feet got forced onto the swim team.



At least it was better than picking beets for the borscht factory!!

[Donn]

Would it be fair to say that, whatever the merits or demerits of a 3V vs. 4V sousaphone, the decision to purchase the sousaphone is in the hands of someone who is ill acquainted with these subtle arguments? I bet a quarter that the sales pitch basically amounts to "don't cheat your darling little band students out of the 4th valve that makes it a real tuba", and the deal is done. In contrast, the decision to get dozens of 186's might be questioned on some grounds, but not knowing tubas is not one of them.