Mystery of Excessive Second Slide Pull Solved

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PaulMaybery
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Re: Mystery of Excessive Second Slide Pull Solved

Post by PaulMaybery »

Art Hovey wrote:If CC with the 4th valve is in tune, then BB with 2 & 4 needs about 2 inches of pull on either the 2nd or 4th slide. But then you have to remember to put it back. I wonder if that could be an alternate solution to the mystery in at least some cases.
Hi Art.

Me thinks this is rationale for having a 4th slide that is both accessable and well lapped for a smooth and easy pull.
That being said, I've never really had a problem lipping that low C# (oops that's 4 + 2 on the CC tuba) down to where it need be.

There are 2nd valve slide kickers on some tubas that are factory installed but this requires a premeditated movement with the left hand some how.

On F tubas, this is part of the rationale for the 6th valve. (being a flat 1/2 step)

Some of the newer pistons tubas with the York/Holton style valve block have been coming now with a long rod and ring for a relatively easy pull. Problem being that such a short slide nested between 1 & 3 slides is hard to lapp and get smooth and also if those slides are not parallel, perhaps not practical to use. The 4th slide is more practical IMHO.

With all this chatter on the 2nd valve in combination with the 4th, perhaps a dependent 6th valve built on the 4th slide would be a solution. Keep the 5th valve independent with the thumb, right where they are on most modern right handed tubas. That 5th valve could have a trigger somewhere convenient for the left hand. Most likely near the top slides between 1 & 3 (or) where the hand rests most of the time.

But who wants yet another valve (6) on an allready heavy 5 valve CC or BBb tuba.
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Re: Mystery of Excessive Second Slide Pull Solved

Post by joh_tuba »

bloke wrote:A C tuba 6th valve (GG 1/2 step) sure would be handy to use to play the always-sharp "low D" (5-234-and-pull-something), to eliminate the reluctant compromise between "low F" (5-4) and "low F# (5-2-3), and as an alternate for one-or-more of the squirrelly 2-3 fingered pitches (1-2-6, which would be slightly longer than 2-3).

OK...I've just "fixed" at least four pitches. Now...Once it's in place, I wonder how many more purposes (perhaps a Meistersinger trill...??) someone might find for it.
If we would all collectively come to our senses and go back to using the LONG 5th valve tuning common on older Miraphones you could have much closer in tune valve combinations down low.
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LCTuba89
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Re: Mystery of Excessive Second Slide Pull Solved

Post by LCTuba89 »

Art Hovey wrote:If CC with the 4th valve is in tune, then BB with 2 & 4 needs about 2 inches of pull on either the 2nd or 4th slide. But then you have to remember to put it back. I wonder if that could be an alternate solution to the mystery in at least some cases.
I usually tune my 4th valve low C to be a bit flat as it's easier for me to lip up while playing than going the other way. The low F and E don't suffer all that much either. This allows my low B to be in tune while not having to touch the 4th slide during performance. I do a similar thing on the 1st slide. I generally leave the 2nd and 3rd slides alone and pushed all the way in.

This is not true for all tubas but it is for my tuba.
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Re: Mystery of Excessive Second Slide Pull Solved

Post by Bob Kolada »

Are flat half step 6th valves generally usable on fifth partial flat first valve notes (C on a Bb tuba, D on a C tuba,...)?
Lee Stofer
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Re: Mystery of Excessive Second Slide Pull Solved

Post by Lee Stofer »

The whole brass instrument is merely a pitch approximator. As Matt alluded to, if the player can hear the pitch in advance and is buzzing to create that pitch, it doesn't take a great or exotic horn to get the pitch right. The most important part of the playing equation is behind the mouthpiece.
Lee A. Stofer, Jr.
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