Spanish bugles with pitch valves

[imperialbari]

Spanish is one of the languages at the outer rim of what I understand. Still their brass world is interesting, also because they have a representation of pre-WWII German and Czech instruments not found in too many places.

Went to Spanish eBay today and found some samples of bugles whish can be re-pitched by means of one or two set-valves (Stellventil in German):

http://www.ebay.de/itm/160649371564

http://www.ebay.de/itm/220909811822

http://www.ebay.de/itm/110786282659

http://www.ebay.de/itm/280780992237

One sample refers to drill. Another might refer to some sort of drum & bugle corps format. Somebody in the know why these bugles can be tuned to various pitches in a way not allowing for the valves to be played DCI-style?

Klaus

[Donn]

You can see them operate the valves in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDat6jPlw9c

I'm not really acquainted with the DCI thing, but presumably not too much like this. The euphonium size back line horns may be in C - I'm pretty sure one or more European brass houses has been making C marching baritones, maybe for these guys alone. The last time I looked at cornetas y tambores videos I think I got a lot of religious processions, but from what I see now they may be moving a little towards popular music. I looked for a more musically tolerable example ... sorry. No doubt a very hard instrument to play.

[imperialbari]

Thanks for the link!

I watched a few associated videos. This is all totally new to me, and I am very puzzled by this phenomenon.

The drumming is not very advanced, but the very high range played by the bugles is not what one would expect from formations appearing to be amateurs.

Sounds like they play in A minor. Not an obvious key for a bugle with one semitone valve, which even has a very basic way of being turned.

I have hundes of valves on my instruments, pistons, rotors, and even Berliner Pumpen, but only one set valve. That is a depend long semitone valve sitting in the 4th slide of my Hoyer Wagner Tuba in F. It doesn’t fill the gap right above the open pedal, but it improves the intonation of low scales and arpeggios in some keys. I find its operation quite impractical and I have considered making a longer wooden lever and making it self-returning by means of an elastic band.

And then one matter more puzzles me with those Spanish bands. Their uniforms and headgear must have been expensive, but their discipline is very lax for military style bands.''

Klaus

[Donn]

And then one matter more puzzles me with those Spanish bands. Their uniforms and headgear must have been expensive, but their discipline is very lax for military style bands.

Indeed, clearly not military, they're religious associations. It would be interesting to know more about the history - they look like military, sound like there might have been some Moorish influence.

[imperialbari]

These bugles still have my interest. One odd sample mentioned on TN might suggest the valve being a Berliner Pumpe to be pushed rather than rotated.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Corneta-Honsuy- ... 053867301?

has a photo (#4) that shows the valve being operated by what I might call a large wing nut.

The absence of a lever system certainly would save a lot of costs.