5th valve

[hbcrandy]

I have played many tubas during my 35 years as a tubist. I have played the same make and model tubas with both 4 and 5 valves. I cannot remember a 5 valved tuba that I thought was stuffier than its 4 valved counterpart because it had a 5th valve. I learned to play on a 4 valved tuba. But, I am now addicted to the 5th valve for the additional options it offers the player.

As to the posts about Fred Geib's tubas with odd-looking 5th valves, I owned one of them. I also studied with Warren Deck when he was playing the 5 valved Conn CC tuba that is pictured in Geib's tuba method book. To the best of my knowledge, these 5th valves were as a result of a custom order by Mr. Geib from their respective factories, Conn and King. Mr. Geib played a German Sander fingering system in which the valve operated by the right-hand pinkey finger is the equivalent of a 2,3 combination and what we know as the fifth valve lowered the picth by a perfect 4th.