Cutting a BBb to get it in tune at 442Hz
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iiipopes
- Utility Infielder
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Re: Cutting a BBb to get it in tune at 442Hz
King, traditionally, on all their valved brass, made the 1st valve marginally long so that valve combinations were not sharp. I know. I own one, had another stolen from me, and played many others through the decades. It sounds like a 1/4 inch of shortening the 1st valve slide is what is needed rather than the entire horn.
Jupiter JTU1110
"Real" Conn 36K
"Real" Conn 36K
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Nick Pierce
- 3 valves
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- Location: Colorado
Re: Cutting a BBb to get it in tune at 442Hz
Would that really be so upsetting?The Big Ben wrote: What can I do about this or will I have to raise DP's ire and buy an HB-50?
Jeff "Flat rather than sharp" Benedict
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The Big Ben
- 6 valves
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Re: Cutting a BBb to get it in tune at 442Hz
Well, no...Nick Pierce wrote:Would that really be so upsetting?The Big Ben wrote: What can I do about this or will I have to raise DP's ire and buy an HB-50?
Jeff "Flat rather than sharp" Benedict
But having a little nipped off my first valve tube is lots cheaper than an HB-50. About $15K cheaper...
Jeff "Always buys used" Benedict
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imperialbari
- 6 valves
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- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:47 am
Re: Cutting a BBb to get it in tune at 442Hz
Of course I cannot be specific about an instrument I never tried. Are all the derivate notes of the 3rd partial F equally sharp? Are the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 8th partial Bb’s in tune with each other? What about the 6th partial and its derivates? Are they an exact octave above those belonging to the 3rd partial?
I play many brass instruments, so I cannot be a specialist on any, even if my focus is on the lower brasses currently. My general strategies encompass large mouthpieces with very open backbores, as they allow me the most on the fly control of sound, pitch, and dynamics. And then I like to have triggers or alternatively enough valves to allow for re-fingering.
Some players of 3 valve instruments with no options for slide adjustments during actual playing tend to pull their 3rd slide so that 2+3 notes are flat and 1+3 or 1+2+3 notes still are too sharp. I do not agree with this strategy. If notes fingered 2+3 are used as leading notes in a given piece of music. I do not pull the 3rd valve. If 2+3 notes are not needed, I pull the 3rd slide so that 1+3 are in tune.
Many scenarios may be imagined, but for now I will assume, that the problem is mostly the 3rd partial F and maybe the first few chromatic steps below that note. If so I would tune the tuba so that the Bb’s line up with the pitch of the band/ensemble/orchestra. I then would play the F fingered 4. If necessary, I would keep the 4th valve pressed for the next few pitches below that F, while applying the normal fingering with the 3 first valves (this will work only because we are discussing a compensating instrument).
Klaus
I play many brass instruments, so I cannot be a specialist on any, even if my focus is on the lower brasses currently. My general strategies encompass large mouthpieces with very open backbores, as they allow me the most on the fly control of sound, pitch, and dynamics. And then I like to have triggers or alternatively enough valves to allow for re-fingering.
Some players of 3 valve instruments with no options for slide adjustments during actual playing tend to pull their 3rd slide so that 2+3 notes are flat and 1+3 or 1+2+3 notes still are too sharp. I do not agree with this strategy. If notes fingered 2+3 are used as leading notes in a given piece of music. I do not pull the 3rd valve. If 2+3 notes are not needed, I pull the 3rd slide so that 1+3 are in tune.
Many scenarios may be imagined, but for now I will assume, that the problem is mostly the 3rd partial F and maybe the first few chromatic steps below that note. If so I would tune the tuba so that the Bb’s line up with the pitch of the band/ensemble/orchestra. I then would play the F fingered 4. If necessary, I would keep the 4th valve pressed for the next few pitches below that F, while applying the normal fingering with the 3 first valves (this will work only because we are discussing a compensating instrument).
Klaus