Three valve vs four valve Eb tuba in brass band

[Euphistuba]

A question for brass banders out there. Other than the obvious tuning issues is it possible to use a three valve Eb in brass bands?

[sousaphone68]

Short answer yes but depending on how many other tubas are in the band and the pieces you are playing you may not enjoy the experience.
I had a 3 valve imperial when I started, there were two Bb and one other eb in the section supporting a 40 piece band I played up the octave and all upper divisi parts.
now that I am in a smaller section of only me and one Bb a 4 valve eb is the only way to go.

[Wyvern]

I would say you would find a 3 valve Eb very limiting. For most modern music it would not cover the range required.

[MaryAnn]

If you happen to have a piston horn with excellent false tones, you might find you can play all you need without a 4th valve. I have one of those but it is so out of tune with itself (high range high and low range low) that I still can't play it in a group.

[Jess Haney]

Short answer yes but depending on how many other tubas are in the band and the pieces you are playing you may not enjoy the experience.
I had a 3 valve imperial when I started, there were two Bb and one other eb in the section supporting a 40 piece band I played up the octave and all upper divisi parts.
now that I am in a smaller section of only me and one Bb a 4 valve eb is the only way to go.

I agree, it is do-able and I have seen it done but as a player you are working hard for tuning and some technical aspects but on the other hand if it is a 3 popper that you just love then go for it. You can move notes up the octave and so forth. Doubtful the director will even notice since the baritones and euphoniums will have the same note most times and you will be doubling BBb bass as well.

[MikeW]

At one time it was normal in lower-section brass bands for the whole bass section (BB and E) to use 3-valve instruments, and band music was written accordingly. In more recent decades, 4-valve instruments have become much more common, and modern band music tends to take advantage of the extended low range made available by the fourth valve; if your band plays modern music you will probably struggle with only a 3-valve instrument (unless you have adequate control of your instrument's false tones). The same applies in concert bands - composers are tending to write lower these days, so if you are using an Eb the fourth valve makes a huge difference, especially if it is compensated.

I use my 4 valve Eb Imperial for pretty much everything, but I have a 3/4-size 3-valve Couesnon Eb in reserve for long marching jobs like Armistice day; we tend to stick to old and fairly simple pieces for marching, which usually stay within the range available on the 3-valve instrument. Actually, I only use the Couesnon if my back is too sore to carry the Imperial (the Couesnon is about twenty pounds lighter) because getting enough sound out of the smaller instrument is a very hard blow.