Free ascending valve - outside the box

[2ba4t]

Covid boredom is causing strange new thoughts.

I made a crook for my Schiller 6 valve from F into Eb. It blows equally well - which is as good as my 983/ old Miraphone 183/Cerveny etc.

Then I had a crazy idea that everyone knows would not and cannot work. I reversed the 6th valve ( a long semitone for F tuba) and pulled the slide so that it is a full tone for an F, and now I have a Eb with 5 valves and the reversed valve as an ascending one tone valve. When I depress the 6th valve paddle it goes up a tone. Now I can play FFF as open and EEE with the second valve and EEEb with 1st valve etc. These low notes now can really boom. (Yes, I know that in truth as fundamentals they lack the overtones and would be lost in a big ensemble.) Also, of course AA and EE are 6th and 2nd valve and in perfect tune as being in truth on an F tuba.

Sorry to be the iconoclast again - but it blows just as well as in F and as my other instruments. I ran through my usual test pieces for tuning and sound and it really works.

This could be because the ascending valve is very early in the bugle or/and because the exaggerated expansion after the valve block creates ‘room’ for [either an Eb crook just before it or] the added 6th valve length or it could be that you can get away with this. Perhaps all BBb players should buy 6 v CC and do this. Imagine those perfectly in tune BBs and FF#s..

Perhaps we are too easily influenced by that which we are meant to believe. I remember in the National Youth Orchestra - 50 years back - dear old Ernie Hall (one of the old time great trumpet players from the Northern, proudly-working class, brass band world – Principal LSO etc) growling ‘If i’ gets oot bell alraight, just blow it – don’t ge’ complicayted. Al’ this thinkin’! Spit it oot, spit o toot!’

And today every (OK not you) musician needs a shrink, a physio and a support group – as well as metal plates stuck on ‘nodal points’ their instruments and vast, elephantine mouthpieces, heavy valve tops, light valve bottoms and midweight springs on their water keys. I am starting a service in which I can test the karma of your instrument by your blowing down the phone to me. $1000 a blow. You must have fasted for 3 days beforehand.

In short, if you believe in all the snake oil being used to steal money from you why not try this on your 6 valver. It’s free. The switch of the valve is easiest by merely moving the rod attached to the rotor to the opposite side. First, knock up a receiving knuckle and tap a screw hole to receive operating arm. Then place it exactly opposite the existing knuckle – a little delicate soldering does that. The rod from the paddle will need attaching on the opposite side of the cam shaft so it is adjacent to the correct side of the valve.

[Snake Charmer]

This idea is not so new as you think. But that it is working it shows that not all abandoned ideas were bad! Back in the days, when the french orchestras used the French C Tuba as a main instrument (this stopped in the 1970s) the french French Horn players played the REAL FRENCH Horns: the third ascending a whole tone (and with piston valves)! I the picture a Courtois from 1975, one of the last made...
The principle of the ascending valves is just the "upside-down" version of the open key on the ophicleide, which made her more playable and succesful than the serpent, early cimbasso etc..

Courtois 1534 1975 02 klein.jpg

[windshieldbug]

Not to dampen your enthusiasm, but it HAS been done before. Just causes a huge amount of slide moving or alternate fingerings if you try to play in F. The additional alternates are pretty much already available with a 6-valve horn, so just play whatever combination you think works for you...

[2ba4t]

Sure. I saw a beautiful job (of course) by Sam Gnagey on a BBb which had a long mouthpipe with the general tuning slide in it. This was given an ascending valve where the mouthpipe doubled across itself.. The famous Mike Johnson replacement of the standard 3 + 1 compensater's fourth valve with a rotary shows that original standard models are often a combination of compromises and sometimes the manufactureres have a narrow mind set. I am waiting for him to design a rotary job on the third valve compensating slide to allow FFF#, FFF and EEE to be in tune.

It is a pity that makers do not bother to notice these developments.

[tclements]

I have a DD/CC Gronitz tuba with an ascending valve. It's a prototype with some issues, but I believe it is a viable option, should someone want to take up the cause.