Holton 345--3rd valve slide question

[MichaelDenney]

For you Holton 345 players a question about the 3rd valve slide:

During the past few days condensation has occasionally gotten hung in this slide, even though the tubing is arranged vertically and should drain by gravity. Tipping the horn so that the horizontal passage through the valve can clear doesn't seem to help at all. Blowing helps a little but there is still a burble.

The valves were recently adjusted by a reputable technician, so it is unlikely that condensation is pooling between a misaligned port and valve.

Anybody else had this happen?

By the way, I played the horn in a large ensemble for the first time this week. It was awesome. The first piece up was VW's "Folk Song Suite" with all those low Fs in the first movement and the long melody line with low Fs in the second. What a gas! Heads were turning to see where the Sound was coming from. I was too far from the wall to tell if it was shaking, but the legs of my chair were certainly vibrating.

[Rick Denney]

During the past few days condensation has occasionally gotten hung in this slide, even though the tubing is arranged vertically and should drain by gravity. Tipping the horn so that the horizontal passage through the valve can clear doesn't seem to help at all. Blowing helps a little but there is still a burble.

I clear my third valve by pulling the upper slide and tipping the horn bell-down, in addition to the normal pulling and dumping of the three lower slides.

I still have to spin the horn to get condensation out of the second lower bow--the one beyond the main slide--perhaps once per playing session.

I don't like using spit valves and always prefer to pull and dump. It's quieter and less messy, it seems to me.

Rick "who has never owned a piston tuba that didn't have to be spun occasionally" Denney

[windshieldbug]

I don't like using spit valves and always prefer to pull and dump. It's quieter and less messy, it seems to me.

Myself, included. The bass trombone just learned to back away a little while I was twirling.

[Rick Denney]

Bloke "who has two waterkeys on a bass tuba (all that are necessary), five waterkeys one one contrabass tuba, and six on another...an hour or two of work to upgrade each instrument - avoiding other hours of 'twirling'...and probably avoiding some mishaps as well"

I don't disagree at some level. I play band music (which is considerably more blowing than most orchestra music, and condensation is the same whether the instrument is well-played or not). Despite that, I find that I might have to spin the instrument before the concert and at the intermission. I've never had to do it while the audience was watching.

As for tilting the horn over to the left to empty the top third-valve slide, that moves the instrument below the level of the orchestra and doesn't attract that much attention.

But I think it's wrong to go too far on the avoidance of any visual distraction. Seeing the musicians actually deal with the real-world issues of their instruments is part of what makes a concert different from a recording. When I was a wee lad, my elementary-school music teacher prepped us for a visit to a school-kid performance of the Houston Symphony by suggesting we watch the tympanist retune the drums. That doesn't mean the tuba player should look for opportunities to twirl the instrument, but trying to be invisible goes too far the other way. Those who don't want visual distraction can...close their eyes.

Rick "who thinks a helicon is conspicuous enough without twirling, compared to tipping a tuba over to empty an upper slide" Denney

[windshieldbug]

more formal behavior (such as avoiding quick / large movements that are not directly related to a performance, for instance) is in order.

When on stage in performance, I almost always found that I was able to do what I needed merely by a quick pull of the slide, and slight turn and tip downward, between pieces. If fact, with my Marzan tilt-rotor, that was for the main slide, the valve slides being thoughtfully placed downward. Not only was this covered by the violas, but there was always much greater eye candy for the audience in musicians leaving/coming onstage or the strings tuning. I would find emptying a water key during a performance distracting, and I do remember horns having to make quite a production of water removal during a concert. I just made it a habit to preemptively remove the slide and dump whenever I moved the horn to my lap, and never had ANY comments from anyone.

[Rick Denney]

Rick "who thinks a helicon is conspicuous enough without twirling, compared to tipping a tuba over to empty an upper slide" Denney

You must know, however, that I followed my own rule (even though it became a bit heavy) by "wearing" it all the way through each movement of each piece when it was played.

Yes, but even without twirling, isn't a very large and shiny silver and gold metallic object worn on the body pretty visually conspicuous?

My point is that there is a visual component to an orchestra performance that should not be underestimated. If the musicians are afraid to move more than absolutely necessary to operate their machines, they will seem like robots on stage. Turning a tuba to empty water from it is part of what makes it work, and a natural thing to see in an orchestra performance. Knocking the trombone player unconscious while doing so is not, however, so there should be a happy medium. Banging it against the music stand would be considered adding to the percussion section and that's also over the line, I suppose, despite my personal skill at doing just that.

Rick "who has never accidentally knocked a trombone player unconscious" Denney

[Joe Baker]

Rick "who has never accidentally knocked a trombone player unconscious" Denney [emphasis added]

Hmmm.
_______________________________
Joe Baker, who is making a mental note to wear a helmet should I ever play in the trombone section of Rick's band.

[Rick Denney]

I also try to avoid clearing my nose, belching, and chatting with the bass 'bone player during concerts.

Dang, I knew I was doing something wrong.

Rich "who thinks everyone expects flatulence from the tuba player" Denhurst

[windshieldbug]

I also try to avoid clearing my nose, belching, and chatting with the bass 'bone player during concerts

"everyone expects flatulence from the tuba player"

Darn! The trombones assured me that this was all accepted behavior for a tubist!