6v F Tubas

[Mark]

Today I played a production Miraphone Firebird - which was fantastic by the way. The guys on the stand said it was either No. 1 or 2 off the line.

This was a 6v horn and I was at rather a loss regarding the 6th valve! I know it was tuned as a flat 2nd valve but is there a "standard" set of fingerings folks use or is it just a case of finding what works for you??

Just curious...

It gives you more options for in-tune fingerings. 46 for B below the staff. 3456 for the G below that, etc.

[Mark]

low A - 5-6-4

Joe,

Are your fifth and sixth valves both on the left hand? I noticed when you wrote your fingerings, you listed 5 and 6 first.

Mine are both on the left and I have an almost uncontrollable urge to write fingerings starting with 5 - 6.

[Alex C]

It is impossible for me to effectively use a left hand valve or valves. If the 5th valve isn't RH operated, I can't use it. I have been diagnosed with bi-lateral integration deficiencies.

I played a Boosey & Hawkes Eb for years but never got facility in anything that called for using the 4th valve. It was years of frustration before I was diagnosed.

I also had a Scherzer (sp?) F tuba with Vienese fingerings. Mr. Jacobs said the only solution for that horn was to play the 3 LH valves with the right hand and the 3 RH valves with the left hand. This resulted in a bear-hug-the-tuba posture. A previous student filled his with concrete and threw it off of the Lake Michigan pier (I only sold mine).

BTW, if any of you would like to contribute to the Bi-lateral Integration Deficiency Foundation, send me $20. It's not tax deductable, I won't use it for research but it will buy some beer which will help me forget how much I liked the B&H.

[CJ Krause]

***

[Mark]

Yes, they are. I was astonished when I first saw the "modern" 6V configurations with the r.h. thumb controlling #5 and the l.h. finger controlling #6... If the l.h. is going to be over there anyway doing a job, why compromise speed and lack-of-clunkiness simply to retain the "habit" of the r.h. thumb?...

...and I use the system 5-6-1-2-3-4 when referring to them because that is the order they are mounted in the bore of the instrument.

It has been my limited experience that the tubists who have the fifith valve on the right thumb never use the sixth valve and instead pull slides with their left hand.

My Miraphone 181 is configured 6-5-1-2-3-4. Isn't life grand?

[Alex C]

In response to the gumpy old man:

It takes more time for me to type a response than you'd think. Typographical Spoonerisms abound. I copy and paste to Word, make automatic corrections, re-edit and paste back into the box.

You can easily see why I need the $20.

[Tom Mason]

Not being a doctor, I can only offer you what I can actually speak to......

What You Need is Specialized High Intensity Training

I have found that if you use enough specialized high intensity training, you can solve some of the most difficult questions and bring understanding to all.

Specialized high Intensity training helped solve many of the political problems of our past, and can help solve many of our problems today.

I can provide the specialized high intensity training yu need to help solve your problems for $20.00. I will accept checks, cash, money orders, credit cards, or money (which is almost as good as cash).

[jacobg]

What are Viennese fingerings? (seriously)

[GC]

Possibly more Bilateral Utility Load Leveling Special High Intensity Training would be of use.

[cjk]

What are Viennese fingerings? (seriously)

6 rotors, three for each hand. While I bet this varied a bit:

three left hand valves that are the typical 1,2,3

three right hand valves that are a flat whole step, a flat half step, and a typical fourth valve.

http://www.rugs-n-relics.com/brass-phil ... -Tuba.html

[Alex C]

I am hurt that anyone would thing I need Special High Intensity Training. I've had enough Special High Intensity Training in my life. I even had more Special High Intensity Training than I wanted to put up with today.

Actually, there is treatment for Bilaterial Integration Deficiency. Step one for children is to put them in a swing and throw a ball to them while the swing is in action. The child then transfers the ball from one hand to another as directed (left or right), then throws the ball back. (This is a simplified version.)

I thought that I'd dealt with BID for so long that I would just as soon tough it out rather than have some O.T. throw a ball to me in a swing in a public park.

Sorry to have digressed so far from the point of the post. I only used 4 or 5 valve F tubas myself.