Posted by Doug on August 23, 2002 at 10:19:59:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What A Horn (long) posted by Rick Denney on August 23, 2002 at 09:16:10:
I have found that on a 3 valve BBb sousaphone (any that ive played, in fact) going from C to D is MUCH easier if you use the 3rd valve for D.
Of course, that part is moot on 4 valve horns, and it seems to me that while using the 3rd valve for D would clean up intonation for D (or E, if on CC), your Db (Eb) would then be slightly sharp, all things being equal. Of course the difference is probably too miniscule for most (myself included), but it is much easier to use your 1st slide for tuning a D than to use the 3rd slide to tune a Db.
My (probably misinformed) opinion,
Doug "uses his 3rd valve on scales and runs quite often" G