Posted by Kenneth Sloan on December 12, 2003 at 08:44:57:
In Reply to: 2341 "King-spin" posted by Shane Harris on December 12, 2003 at 07:34:58:
a) pull-dump-tilt upper valves 1 & 3 (2 only if you feel like it) whenever you have a spare minute.
b) open the two water keys along the edge of the valve cluster while in playing position - when you have a spare 10 seconds.
c) push some air through the valves, one at a time and then all 4 at once (warning: this may be superstitious behavior). If you have been doing a) and b) you will discover that only the 4th valve has any problem. To solve that problem, rotate the tuba so that the bell points *straight* up, open the water key deep inside the cluster (which is now dead center at the *bottom* of the crook) and rock back and forth slowly a few times.