Posted by Alex C on February 24, 2004 at 17:12:47:
In Reply to: Re: 5th valve on BBb. Good Idea? posted by bloke on February 24, 2004 at 13:41:54:
Ev Gilmore played BBb tuba in the Dallas Symphony for decades. I asked if he had trouble with the low B and he said there weren't any low B's in the literature he'd encoutered. He tuned the EEb with slide pulls.
He swore that none of the orchestral literature required a 5th valve for BBb tuba. I don't know about the band literature.
I'd avoid the 5th valve on a BBb, as a rule. That's just my rule, though.