Oh, the Oboe and the Tuba can be friends


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Posted by Lesley on January 06, 2002 at 15:27:11:

hi all!
leaky valves...how do you tell if this is happening to your horn?
my old Conn tuba and I are having a disagreement. She thinks I should have incredable difficulty getting low notes to speak, and once I do get them out, that I should only have the lung capacity to keep it going for a few seconds. I think that with a decent lung capacity (a bit over 6 liters) and an understanding of how to make brass instruments play (i play trumpet with a fair degree of success) I should be able to play and sustain low notes. If my oboe was behaving like this, the first think I would check would be for leaks in the pads...so i thought maybe it could be leaky valves?
Before I go any farther, I would like to say that the tuba in question is a three valve, piston-type, with horizontal action. The valves work smoothly- truly, they feel just like my trumpet, but huge. I don't know if it's my wimpy oboe hands, or what...I have to use the RH thumb ring (near the valves) to help me to pull the valves closed - is there a way to make these easier to push? The springs are clean and not corroded...???

so, to summarize - how do you tell leaky valves, and can you make the valves easier to depress.


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