Re: Re: Re: possible easy solution 2 Jay's pet peeve


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Posted by Jay Bertolet on July 15, 1999 at 08:58:16:

In Reply to: Re: Re: possible easy solution 2 Jay's pet peeve posted by Matt W. on July 15, 1999 at 07:43:32:

"You never create a straight chamber."

Ow, I think my head hurts because I now have the same problem as before. If I'm trying to match the end of the mouthpiece shank as closely as possible to the venturi expansion, how will I know how close I get since I can't see through the protective cuff? It seems to me that if I start experimenting with different thicknesses of paper to vary the amount of insertion, I'm also going to be adversely disturbing, to varying degrees, the "straightness" of the chamber.

I've thought alot about this topic and I have some conclusions I'd like to verify. One of the hallmarks of the french horn type of non-receiver is the need for a harder articulation. That is what I'm currently experiencing with my Rudy so I can confirm this in my own observations. One of the things everybody who plays my horn remarks about it is how easy and free the low range is. For a 4/4 tuba, the low range has an amazing amount of core to the sound and it feels really great, like the notes will just jump out of the tuba. The low range will also accept whatever amount of force I'm willing to give it without backing up or even having the sound split. Is it possible that this lack of any gap at all also yields a better feel in the low range? When I try to imagine what it looks like at the point where the mouthpiece and leadpipe meet in my horn, I imagine two cylinders, one inside the other. At the exact point where mouthpiece ends and leadpipe begins, there is a step equal to the thickness of the mouthpiece shank's metal. I imagine this must affect intonation in an adverse way.

So, the $64,000 question is this: Are Alexander tubas made with this same french horn style non-receiver (thus partially explaining why these two manufacturer's tubas play so similarly) and, if so, could a specially tapered mouthpiece shank which more accurately mates the mouthpiece to the venturi in a more "straight chamber" manner fix the inherent intonation problems that also plague these two types of tubas?

For me personally, I don't need to play with how my horn feels as I like it just the way it is. However, if I could do something that would eliminate some of the horn's intonation problems...


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