Re: Help an amateur with some new tuba vocab


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Posted by js on November 18, 2001 at 18:04:47:

In Reply to: Help an amateur with some new tuba vocab posted by SkyviewTuba on November 18, 2001 at 17:15:08:

Typically (although over the years all sorts of combinations have been tried - many successfully), the SIXTH valve on an F tuba is a semi-tone (1/2 step) that is "CC tuba semi-tone in length". In other words, if one depresses the FOURTH valve the SIXTH valve will lower the tuba by an IN TUNE (well, you know, sort of...) half step.

You can think of six-valve F tubas as having

(quantity) three - "F" tuba valves (regular 1-2-3)

(quantity) one - "CC" change valve (same relative function as any FOURTH valve on any typical 4-valve tuba)

(quantity) two - "CC" tuba valves - a CC tuba FIRST VALVE (5th valve, if you will) and a CC tuba SECOND VALVE (6th valve, if you will)

Six valve F tubas come closer to playing pitches that require the use of the 4th valve closer to "right in tune" than five valve F tubas of the same quality, because there are more choices and less compromises.

I think it is important to at least consider six valves on an F, because the notes just below C-below-the-staff are just NOT THAT LOW and listeners can easily discern whether or not they are in tune. In contrast, the equivalent pitches on a CC tuba begin "way down in the cellar" where only you and the orchestra hear minor discrepancies and most of the audience probably does not.

Joe "six valve F owner for decades, as you might have guessed" S.


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