To me it is an octave key in that low register. Look at the fingering: Eb 1 low eb 1-4 d 1-2 low d 1-2-4 Db 2-3 low db 2-3-4 c 1-3 low c 1-3-4 B 1-2-3 low b 1-2-3-4 So from eb down, pressing 4 lowers the pitch an octave
Sent from my iPhone, so please pardon all the typos. On May 10, 2010, at 10:40 PM, "Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre" <yorkmaster...@yahoo.com > wrote: > The Franco-Flemish band tradition writes for Eb and BBb tubas and > for euphonium/bass trombone in transposed bass clef. > > On compensating low brasses the 4th valve is not an octave key. It > is a fourth valve, as in the interval of a fourth. Like with a > compensating horn the 4th valve loop is rerouted through the valves, > and compensating loops are added to improve the pitch. > > The pitches of the two notes right above the open pedal note are > sharp on compensating instruments unless one has a main tuning slide > trigger like I have had mounted on my YEP-641 comp euphonium or a > push rod like on my Marzan comp euph. Hirsbrunner and Miraphone have > issued models with triggers on the valve slides. > > For technical reasons it is very complicated to apply triggers to > compensating tubas, so I don’t have triggers on my compers in F, Eb, > and BBb. The compensating F tubas are extremely rare and were only > made in 1923, 1961 and a some point of time before 2000. My sample i > s from 1923 and it was one of these Vaughan Williams wrote his conce > rt for. There also are a few 3 valve compensating tubas in CC, but I > haven’t come by one yet. > > Klaus > > --- On Tue, 5/11/10, Williams, Jim <jwilli...@franklincollege.edu> > wrote: > >> From: Williams, Jim <jwilli...@franklincollege.edu> >> Subject: Re: [Finale] Slightly OT: Tuba Transposition >> To: "finale@shsu.edu" <finale@shsu.edu> >> Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010, 3:38 AM >> More tuba trivia: >> A four-valve non-compensating tuba is not fully chromatic >> in the low >> register. >> With an Eb tuba, 4 valves, no compensating, low a is 2-4, >> ab is 1-4, g >> is 2-3-4, gb is 1-3-4 (and sharp), f is 1-2-3-4 and very >> sharp and low >> e natural doesn't exist. For a BBb tuba with 4 valves, move >> everything >> down a fourth. >> With 4 valves and the automatic compensating system, tubas >> are fully >> chromatic down to the pedal note and the 4th valve is an >> octave key. >> So with the compensator, on an Eb tuba, low a natural is >> 2-4, ab >> is1-4, g is 1-2-4, gb is 2-3-4, f is 1-3-4, and low e >> natural is >> 1-2-3-4 and still a bit sharp. Again, for BBb tubas with 4 >> valves and >> compensation, move everything down a fourth. >> In British brass bands, all the tubas and euphoniums are >> four-valves >> with the compensating system. >> In your case, it depends upon the band. >> The compensating 4-valve tuba in BBb weighs as much as a >> Citroen. >> I could also say it sounds like one but I won't. >> Right now I am going to pick up my compensating four-valve >> euphonium >> and practice it instead of posting. >> >> Sent from my iPhone, so please pardon all the typos. >> >> On May 10, 2010, at 9:20 PM, "John Howell" <john.how...@vt.edu> >> wrote: >> >>> At 5:15 PM -0700 5/10/10, Ryan wrote: >>>> When a writing for tuba, the part should be >> written at sounding >>>> (concert) >>>> pitch, correct? If the performer is using an Eb >> tuba, they don't >>>> need a >>>> transposed part, do they? >>>> Here's the situation, a group in France wants some >> of my band music. >>>> However, they use Eb horns and Eb tubas. No >> problem to transpose >>>> the horn >>>> parts for them, but I thought that Eb Tubists read >> concert pitch >>>> parts and >>>> just learn different fingerings for the notes. Any >> low notes that >>>> are out of >>>> range (Ab and below) are automatically played an >> octave higher. >>>> Perhaps in France the current practice is >> different? Would the >>>> transposition >>>> be similar to that of the Bari Sax? >>>> It's a community group and I don't think the >> volunteer person (the >>>> "librarian," I think) I'm dealing with is >> particularly musically >>>> inclined. >>>> Also, I'm sure that some things are getting lost >> in translation. >>>> Anyone have any idea what they're looking for? >>> >>> There are questions you need to ask, or else produce >> alternate parts >>> for. >>> >>> Orchestral and band tubas in the U.S. all read from >> bass clef at >>> concert pitch, yes. British brass band tubas, >> however, read from >>> transposed parts in TREBLE CLEF. A French band >> could need either >>> kind of part; it isn't possible to guess in >> advance. And yes, it >>> would similar to a bari sax transposed part. >>> >>> As to the low range, it depends entirely on whether >> the Eb tubas are >>> 3-valve or 4-valve. And you can't guess that >> without asking, either. >>> With a 3-valve Eb tuba A natural is the lowest clear >> note, but notes >>> below that, down to the pedal Eb, can be forced by an >> experienced >>> player--not fun and not a great sound. With a >> 4-valve Eb that range >>> is filled in and possible, but it's getting pretty low >> for an Eb bass >>> as opposed to a BBb contrabass. >>> >>> John >>> >>> >>> -- >>> John R. Howell, Assoc. Prof. of Music >>> Virginia Tech Department of Music >>> College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences >>> Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240 >>> Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 >>> (mailto:john.how...@vt.edu) >>> http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html >>> >>> "We never play anything the same way once." >> Shelly Manne's definition >>> of jazz musicians. >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Finale mailing list >>> Finale@shsu.edu >>> http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Finale mailing list >> Finale@shsu.edu >> http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale >> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Finale mailing list > Finale@shsu.edu > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
