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.
>>> _______________________________________________
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