The valves were invented to replace the most commonly used crooks for Eb, E & D. It is right, that just the full step valve would be the most practical, as a full chromatic scale with nearly no loss in quality was made possible, just involving the right (muting) hand a bit. Further, the valves were invented, to enable the player to perform an instant switch between the tonalities AND the chromatic scale. The second valve brought an additional first fine tuning for the half steps. As players found out, that the combination of the two valves were insufficient as being too sharp in the combination, the third valve was added.
Simon, there are some examples of single or two-valved horns preserved. But just a few, as few have been built before the three-valved-horn came into existence. The third slide, by the way, touches the bell only on poorly designed horns. As a designer, one has to care not only for the right function, but for the esthetics also. You do not see single horns with a design, where the third slide hits the bell, no single F, no single Bb. But you see a lot of imbalanced design with double horns. If your friends in Japan would think more "natural-horn-wise", they would understand. But they are not alone. They are in the same community of "fingering-thinking-only" players. _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
