Brass Clinic
Maurice Faulkner, Contributing Editor
Using the First Valve Slide
to Adjust Tuba Intonation Larry
No instrument can be constructed
so that it is perfectly in tune with
itself. Thus, certain adjustments
must be made by the performer.
When the fourth valve was added
to the tuba, it eliminated the ne-
cessity for many of these adjust-
ments. For example, instead of the
sharp combinations of 1-3 or 1-2-3,
the fourth valve or combination of
2-4 could be used to improve the
intonation. The fourth valve also
made more alternate fingerings
available. But because the fourth
valve has not eliminated all intona-
tion problems, the performer should
take advantage of another option
available for tuning — the use of
the first valve slide to adjust pitch-
es while playing. (Obviously, this
method of adjustment affects only
notes played when the first valve
is depressed.)
The need to make adjustments
with the first valve slide arises
from the difference between equal
temperament and the natural har-
monic series. When a tone is sound-
ed on a brass instrument, the re-
sulting harmonic series (Figures 1
and 2) remains compatible with
the equal tempered system of tun-
ing on the first, second, fourth,
Fig. 1 — BB<> Tuba, first valve harmonic
series.
Fig. 2 — CC Tuba, first valve harmonic
series.
^ "° +.02 -.1 A +.02 -.32
ft
1 2 3 4 5 6
Larry Pitts, a graduate of Tennessee
Technological University, is currently
a graduate student in tuba perform-
ance at Northeast Louisiana University
in Monroe.
52 THE INSTRUMENTALIST/APRIL 1975
and eighth partials; the third par-
tial is two cents sharp, the fifth
partial is fourteen cents flat, the
sixth partial (an octave above the
third partial) is two cents sharp,
and the seventh partial is thirty-
two cents flat. The seventh par-
tial is so very flat that an alternate
fingering must be used in order to
play this tone in tune. The others
can be adjusted by using the first
valve slide: it should be pulled out
for the third partial (Et> or F) and
pushed in for the fifth (c or d). It
may be necessary, especially on
some older instruments, to actually
have the first valve slide short-
ened in order to bring this fifth
partial up to pitch. Since this is
the flattest pitch encountered in
the "first valve series," the slide
should be shortened so that the
fifth partial is in tune when the
slide is pushed all the way in. Un-
til this can be done to the instru-
ment, an alternate fingering of 1-3
may be necessary to raise the pitch.
This is an awkward solution and
should be used only as a temporary
measure until the slide can be cut
to the proper length.
Experimentation is necessary to
discover exactly how far the slide
must be pulled out or pushed in.
This may vary for every performer,
but there are some general guide-
lines that can be followed.
1. Preliminaries: the instrument
should be completely warmed up
to room temperature (about 70° F);
and the open horn must be tuned
properly (using a Strob, if possible).
2. Tune the first valve slide to Al>
or Br>; it will probably be out l" to
1 1/2".
3. Next, tune El> or F; the slide
will probably need to be pulled out
7 8
an additional 1/2".
4. The last note is c or d and it is
the easiest to tune, since the slide
will have to be pushed all the way in.
Once you know how far the slide
must be moved, you may have
problems with compressed air
"pops" that can occur when the
valve is opened — although the
recent advent of the "anti-pop vent"
has eliminated this problem. Most
"professional" line tubas are now
available with "vented" valves
(some players like to vent all valves
whether they are pulled or not in
order to help alleviate the "clicks"
of compressed air encountered in
normal playing), and there are com-
petent repairmen who can vent the
valves on older horns. Without the
vents it takes practice to eliminate
the "pops" and make the movement
smooth and co-ordinated. Of course,
in very fast passages, the benefit
gained from using the slide is com-
pletely nullified — the notes pass
too quickly!
The first valve slide can also be
used when other valves are used
in combination with the first valve.
As more valves are added to the
first valve, the notes become sharp-
er (e.g., 1-2, 1-3, 1-2-3). Since each
added valve will require additional
slide length, this length should be
added by pulling the first valve
slide.
Manufacturers and artists are
constantly striving to perfect in-
strument design and eliminate in-
tonation problems. Some day the
"perfect" tuba may be designed,
but until that time, each performer
should use every option available
to him to insure good intonation. I
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