Posted by Bill Schultz on April 30, 2001 at 07:40:48:
What is the effect of leaky, loose valves? Some postings on this bulletin have described some of the effects as a flattening of the pitch. Repairmen I have contacted said that they do not cause the instrument to play flat, nor do other air leaks. What are the effects? Harder to blow? Distortion of sound? thank you for any comments.
I bought an old Boosey Imperial (around 1930) which plays flat and I have been thinking of solutions (the main tuning slide was cut some already). If I blow harder and faster than I used to on my previous tuba, the pitch rises to the correct tone. A small, shallow mouthpiece with a small throat helps some.