Re: Double-bells and 6-valves obsolete?


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Posted by AW on February 15, 2003 at 09:01:32:

In Reply to: Double-bells and 6-valves obsolete? posted by Bill on February 15, 2003 at 05:03:54:

I'll make an attempt to answer:

For a double-bell euphonium, the kind of sounds one gets from the two bells is not sufficiently different to be worth all the trouble, expense and weight.

Brass instruments pitched higher than tubas are not usually called upon to play notes that are a lot below the second partial. After all, such notes can be assigned to the next lower-pitched brass instrument. Since the fifth and sixth valves are primarily useful for playing closer to the first partial, they are not needed for brass instruments pitched higher than tubas. Indeed other than on tubas and euphoniums, the fourth valve is rare. Modern piccolo trumpets are an exception: they are pitched so high that they do need a fourth valve.

Allen



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