Re: Re: 5th valve slide


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Posted by Rick Denney on January 16, 2001 at 14:04:37:

In Reply to: Re: 5th valve slide posted by Frank Rosenau on January 16, 2001 at 02:50:12:

It seems that way to me, too. A long whole-step fifth gives you a solid low Eb with the 4-5 combination. D is already good with 2-3-4. Db would be better with the two-tone fifth (4-5), and not as good with the 3-4-5. If the C with a two-tone fifth is 2-4-5, you'll need better fingers than mine, and is far easier with 2-3-4-5 or 1-3-4-5. The B is all five valves with a flat whole step fifth, and an easier 3-4-5 with a two-tone fifth. And, of course, the pedal BBb is possible with valves only with a two-step fifth.

But the real question is: How often do you play any of these notes? English Folk Song Suite has a part marked 8va basso that goes down to a D. Vaughan Williams also wrote the same note in his 2nd symphony. Prokofiev has a low C# in, I think, his 7th. The Ride has a D (memory alert!). Holst has a low one in the Planets, that isn't lower than a D. Can anyone think of common literature, besides the Prokofiev, that has a low C# or lower?

But there are scads of low Eb's out there.

So, for most literature of which I'm familiar, the advantages of a two-tone fifth seem rarely used on a BBb horn. But that low Eb comes up frequently, and that's the note a flat whole step fifth really sings.

Rick "who needs more than another valve to make D's and lower sing" Denney


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