Tuba: Difference between revisions

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The tuba is a brass instrument having an even wider and more rapidly-expanding bore than the French [[horn]], likewise having valves (three or more) and tuning slides to alter the pitch. Normally, when additional valves and tuning slides are added, their purpose is to fill in chromatic (nominally [[12edo]]) notes in the low range, as well as providing additional options for getting such notes in tune when the slides cannot be moved quickly enough; but it is also possible to add valves and slides to get microtones. In the following example, an 1890 Schmidt F tuba (having ~~three~~ standard valves operated by the right hand) has been ~~fitted with an additional group~~ of ~~controls (operated~~ by the ~~left hand), which includes~~ a quarter-tone ~~valve,~~ an eighth-tone ~~valve~~, and a lever-actuated tuning slide capable of lowering the pitch by at least another eighth-tone to fill in gaps.

The tuba is a brass instrument having an even wider and more rapidly-expanding bore than the French [[horn]], likewise having valves (three or more) and tuning slides to alter the pitch; unlike the French horn, the tuba never had an older version having no valves (its closest functional predecessors, the serpent and ophicleide, having finger holes and keys, respectively. Normally, when additional valves and tuning slides are added, their purpose is to fill in chromatic (nominally [[12edo]]) notes in the low range, as well as providing additional options for getting such notes in tune when the slides cannot be moved quickly enough; but it is also possible to add valves and slides to get microtones. In the following example, an 1890 Schmidt six-valve F tuba (having four originally-standard valves operated by the right hand and two valves operated by the left hand) has been modified in the following ways: the third valve tubing has been lengthened to lower pitch by a major third instead of a minor third; the fourth valve tubing has been lengthened to lower pitch by a perfect fifth instead of a perfect fourth; and the fifth and sixth valves and their associated tubing have been substituted to lower pitch by a quarter-tone and an an eighth-tone, respectively, and a right-hand lever-actuated tuning slide is capable of lowering the pitch by at least another eighth-tone to fill in gaps and/or correct the intonation deficiencies inherent in brass instrument valve systems.<ref>Hayward, Robin (2011) ''The Microtonal Tuba'', '''The Galpin Society Journal''' Vol. 64 (March 2011), pp. 125-177 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/23209394 https://www.jstor.org/stable/23209394]</ref>

; [[Robin Hayward]]

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFEOny8Mvuc ''Splitting the semitone''] (2026) (valve system made in collaboration with [[The Berliner Tuba]])

== References ==

[[Category:Instruments]]

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 {{Wikipedia|Tuba}}
-The tuba is a brass instrument having an even wider and more rapidly-expanding bore than the French [[horn]], likewise having valves (three or more) and tuning slides to alter the pitch. Normally, when additional valves and tuning slides are added, their purpose is to fill in chromatic (nominally [[12edo]]) notes in the low range, as well as providing additional options for getting such notes in tune when the slides cannot be moved quickly enough; but it is also possible to add valves and slides to get microtones. In the following example, an 1890 Schmidt F tuba (having three standard valves operated by the right hand) has been fitted with an additional group of controls (operated by the left hand), which includes a quarter-tone valve, an eighth-tone valve, and a lever-actuated tuning slide capable of lowering the pitch by at least another eighth-tone to fill in gaps.
+The tuba is a brass instrument having an even wider and more rapidly-expanding bore than the French [[horn]], likewise having valves (three or more) and tuning slides to alter the pitch; unlike the French horn, the tuba never had an older version having no valves (its closest functional predecessors, the serpent and ophicleide, having finger holes and keys, respectively. Normally, when additional valves and tuning slides are added, their purpose is to fill in chromatic (nominally [[12edo]]) notes in the low range, as well as providing additional options for getting such notes in tune when the slides cannot be moved quickly enough; but it is also possible to add valves and slides to get microtones. In the following example, an 1890 Schmidt six-valve F tuba (having four originally-standard valves operated by the right hand and two valves operated by the left hand) has been modified in the following ways: the third valve tubing has been lengthened to lower pitch by a major third instead of a minor third; the fourth valve tubing has been lengthened to lower pitch by a perfect fifth instead of a perfect fourth; and the fifth and sixth valves and their associated tubing have been substituted to lower pitch by a quarter-tone and an an eighth-tone, respectively, and a right-hand lever-actuated tuning slide is capable of lowering the pitch by at least another eighth-tone to fill in gaps and/or correct the intonation deficiencies inherent in brass instrument valve systems.<ref>Hayward, Robin (2011) ''The Microtonal Tuba'', '''The Galpin Society Journal''' Vol. 64 (March 2011), pp. 125-177 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/23209394 https://www.jstor.org/stable/23209394]</ref>
 ; [[Robin Hayward]]
 * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFEOny8Mvuc ''Splitting the semitone''] (2026) (valve system made in collaboration with [[The Berliner Tuba]])
+== References ==
+<references />
 [[Category:Instruments]]
 {{Stub}}