For questions related to the mechanisms in brass and other instruments that change the length of tubing within the instrument and therefore alter the pitch.
Questions tagged [valves]
12 questions
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3 answers
Trumpet valves, lengths, and pitch
I would like to know a bit more about how the valves of trumpets (and other brass instruments) work than is here: Trumpet at Wikipedia.
I am ignoring issues such as it being a transposing instrument. I only interested in the relative pitches of the…
badjohn
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Why isn't there a reed aerophone with valves?
Most reed instruments instruments have keys or finger holes. Most brass instruments have valves. There are brass instruments with keys, though, like the (fairly unsuccessful) keyed bugle. I can find no mention anywhere of a valved reed wind…
naught101
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Why do trumpet valves shift the pitch down and not up?
I understand how trumpets work - valves open to force the air through crooks, which lengthens the pathway the air must travel, thus decreasing the resonant frequency.
The question is, why are trumpets designed like this? Couldn't they also be…
naught101
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Brass Instrument Valve Order
Brass instruments such as the Trumpet and French Horn have three keyed/levered valves. Some related brass instruments such as the Piccolo Trumpet have four keyed valves. The Tuba has four or more.
Pressing down a key opens a valves, which adds extra…
Elements in Space
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How to disassemble a tuba for cleaning
When I remove the valves of a piston tuba, do I remove the spring also?
Damian Portela
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4
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Bach Stradivarius LT42 restoration
I got a Bach LT42 with quart valve for few Euros, worth about € 1000,-.
Now the trombone was built in the 1980s, so its material is brilliant, the sound is really great!
The caveat: It’s in quite bad shape. I need to spend about another € 1000,- for…
Benjamin Marwell
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What can I do to address valves getting stuck on a trumpet?
I have a problem with a low-end trumpet ($100 range, so you get what you paid for).
The valves occasionally get stuck-ish, and won't depress fully after being pressed (they stop at around ~2/3 or 3/4 way up). This is usually after oiling the…
DVK
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How do I keep this trumpet valve in place?
This is the first valve to an older Holton student-model trumpet.
The little bump (shown with arrow) is supposed to mate with a little notch inside the valve casing, which keeps it rotated properly for playing. I can't seem to get it to catch,…
nuggethead
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French horn - clicky/noisy keys
More of a practical question here.
I've had clicky keys (on the French horn) for a while now and I plan to get them fixed soon. But does anyone know a temporary fix to the problem? I can't seem to find the root of the noise, and I've tried almost…
starlly
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Wooden Saxophone Project
So my friend was planning on making an all wooden saxophone. I thought it was a pretty good idea but had some doubts in it like the piston valves and such. I saw this being a problem because of the springs. My friend suggested just making air-holes…
Joseph Casey
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Fingering for the fourth valve of the piccolo trumpet
Consider the piccolo trumpet in Bb (like the normal trumpet in Bb but one octave higher).
The first three valves lower the main tube by 2,1,3 semitones.
The fourth one lowers the tube by a fourth (5 semitones) and would therefore be equivalent to…
Karlo
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How should tuba valve springs of different size be reassembled?
I finished cleaning my tuba, but I'm not sure where the springs go. I know they go into the valve but they are all different sizes ranging from largest to smallest. Does it matter what order they are in?
