Euphonium Valve Arrangements, Tuning and Slide Pulling.

What is it?
Euphonium, Tenor Tuba, Baritone Horn, American Bore Euphonium. Call it what you will. It is pitched in Bb in the same octave as the trombone. It has three, four or five valves. It has automatic compensating valves or not. There has been a lot written about what to call it. Generally speaking if the bell taper is the size of a trombone it is a Baritone Horn in the British Brass Band sense of the term. If the bell is larger than a trombone it is usually referred to as a Euphonium. Some definitions use size of mouthpiece shank, some use number of valves. Some classify the American bell-front Euphonium as a special category but when equipped with a second bell of small proportions, even this tenor shank “American Bore Baritone Horn” was called a “Double Bell Euphonium”. Unless referring to the British Baritone Horn, it is appropriate to refer to most other instruments in this category as Euphoniums.

What does the Automatic Compensating System do?
When a trombonist engages the “F attachment” the slide positions all move out farther down the slide. This is because he is now playing an F trombone. The F trombone requires longer slide positions than the Bb trombone. When the Euphonium player engages the 4th valve, for considerations of slide length, he has a Euphonium in F, the same length as an F tuba. His valve slides must be appropriately longer. Think of it like the difference of the fret sizes on a guitar vs. a ukulele. Or a bass guitar vs. a guitar. A flute vs. a piccolo. When the overall instrument is longer and lower, the whole system of the scale must elongate with it.

A Euphonium with the Automatic Compensating System routes the fourth valve back into the main three valves a second time where additional tubing is added when the fourth valve is engaged. It allows the player to play from low E one ledger line below the bass clef all the way down chromatically to B below the bass clef without pulling slides. This is the entire purpose of the Automatic Compensating System. It does not correct any notes in or above the staff. It does not alter the overtone system. It does not even correct for second space C and second line B. It simply adds the additional tubing necessary to play from low E to low B below the staff without pulling slides. It is important not to be deceived into thinking it automatically fixes any other intonation issues.

The Automatic Compensating System is a wonderful tool that all serious Euphoniumists use in solo literature. Although it has no use in everyday band literature, that is not to say a high school should not own Euphoniums with the ACS. It is an advantage to equip players with all the tools to develop their solo skills. But a high school on a tight budget will not be handicapped by a non-compensating Euphonium as long as it has a good sound and a good scale in the ‘money register’.

Other advantages to the Automatic Compensating System:
ACS Euphoniums have the fourth valve placed down low for the players left hand. This “3&1” valve configuration has three advantages.

• Trombone players who double on Euphonium have a greater comfort level having the perfect forth valve on the left hand. It is what they are accustomed to from the F Attachment on the trombone.
• Acoustically the fourth valve tubing can be made larger because it is farther into the taper of the instrument. Because the fourth valve is used almost exclusively for low notes, having a larger bore in the fourth valve allows for a more open low register.
• The right hand pinky finger is somewhat dependent on the ring finger. Moving the fourth valve to the left hand frees up the ring finger for greater facility.

Note Well: The W. Nirschl I-700 Euphonium has the advantages of the “3&1” valve configuration without the expense of the Automatic Compensating System. For a band on a budget, this four valve instrument has all the features needed to play the most challenging band literature. For advanced students and professionals, the W. Nirschl I-800 offers all the advantages of the Automatic Compensating System. For the most demanding professional, the Meister Walter Nirschl Euphonium adds the advantages of a hand made instrument from traditional sheet brass.

Why does my teacher play with his tuning slide farther in than I do?
Some professionals play in a more relaxed manner and the larger oral cavity associated with a big professional sound causes the pitch to be lower. Some teachers even teach the concept of trying to play ‘low on the pitch’ to achieve a bigger sound. Without even a conscious effort to do so, some professional play lower and as a result require shorter slide lengths. The W. Nirschl Euphoniums have been designed to accommodate all players and those occasional performances with a high piano or organ . Players who have a natural tendency to play high may find that pulling the first, third and fourth valve slides about ½” works best. Again, pulling slides too much can have negative consequences if you do not take into account all notes affected.

How far should the slides be pulled?
It depends on the manufacturer. It is not uncommon to see slides on tubas and Euphoniums pulled. It is very common to see the third slide pulled any where from ¼ inch to 2 inches. No doubt this is done for the same reason trumpets are equipped with a third slide ring.

Concert C with 1st and 3rd valve and concert B with all three valves are sharp. This is a mini-version of the “F attachment” story above. Remember, however, why trumpets have a slide pull rather than just making the third slide permanently longer. There are notes that do not require this added length and will be flat if the slide is out. These notes are concert Gb and concert Db.

If you pull the third slide on a Euphonium you should check the intonation of Gb. Most pedagogues would agree, a better sound is produced by opening the cavity in the mouth to lower a pitch rather than squeezing or pinching to raise it. Consider the flat notes and limit your slide pulling to accommodate them rather than pulling slides to correct the sharp notes.

One often sees a first slide pulled on tubas and Euphoniums. Again it may be an attempt to tune 1&3 C. Consider the consequences for upper C. Euphonium C, one ledger line above the bass clef, is by laws of acoustics, a flat partial. This note by acoustical principals is inherently 14% flat. Pulling the first slide can render this note unplayable.

How do I decide how much to pull the individual valve slides?
Let me first suggest that when checking intonation you play loud and soft; slur up to the note in question and slur down to the note in question (a perfect fourth or fifth should suffice).

Do not be surprised if a note played loud and a note played soft are of different pitch. When in doubt, I suggest using the pitch of the louder note and learning to adjust the softer note to it.

Do not be surprised if when slurring down a note is lower pitched and when slurring up it is higher. It is usually better to take the lower pitch and learn to adjust the upward slur to the lower pitch.

The main tuning slide. The most relevant note to tune is the Bb atop the bass clef, fourth partial Bb. Play it loud. Play it soft. Slur up to it from F. Slur down to it from high F. If there is a discrepancy by volume, the louder note is probably the better choice. It is harder to bend a loud note. If there is discrepancy from slurring, the lower pitch may be the better choice.

Check the low Bb. Check the fifth partial D. Check sixth partial F. If the D is flat and the F is sharp, you have confirmed the natural acoustics of all brass instruments.

• 2nd slide. Set the second slide to the same intonation as the open note. If tuning the Bb tuning note, set the second slide to be perfectly in tune. Check the fifth partial open D. If it is slightly flat, the second valve Db should be slightly flat as well. Check the low Bb and compare to low A. If you tend to play low Bb flat, the low A should be the same amount flat. Because third partial F has a natural tendency to be slightly sharp, the E will have the same tendency. Because sixth partial F has a tendency to be high and because it is a note that has a tendency to climb even higher if a player does not keep the oral cavity open and relaxed, both the F and the E should be the same amount sharp. The player must adjust the oral cavity to bring these into pitch.
• 1st slide. Follow the same procedure with the first valve. Ab below the tuning Bb should be in tune when the slide is set correctly. If fifth partial D is flat, fifth partial C should be the same amount flat. Since sixth partial F tends sharp, sixth partial Eb will have the same tendencies and must be adjusted the same as sixth partial E and F.

If you set the first and second slides to be exactly the same as the open horn, the combination of first and second valves should be just a little sharp. Some players may chose to compromise by pulling the first and/or second valve just a little extra. Remember that the fifth partial Db and C are notes that are naturally flat. Consider these notes carefully before making this compromise. Remember that a better sound is achieved by adjusting a pitch downward by opening the oral cavity or relaxing than by trying to ‘humor’ a note up.

• 3rd slide. Set the third slide to be in tune on Gb below tuning Bb. Do not change the second slide. Because third valve is not typically used for fifth partial and because it is not typically used alone and because Gb is the note that can be negatively impacted by over-pulling the third slide, this is the best note to reference when tuning the third slide. Third partial Db may be slightly sharp as all third partial notes listed above.

Now we come to a fork in the road depending on whether you are tuning a three valve Euphonium, a four valve Euphonium or an Automatic Compensating Euphonium.

• For a three valve Euphonium you may want to pull the third slide a little extra to compromise between the Gb and second space C played 1st & 3rd. If your music does not call for many Db’s or Gb’s you may chose to pull the third slide to play C in tune.
• • For a four valve Euphonium, set the fourth slide for second space C. If your music calls for frequent second line B naturals, set the fourth slide a little longer so that C is a little low and B is a little high. The difference should be minimal. To play second space C use fourth valve. To play second line B use fourth and second valves. If you occasion the notes below the bass clef, Eb will be sharp played 1&4 and flat if played 1,2&4. Consider 1&4 and when possible pull 1st slide on that note only. Low D can be played 2,3&4. Db will be just a little sharp when played 1,3&4. C will be sharp when played with all four valves. Low B natural will be missing but a ‘false pedal note’ can be achieved with 1&2 or 2&3.
• For an automatic compensating Euphonium, set the fourth slide to play second space C. Your work is done because the automatic compensating lengths are not adjustable. To play second space C use fourth valve. To play second line B use fourth and second valves. If you occasion the notes below the bass clef, Eb = 1&4, D=1,2&4, Db=2,3&4, C=1,3&4, B=all four. These are the notes for which you bought the Automatic Compensating Euphonium.