Fake Fingering For Scales.

[trjeam]

The other day I learned something real cool.

If you put down the third valve and keep it down while playing a F major scale you'll come out with a D maj. scale. There is another one that I can't remember.

What is this method called??
And are there any other combinations of keys that do stuff like this?

These are like fake fingering for scales. Does anyone know what I am talking about?

[ This Message was edited by: trjeam on 2002-02-23 11:13 ]

[richj50]

That's interesting, though obvious when you think about it. The 3rd valve drops the pitch a step and a half so that would work with any scale that only used the first two valves. It should work to bring a Bb scale (upper octave) down to a G scale as well.

Rich

[_Don Herman]

Three valves, twelve tones in a scale... So, yeah, several combinations will work for many notes, even in the fundamental (lower) register. As you ascend, the harmonics become closer and more combinations will work. Practically any beginning book, and the intro or slurs section of virtually any method book, will show the different fingerings one can use for the different notes. With this information, one could make a chart of what scale can be played with what fingering(s) to answer your question. I leave this an exercise, since it could be quite useful in learning how valves and pitches relate, and the best way to learn is to do it yourself! Besides, it's pretty simple.

Aside: Hopefully everybody will appreciate the rationalization above for not doing the work myself! "Man is not a rational animal; he is a rationalizing one" - Heinlein.

Now, while doing this, note the slight variations in pitch and tone obtained with different fingerings. The manufacturers have to compromise to get the scales to play as close as possible for us, and so lengths of various tubes and slides, taper of the tubes and bell, etc. are adjusted for best response using the "normal" fingerings. Usually! One clear exception is the C# through E sequence at the top of the staff on C trumpets -- very tough to get those pitches to align properly without significant compromises on other notes, or a lot of fine tuning and special nodal adjustments (i.e., adjusting the tubes to resonate juuusssst right!) When you use "false" fingerings most likely the pitch will vary slightly because the tubes are adjusted for proper length on the "usual" notes, causing a slight change in the resonant frequency of the horn. And, the extra length adds resistance and flow perturbations which change the tone slightly.

Final aside: Octaves are generally modified on a piano for the best sound, which involves "stretching" and "compressing" the pitches. This is particular for each piano, changing grossly with the size of the piano (smaller pianos, with shorter strings, require more frequency bias than great big honkers like the 96 key, 16 foot, concert grand Boesendorfers...). Some makers issue charts of where the frequencies should be for each string (actually, string set) in acknowledgement of electronic tuners (which don't allow for this). A good professional tuner (person) who dials it all in by ear is a gem. And, of course, there's "natural" versus "well tempered" scales and such... All this is to explain why playing with a piano can be tough, even though (fortunately) the vocal range (where we lie most of the time) is least affected by these effects.

HTH, FWIW, blah blah BLAH! - Don
_________________
Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley