Here is a selection chart based on a short 3rd valve and a long (Roberts) fourth:


The chart suggests several ways to use a fifth valve primarily to correct for the sharp 2&3 combination that results but also for other notes in the extension register:

Example 1: (Fifth valve = Long Semitone (set for 125 = slightly flat major 3rd, and 245 = slightly sharp perfect 5th)

Interval............Fingering..................Note Names

0 (open)....................open....................Bb.....C......Eb.....F

1 semitone...................2.......................A.......B......D.......E

2 semitones..................1......................Ab.....Bb....Db.....Eb

3 (minor 3rd)................3.......................G.......A......C.......D

4 (major 3rd)..............125.....................Gb.....Ab.....B......Db

5 (perfect 4th)............235......................F.......G......Bb.....C

6 (tritone)....................24.......................E......Gb.....A.......B

7 (perfect 5th)............245......................Eb.....F......Ab.....Bb

8 (aug. 5th)..............234-/145++............D.......E......G.......A

9 (sixth)....................2345.....................Db.....Eb....Gb.....Ab

10 (seventh)............1345+.....................C.......D.......F.......G

11 (major 7th).............NA.....................B.......Db.....E......Gb

12 (octave)..................NA.....................Bb.....C......Eb......F

This system works well for the most commonly used notes, but will require slide pulls for the 8th, 10th and 11th semitones.

Example 2:
(Fifth valve = Long Whole-Step, First valve set 4 cents sharp, so that 15 = slightly flat major 3rd, and 35 = slightly sharp 4th)

Interval............Fingering..................Note Names

0 (open)....................open....................Bb.....C......Eb.....F

1 semitone...................2.......................A.......B......D.......E

2 semitones..................1.......................Ab.....Bb....Db.....Eb

3 (minor 3rd)...............3.......................G.......A......C.......D

4 (major 3rd)...............15.....................Gb.....Ab.....B......Db

5 (perfect 4th).............35......................F.......G......Bb.....C

6 (tritone)...................24.......................E......Gb.....A.......B

7 (perfect 5th)..............45.....................Eb.....F......Ab.....Bb

8 (aug. 5th)...............234-/245++...........D.......E......G.......A

9 (sixth)....................1245.....................Db.....Eb....Gb.....Ab

10 (seventh)..............2345++.................C.......D.......F.......G

11 (major 7th)...........12345++...............B.......Db.....E......Gb

12 (octave)..................NA.....................Bb.....C......Eb......F

This system also works well for the most commonly used notes, but will require slide pulls for the 8th, 10th and 11th semitones.

Example 3: (Fifth valve = Long Minor 3rd, set for 15 = perfect 4th slightly flat, and 35 = slightly sharp tritone)

Interval............Fingering..................Note Names

0 (open)....................open....................Bb.....C......Eb.....F

1 semitone...................2.......................A.......B......D.......E

2 semitones..................1......................Ab.....Bb....Db.....Eb

3 (minor 3rd)...............3........................G.......A......C.......D

4 (major 3rd)...............23+...................Gb.....Ab.....B......Db

5 (perfect 4th)..............15......................F.......G......Bb.....C

6 (tritone)....................24......................E......Gb.....A.......B

7 (perfect 5th)............14++...................Eb.....F......Ab.....Bb

8 (aug. 5th)...............1235.....................D.......E......G.......A

9 (sixth).................145-/134+................Db.....Eb....Gb.....Ab

10 (seventh)............345++.....................C.......D.......F.......G

11 (major 7th)..........1345......................B.......Db.....E......Gb

12 (octave)..................NA.....................Bb.....C......Eb......F

This system may require slide pulls for the 4th, 7th and 10th semitones.

Example 4: (Fifth valve = Major 3rd)

Interval............Fingering..................Note Names

0 (open)....................open....................Bb.....C......Eb.....F

1 semitone...................2.......................A.......B......D.......E

2 semitones.................1.......................Ab.....Bb....Db.....Eb

3 (minor 3rd)................3.......................G.......A......C.......D

4 (major 3rd)................5......................Gb.....Ab.....B......Db

5 (perfect 4th).............25+.....................F.......G......Bb.....C

6 (tritone)....................24.......................E......Gb.....A.......B

7 (perfect 5th)..........14++/235-..............Eb.....F......Ab.....Bb

8 (aug. 5th)..............234-/135+..............D.......E......G.......A

9 (sixth).......................245....................Db.....Eb....Gb.....Ab

10 (seventh)..............1245-....................C.......D.......F.......G

11 (major 7th)............2345+..................B.......Db.....E......Gb

12 (octave)................12345..................Bb......C......Eb......F

This system may require slide pulls for the 5th, 7th, and 8th semitones.

Back to Roberts Systems:

Back to the main page of the Tuba Logic website: