TromboneChat

Something that I occasionally have my students try is holding down their F attachment and playing an entire piece as if the instrument was pitched in F. Personally, I also enjoy the challenge of playing pieces while having my G-flat valve engaged the entire time. I explain to my students that it is good to be prepared because ANYTHING can happen in a performance.

Well, training for this type of emergency paid big dividends this evening. While playing an outdoor performance with a local municipal band, the F valve on my Greenhoe TIS double independent bass completely froze in place in the ENGAGED position. About a minute before the National Anthem, the valve just got stuck and would not move! I tried everything to move it and I was actually scared that I was going to break the linkage. The conductor’s baton came down and there I was……performing with the F valve full-time engaged.

After the initial panic, I actually did rather well. The fact that I was on the 3rd part (bass trombone) probably helped. Most of the music remained on the staff (bass clef) and there were only a few selections with parts in keys with multiple sharps. Although the Sousa march (Hands Across the Sea) definitely had me on high alert! The positions were not my biggest challenge……controlling my tone quality was. I definitely had to be careful not to play too loud because my instrument would start to take on an “angry horn” sonority.

About two thirds of the way through the concert, I was able to move the valve back to the disengaged position, but then it was stuck there. So, I finished the concert with only a functioning G-flat valve. This was much easier except for Barber’ Commando March and a Jack Stamp piece that had a lot of notes below the staff. I was able to fake several low Cs and escape from the concert with a decent amount of dignity.

You might be asking…..…why would a Greenhoe valve get stuck and not move? Well, the answer was discovered when I got home a little while ago and pulled the valve out. It was an insect! I can’t tell exactly what kind of insect it was because it was a smashed mess. Definitely larger than a mosquito, but was smaller than a firefly. Whatever it was, that bug made for a very interesting performance this evening!

I would probably have let one tune go and fixed the valve, but that's only a option if you have the tools available.

Crazy4Tbone86 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 9:28 pmThis was much easier except for Barber’ Commando March and a Jack Stamp piece that had a lot of notes below the staff. I was able to fake several low Cs and escape from the concert with a decent amount of dignity.

Plus that two octave Cb arpeggio on Commando, if you're playing the Basses I/Bass Trombone part. Not my idea of fun.

I got that once, only with a 4th valve on a eupho!
Was at our major yearly concert, and my 1st time on principal. Some moderately difficult solos became challenging!

JohnL wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 10:29 pm I would probably have let one tune go and fixed the valve, but that's only a option if you have the tools available.

Crazy4Tbone86 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 9:28 pmThis was much easier except for Barber’ Commando March and a Jack Stamp piece that had a lot of notes below the staff. I was able to fake several low Cs and escape from the concert with a decent amount of dignity.

Plus that two octave Cb arpeggio on Commando, if you're playing the Basses I/Bass Trombone part. Not my idea of fun.

When we got to the Commando March, I only had the G-flat valve to work with. I chose to just play the Cb arpeggio in the higher octave twice. Since the tubas also have the two octave arpeggio, I didn’t worry about that part too much.

I had a tool kit in my car, but it was about a half mile away. I don’t think I would have felt comfortable doing surgery on my Greenhoe in the trunk of my car or backstage……there are some small parts that are easy to drop and never find again. Plus, getting off the stage in this venue would have created a huge spectacle…….pretty much climbing over the rest of the low brass section and then stepping down a couple of tiers. It was an outdoor band pavilion, not a standard stage.

I read the title and the image that came to mind was:
"It finally happened!! Things are going to start happening to me now!!"

Ah yes! The phone book scene from The Jerk. Doesn’t the guy who delivers the phone books say something like….”I wish I could get that excited about nothing!”

That sounds like quite an adventure, and now you can tell your students that the scenario is not hypothetical, and you practice what you preach!
I once had the old-style linkage on my Bach 36B come apart while playing in the pit for a show, it happened just as the big dance number was about to start. The problem wasn't that I couldn't do it without the f-attachment, but that the valve would not stay in position - it wanted to stay in the half-open position unless I held it in place, while also keeping the trigger paddle out of the way. Very awkward, but it did teach me to regularly check that the linkage was screwed together snuggly with the lock nut tight. (Now I have the Clontz linkage which has been trouble-free for many years)

Personally I don’t have a trombone with valve, but if I was stuck in F, no sweat for playing an F instrument…I regularly play a single French horn in F, using the same chord sheet I use for all my Bb horns. I did have my 2nd valve stick on my 4 valve euph at practice once, very opportune time for it to stick…song was in D, I could play every note with the valve down with a little alternate fingerings. Quick cleaning of valve and fresh oil after practice and I was good. Only used for one song, had it happened during the service playing in another key I probably would have quickly switched to trombone.