Intonation

In this section

• Technique

  Intonation, alternate fingerings, fourth-valve logic, and building range — the working craft of playing the instrument in tune and across its full compass.

• The compensating system

  The clever loop of extra tubing that keeps a four-valve euphonium's low register in tune — how it works, who invented it, and why it matters when you buy.

• How do I improve my intonation on the euphonium

  Learn your instrument's specific tendencies with a tuner and drone, use the fourth valve and alternate fingerings to dodge the worst notes, and practise long tones and slow lyrical playing to train your ear and air.

• Why is my low range sharp

  Because multi-valve combinations play sharp on any brass instrument, and the effect is worst in the low register where you use the most tubing. A compensating horn corrects it automatically; on a non-compensating horn you correct it yourself.

• What is the compensating system, in plain terms

  Extra loops of tubing, engaged automatically by the fourth valve, that add exactly the length a valve combination needs to play in tune in the low register. You press the valves normally; the horn corrects itself.