Proper Valve Alignment
Brasswind Musical Instruments
By: J.L. Bowers, The Bandroom
There are a lot of opinions floating around the internet regarding proper valve alignment. Proper valve alignment of brasswind musical instrument. This is when the ports of your valves (the holes in your valves) actually line up with the port holes (where the slide tubes enter the valve casings).
How Do I Know If My Valves Are Aligned Properly?
Lets use a trumpet as our lab rat. The best way to "visually" tell if you have good alignment is to remove the second valve slide (the smallest slide) and look into the port holes while the valves are in the open position. You can then see if the valve is obstructing the air flow in any way. If the valve is obstructing the port hole at the top (in the open position), then your felts/spacers on the valve are too thick. If the valve is obstructing the port hole from the bottom (in the open position), then your felts/spacers on the valve are too thin. How about in the depressed position? Use the same principle as described above and adjust the top cap and/or finger button felts accordingly. This method only works if you get the second valve aligned correctly. Then, use the same spacer in the other valves as well. This process will work for many brasswind instruments. We sell many different types of felts for all models of horns. If you are still experiencing a "stuffy" feel while playing after you correct the alignment, contact us and we can help you determine what the problem might be.
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