Abstract: A shoulder marching tuba having a compact slide arrangement for instrument spot tuning. The shoulder marching tuba includes an air inlet mouthpiece, an air outlet bell, and a series of airflow tubing and valves in fluid communication therebetween. The series of airflow tubing and valves include at least four pairs of tubes in sliding, telescoping engagement, wherein the four pairs of tubes are mounted in parallel arrangement and in sequential fluid communication. The first tubes of each of the four pairs of tubes are secured in a first bundle the second tubes of each of the four pairs of tubes are secured in a second bundle. One of the first bundle and the second bundle is mounted for sliding movement relative to the other of the first bundle and the second bundle for adjustment of musical pitch of sound issued from the shoulder marching tuba.

Abstract: A musical instrument piston valve receivable in a valve casing. The valve includes a valve stem, a valve barrel connected to the valve stem, and a valve guide slidably disposed with respect to the valve barrel. A spring is disposed in the valve barrel extending between the valve stem and the valve guide. A piston extends from the valve barrel and includes one or more ports. There are also various ways of adjusting the angular orientation of the piston in the valve casing. It is preferred that the piston and the valve barrel are monolithic in construction and the piston valve includes an adjustable valve guide.

Abstract: A player changes the pitch of tones produced through a trombone by controlling the breath and a slide, and the control of slide is not easy for children, handicapped persons and old players; a supporting system is combined with the trombone, and includes a manipulating board fitted to an appropriate portion of the trombone close to the slide, a driving mechanism connected to the slide and a controlling unit connected to the manipulating board and driving mechanism; when the player wishes to change the pitch of tones through the sliding motion of the slide, he moves a lever on the manipulating board by a distance shorter than a target stroke of the slide, and the controlling unit calculates the target stroke so as to supply a driving signal to the driving mechanism; and the driving mechanism exerts force on the slide so as to assist the player in varying the length of the column of air.

Abstract: A valve assembly including at least one valve body designed to be mounted on a musical instrument, such as but not limited to a trombone or like “brass” instrument and adapted to regulate air flow through the instrument, between at least a first path of air flow and a second path of air flow each having significantly different lengths, wherein a musician is capable of selectively directing air from the mouth piece or air inlet of the instrument to the air outlet or bell of the instrument along an extended length flow path of the instrument, thereby extending the lower range of the instrument and generating a change in pitch and tonal quality of the musical sound generated.

Abstract: An improved French horn includes a coiled tubular body having a bell end, a curved inlet end and a plurality of valves formed thereon between the bell end and the inlet end for controlling a flow of air through the French horn. A mouthpipe has a mouthpiece end, a curved outlet end and a substantially straight section between the mouthpiece end and the outlet end. A pipe detachably interconnects the inlet end of the coiled tubular body and the outlet end of the mouthpipe. The pipe is configured so that the interconnected mouthpipe may be situated at either one of two positions relative to the body, including a first position in which the substantially straight section of the mouthpipe is substantially tangential to the coiled tubular body, and a second position in which the substantially straight section of the mouthpipe is away from the first position and close to the valves of the coiled tubular body.

Abstract: A slide housing having a plurality of rows of side wall ports directed into the side walls of the housing is arranged to receive a slide block within the housing, wherein the slide block includes through-extending bores arranged for alignment with the side wall bores, with a helical wind tube mounted to the side walls, with the wind tube having individual coils, and each coil including a coil exit port, and the coil exit ports are mounted to the side wall ports, with the slide arranged to effect intercommunication between a selected number of the individual coils to effect pitched change in use of the instrument. The slide block includes a slide conduit received within an instrument bell conduit in pneumatic communication with the instrument bell.