TromboneChat

Hey there, Chatters,

Recently a friend of mine posted a reply indicating that the Bollinger tuning system was "genius." I don't understand how it is genius.

Rather than speaking with him privately, I thought others might benefit from the discussion about the Bollinger tuning system. As I understand it, it's an independent system (or maybe that's irrelevant?) with the first trigger in F (as usual) and the other as a flat G.

What's the point? Thanks!

He has a book out that talks through the benefits of this in way more detail but I will try to provide a boiled down version. Yes, 1st valve stays in F, and the 2nd is between G and Gb.

It is an independent system. I would not call that irrelevant as there would be nearly no benefit with this setup in a dependent configuration, but I think it makes more sense to focus on the benefits of this over the now standard independent Bb/F/Gb/D setup.

The basic point is that with this shorter 2nd valve, the slide positions with just the 2nd valve pressed down tend to line up with slide positions on the open horn. With the regular tuning, this is not the case.

There is a video on Shires's facebook page from the opening of the new show room, and Mr. Bollinger gave a presentation about his two horns and the tuning system if you'd like to hear it from his mouth and with him demonstrating.

The tuning allows for certain arpeggios to be played without moving the slide. For to music that he plays, Blair sees this as an advantage. I think Dr. Pollard has his bass setup this way, also.

Hey Brian! I saw the title and thought 'wow I think I wrote something like that..'

I think I noticed the benefit is in where the arpeggios sit on the slide. The major arpeggios (A,Ab,G,Gb) are played with very minimal slide movement. For Haydn creation the Bb arpeggio can be played all in 1st (yes the D is flat but it is the 3rd of the chord and you can easily lip it enough into place).

I think the main point of it is less positions to learn. I might have to sell the Bollinger horn but whatever bass I end up with I will most likely have the second valve cut a quarter tone. Totally sold on having to use less positions and less overall slide movement.

GBP wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:26 am The tuning allows for certain arpeggios to be played without moving the slide. For to music that he plays, Blair sees this as an advantage. I think Dr. Pollard has his bass setup this way, also.

I haven't seen Dr. Pollard in a little while but I am about certain he plays in Bb/F/G/Eb.
And man does he use those valves!

Mv2541 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:47 am

GBP wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:26 am The tuning allows for certain arpeggios to be played without moving the slide. For to music that he plays, Blair sees this as an advantage. I think Dr. Pollard has his bass setup this way, also.

I haven't seen Dr. Pollard in a little while but I am about certain he plays in Bb/F/G/Eb.
And man does he use those valves!

I saw him in Like March. I think he was on thes same horn.

GBP wrote: ↑Tue Jun 19, 2018 5:02 pm

Mv2541 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:47 am I haven't seen Dr. Pollard in a little while but I am about certain he plays in Bb/F/G/Eb.
And man does he use those valves!

I saw him in Like March. I think he was on thes same horn.

I did study with him a little bit for a couple years and after seeing that video I am sure I'm right on this one. You can see he plays the G and D in first which would be super flat on Bollinger tuning (exactly a quarter tone). I only said it's plausible in the Haydn since it's a quick major apreggio.
He is still on a Courtois like the video but they released a new version of it a month ago. Ask him yourself if you don't believe me but he even has a video on YouTube explaining the reasoning for a second valve in G. In case it isn't super clear already, Bollinger tuning is halfway between G (like Dr. Pollard) and Gb(like most basses).