water?

[ClarinetGlissandoInBlue]

hey brass players,

 

when you guys empty your "spit valve" is that really saliva or just condensation water or a mixture of both? (specifically trumpets)

 

some claim that it is just water, but i've also seen some that were actually saliva (not dripping, but dropping down in one big strand like mucus almost)

 

maybe thats just an anomaly.

 

so..... water or spit?

[trumpetman1288]

Mixture of both, but more so water...and I can testify to that too.

 

On cold days for marching season, most people will blow into their horns to keep it warm...and what do you know...you have to empty your spit valve long before you have even played a note!

[TRtrumpet]

Wow, I didn't know that

[MartinHorn]

  trumpetman1288 said:

Mixture of both, but more so water...and I can testify to that too.

 

On cold days for marching season, most people will blow into their horns to keep it warm...and what do you know...you have to empty your spit valve long before you have even played a note!

It's actually spit condensing in your horn when you blow air through it, so unless it rains or someone dumps water in your horn, it's spit.

[ClarinetGlissandoInBlue]

  MartinHorn said:

It's actually spit condensing in your horn when you blow air through it, so unless it rains or someone dumps water in your horn, it's spit.

yeah, i kinda thought it was that, but some trumpets at school really insist that it is only water.

 

condensed spit is still the same, it doesnt change to water - then again, spit is 99% water

[Salesmonkey]

Its basically the same stuff that you get when you breath onto a mirror or window. with some spit in it.

[trumpetman1288]

  ClarinetGlissandoInBlue said:

yeah, i kinda thought it was that, but some trumpets at school really insist that it is only water.

 

condensed spit is still the same, it doesnt change to water - then again, spit is 99% water

Yeah, what you said...99% water and minus all the gooiness that spit has...

[Aegis Fang]

if you lip buzz and put your hand in front of your lips, you'll notice that your hand remains dry, not a whole lot of spit coming out. Or you could do it with your mouthpiece too, but my guess is that it's water.

[bossman]

It's defininitely a mix of both becuz when the temperature changes on a tuba the water kinda builds up inside, weird but true

[Dynasty]

Yes, there is spit in your breath. But little comes out into your horn. Its almost all water.

 

The water comes from the condensation of the water on your breath. The air you exhale is pretty humid, considering that it has just been inside of you and that your body is over 80% water. The warmer air can carry more water than the colder air around you. Just think about a cold day when you are breathing. The cloud you see certainly isn't spit!

 

When your air comes in contact with the metal, it changes temperature rapidly. Now that it's at a lower temperature, it can't hold as much moisture, so the moisture clings to the metal and forms droplets. Eventually these droplets of water coagulate to a point where they can't adhere to the metal pipe, and drain down to your spit valve.

 

This is also why there is more spit when your horn is colder (due to the outside temperature). The air leaving your body is the temperature of your body. When it hits the cold metal, there is even more of a temperature difference. The colder the end result air, the less moisture it holds, and the more that stays in your horn.

 

Its almost all water. Think about how much more cohesive spit is than water -- there is no way you could blow all that spit all the way through your horn. If you still don't believe me, take your mouthpiece, put it inside your mouth, and exhale through it onto your bell (or similar flat, metal, surface). After a minute or two, little beads of water will start forming. You'd notice if you were spitting.

[Nancy08]

I think bassoons need a spit valve. Water or spit or whatever collects at the bottom and you have to take the instrument apart to dump it out...

I played so long without dumping it once that I was blowing bubbles on any note below low f...

[MartinHorn]

  Nancy08 said:

I think bassoons need a spit valve. Water or spit or whatever collects at the bottom and you have to take the instrument apart to dump it out...

I played so long without dumping it once that I was blowing bubbles on any note below low f...

Awesome.

[borchnork]

I hate playing and having spit come out the end of your flute. It's gross.

[bbcheez]

it's more fun to tell people it's spit though. especially when it comes out as a miniature waterfall.