The Hagmann Free-Flow Valve is a

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...

brass instrument valve Brass instrument valves are valves used to change the length of tubing of a brass instrument allowing the player to reach the notes of various harmonic series. Each valve pressed diverts the air stream through additional tubing, individually or ...

design developed by Swiss musician and instrument technician René Hagmann, first introduced for

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

F attachment The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

s in 1990. His intention was to address some of the geometrical limitations of the regular

rotary valve A rotary valve (also called rotary-motion valve) is a type of valve in which the rotation of a passage or passages in a transverse plug regulates the flow of liquid or gas through the attached pipes. The common stopcock is the simplest form of ro ...

, as well as the reliability and maintenance issues of the popular Thayer

axial flow valve The axial flow valve, or Thayer valve, is a brass instrument valve design for trombone F attachments, patented in 1978 by Orla Ed Thayer. Designed with assistance from Zigmant Kanstul to replace the traditional rotary valve, it was a revolution ...

that arise from its relatively complex design. A standard rotary valve turns the air flow as much as 90 degrees when it is engaged. This does not substantially affect the sound of instruments like the

French Horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

which already have many turns in the air flow, but part of the characteristic sound of the trombone comes from its long, straight air flow. The angles on a Hagmann valve are dramatically less (60 to 66 degrees) which makes it much easier for the player to maintain proper tone with the valve engaged. While the Hagmann Valve does not achieve as low an angle as the Thayer Valve (which can be as low as 20 degrees), it is much easier to maintain and the tone differences are nearly inaudible. Hagmann valves (independent) on bass trombone

Hagmann valves (independent) on bass trombone

Hagmann valves are available on trombones from several manufacturers, especially on their professional ranges, including

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

Courtois Courtois can refer to: Locations *Courtois-sur-Yonne, a commune in Yonne department, France *Courtois, Missouri, an unincorporated community *Courtois Creek, a creek in Missouri *Courtois Hills, a region in Missouri Persons Painters *Jean Cour ...

, Haag, Rath, S.E. Shires, Schagerl, and Thein. In 2004 Haag released a

cimbasso The cimbasso is a low brass instrument that developed from the upright serpent over the course of the 19th century in Italian opera orchestras, to cover the same range as a tuba or contrabass trombone. The modern instrument has four to six rotary ...

in F built with five Hagmann valves. This instrument is used by several operas and orchestras, including

Badische Staatskapelle The Badische Staatskapelle is a symphony orchestra based in Karlsruhe. The orchestra is affiliated with the Badisches Staatstheater (Baden State Theatre). The historical roots of the orchestra date back to 1662. The precursor ensemble was the '' ...

Hungarian State Opera The Hungarian State Opera is the national opera company of Hungary. Located in Budapest, it is a busy institution, with over 200 operas each calendar year, on top of extensive educational programs, ballet, and musical theatre. The company employs 1 ...

, and

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and firs ...

References

External links

Inventor's website
Brass instrument parts and accessories Air valves {{brass-instrument-stub