I was wondering if there was any sort of 'trick' to get this note to sound right? (or any alternate fingering). Whenever i play it it sounds crappy (almost like a kazoo or something, really raspy). Could someone please tell me a way to improve this, as it is screwing up my pirates of the carribean, and my funkytown, and my conducter won't let me raise it an octive, because it makes it sound too 'screechy'. (PS, i don't think it it is anything to do with my embouchure, as i have been playing for three years) Thanks alot!

Throat tones are often weird. Open your throat(very important, but hard to describe in text how to do) and make sure your posture is good.

Alterate fingering-wise, I find that for sustained notes, the front A key plus the third side key up (two above the one used for Eb) works well on many horns. It's generally considered a trill fingering, and isn't very practical for fast passages, but funky sounding notes aren't as much of a problem in fast passages as when sustained.

actually, if you work on the alternate fingering abit, it becomes second nature. If I play a Bb any longer than a split second I use the trill fingering. Only because it is quite fuzzy the other way. I can't wait to order a Rossi with the Bb Mechanism!

-Dennis

I find the trill fingering more awkward for fast passages mostly because I play primarily bass and the mechanism is larger, but it also depends how badly it's needed when I decide to use it or not. One horn I played on a few years ago had an absolutely HORRIBLE Bb, so I would use the alternate whenever possible, but on my current instrument it sounds mostly fine, so I only use the alternate for long sustained notes.