Flushing Toilets and the heroic key of E flat?

Believe it or not, most toilets flush in E flat - I just went upstairs and tested my own thunderbox and yes, mine certainly does!

Funny that they should choose such a heroic key for this purpose - but thankfully there are many compositions in E flat that offer far more musical excitement than a flushing dunny ever could! There's Beethoven's Third Symphony and Piano Concerto #5, and Mozart's Piano Concerto #22 to name a few.

I'd love you to share some of your own favourite classical works in E flat. Thanks in advance!

2011-03-18T19:37:17Z

@Del - yes, I totally agree, it's terribly sad. Maybe I can blame all these years of bassoon-playing...oh dear, maybe I need a new hobby, what do you think? H x

2011-03-18T20:10:09Z

@Miss LimLim - maybe your dunny sings in Baroque pitch.

2011-03-18T20:30:59Z

@Tula - oh you poor thing, a house full of pitch-less toilets...that's very sad.

2011-03-18T20:33:11Z

@Petr - an interesting theory, to be sure...I wonder what key Queen Elizabeth's lav flushes in, then?

2011-03-18T22:26:16Z

@Mr. Jones - ahhhhh, you've just hit the spot - a nice spot of fartsome chamber(pot) music in a public restroom...love it! H x

@Petr - it sounds like you're just as "sad" as MissLL and me - I mean, who else on this planet would know how to fine-tune the pitch of their toilets??? Now look what you and Mr. Jones have done, I'm crying because I'm laughing so much. My customers are giving me some very odd looks. Honestly, you two are hilarious! H x

2011-03-19T19:10:54Z

@RCS - yes, my futuristic presentiments tell me that one day, conservatoriums will be offering B. Mus degrees in Toiletology - I reckon all of us here would pass with High Distinctions!

2011-03-19T19:15:59Z

@Jack - oh no, I'm cry-laughing again - my poor customers! You know, I'm most impressed by your melodic dunny a Schubert Impromptu? What a gifted lavatory! And yes, practicing Baroque bassoon music on the thunderbox gives scope for some unorthodox basso continuo! H xxx

2011-03-19T19:22:21Z

@Switch - I have clearly underestimated the percussive potential of toilets, I humbly apologise. I'd love to see a whole batallion of tuned toilets lined up on stage - Petr could undertake the tuning, of course - the possiblilities are endless! H x

petr b2011-03-18T19:49:58Z

Favorite Answer

Is THAT why they call it The Throne?

@ any whose bowls are out of tune:
bend the arm of the tank float up or down just a hair, more or less water will fill the bowl, and you can tune that sucker up or down to appease your fine-honed ear, and at any era's pitch level, too.

If your bowl is tuned to the classical era concert pitch, this might go well:
Beehoven, Piano Concerto No. 5, 1st movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLi4QGRwOPc&feature=related

If tuned to contemporary concert pitch
Stravinsky: Concerto in E - flat, "Dumbarton Oaks."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQszFzbxwbM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8_XpOcmB8I&feature=related


..And a hearty welcome back, H. Things are looking up.


Best regards

90

?2016-12-11T11:34:32Z

Toilets Flush In E Flat

00

Jack Herring2011-03-19T08:44:49Z

I re-read your question and you do not mention how you exactly discovered this obscure tidbit of knowledge. I suspect you are practicing with Humphrey while sitting on the throne.

Miss LimLam I suspect has a lazy toilet and may need to replace it with a new one with a strong flush to get it back up to the proper pitch.

I recently replaced mine at home and it has such as powerful flush I feel like I am putting my life in danger each time I flip the handle. Sometimes I stand in the adjacent room and reach through the doorway with a broom handle to flip the flush knob. I'm telling you this flush is so strong that I hear a definite Eb but also hear multiple harmonic tones giving me a full descending Eb major scale. Sounds exactly like the Schubert Impromptu in Eb major.

Always a treat to hear from you.

80

Switch ♪♫2011-03-19T08:59:23Z

Hafwen, I am sorry you do not think that there are proper musical pieces for toilets as they have been a staple in the orchestral world for a very long time and that is why most are tuned in e flat, obviously not all. It really depends on the composer, your e flat toilet is merely a coincidence. Most toilets in performance are part of the percussion section as most will think nothing of a toilet being in that section, especially due to their lack of proper categorization and limited range.

An example of toilets "featured" in the work:

Bartok's Ballcock Symphony #2 in F# (the 2nd movement is especially interesting)

Some interesting history:

Bach often thought of adding toilets to the Brandenburg Concertos after the Margrave of Brandenburg decided to give them "The Royal Flush."

80

rcs2011-03-19T04:48:18Z

I wonder if there's a promising future for those who want to become
"toilet tuners"??
How about it, Mr. Petr b? You are the expert here!

And Hafwen, yours is what I'd call "futuristic insight"

@Jack Herring: Yours is so awesome! But I am sure that you left out
a few other incredible characteristics, for ex.,that it performs beautiful counterpoint, too!

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