Tuba

What's a Tuba?

The tuba is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibration into a large mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the newer instruments in the modern orchestra and concert band.

Types of Tubas

Tubas are found in various pitches, most commonly in F, E♭, C, or B♭. The tubing of a Tuba can range from 12-16 feet long if unwrapped and straightened out. These are big instruments!

In addition to the length of the instrument, which dictates the fundamental pitch, tubas also vary in overall width of the tubing sections. Tuba sizes are usually denoted by a quarter system, with ​4⁄4 designating a normal, full-size tuba. Smaller instruments may be described as ​3⁄4 instruments, this is what you will play on your first year. ​3⁄4 tubas are common in American grade schools for use by young tuba players for whom a full size instrument might be too cumbersome. Though smaller and lighter, they are tuned and keyed identically to full-size tubas of the same pitch, although they usually have 3 rather than 4 valves.