Tuba is the general name for a number of musical instruments in the brass family. Tubas are the largest of the brass instruments and have the lowest pitch, serving as the bass voice in a brass section. A musician plays the tuba by vibrating the lips in a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece. Pitches are determined by the tension of the lips and the fingering of the instrument’s valves.
Upright tuba
One popular type of tuba is the baritone. It is also called the euphonium or the tenor tuba, depending on the manufacturer and the diameter of the instrument’s tubing. The baritone has three or four valves and is widely used in concert bands and marching bands that play in the same basic range as the trombone. The large upright tuba appears in symphony orchestras. It has from three to five valves. The three-valve sousaphone wraps around the musician’s body and has a large flaring bell. It is the most common tuba in marching bands. The three-valve marching bugle tuba is a popular instrument in drum corps. The tuba is the newest member of the brass family.
Loading the player...Sousaphone
