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Introduction	Orchestration	Orchestration	Resources	Historical	Andrew Hugill
	by section woodwinds brass percussion others strings combinations tuttis	by instrument flutes oboes clarinets bassoons saxophones horns trumpets trombones tubas percussion keyboards harps fretted strings voices electronics violins violas cellos basses conductors	select... score layouts seating plans ranges/transpositions harmonic series language/phonetics notation charts	select... 20th/21st Century 19th Century Classical Baroque pre-Baroque	Philharmonia

TUBA

Section: Brass
Transposing? No

Construction
Range
Articulations
Effects
Mutes
Extended
Player's Tips and Tricks

Links

 

Construction

First, some pan shots:

the bass (Eb) tuba
the contrabass (BBb) tuba
the tenor tuba, or euphonium (normally pitched in Bb)

Although bass tubas are not necessarily pitched in C, they are not treated as transposing instruments and are notated at concert pitch in bass clef. The same goes for the euphonium, although occasionally it is written a major ninth higher than it sounds, in the treble clef. John Jenkins explains:

the construction of the tuba
the mouthpiece
Note that there are differences between tubas in the UK and the rest of Europe
Sound production on any tuba uses the harmonic series and is controlled by the valves
A fourth valve bridges the gap between harmonic series
The character of the euphonium
The character of the tuba
The Wagner Tuba...
...and some typical confusions that can arise when they are used
So, when tuba is called for, which tuba does a tubist choose?