The tuba is a low-pitched instrument that gained popularity in the 19th century. Since then, the tuba has become a vital instrument in orchestras, marching bands, and military ensembles.
Even jazz players use the tuba for its distinctively deep, enveloping sound. So what is it that makes the tuba so captivating to the audience? At first glance, its impressive range, powerful sound, and the skill needed to play it all add to its appeal.
But there’s more to this instrument than that, so in this article, let’s go over 16 interesting facts about the tuba you might not know!
1. The Tuba’s Ancestor Was Called The Serpent
The tuba went through a lot of changes before reaching its final form. Its structure is mainly influenced by an earlier instrument called the serpent.
The serpent appeared in the 18th century and is regarded as the distant ancestor of today’s tuba. It was made of wood and had holes instead of valves.
The earliest version of the tuba had a curvy, serpentine wooden pipe. It was quickly replaced with the ophicleide, which looks more like a modern tuba than a serpent.
2. Tubas Can Vary In Size
When you think of a tuba, you might picture the common 3/4 or 4/4 sizes, but tubas actually come in many sizes. The numbers 3/4 and 4/4 refer to the width of the tubing, which affects how loud the tuba sounds, not its pitch.
Tubas also come in different lengths. A longer tuba has a lower pitch. The smallest is the 3/4 tuba, often used in schools because it’s lighter. The 4/4 tuba is the standard size, while the 5/4 and 6/4 tubas are bigger, with the 6/4 being the largest and used in big orchestras.
Examples of large tubas include the Hirsbrunner HB-50 and the 1930s Conn 36K Grand Base. These tubas produce a powerful sound and are used in major performances.
3. Tubas Are Extremely Heavy!
Tubas can be cumbersome to carry; they weigh around 30 pounds! Some tubas can even reach over 50 pounds!
This is why people play the tuba sitting down. A chair allows the player to sit in an upright position, which provides them with the breath support they need.
Even marching bands usually use a lighter version of the tuba, called the sousaphone. Children usually play on 3/4 tubas to better accommodate the weight.
4. Some Tubas Can Be Converted Into Different Variations
Convertible tubas are also known as marching tubas. This involves manually screwing a lead pipe near the valves and resting the tuba on your left shoulder. The bell faces the audience and its back faces you.
Some manufacturers provide harnesses that give the player more support while standing up.
5. Players Need To Make A Buzzing Sound
Anyone who’s never played the tuba before will assume they should just blow air into the mouthpiece. This isn’t entirely true.
To produce the distinctive voice of the tuba, you need two things: air and vibration. You can do this by placing your lips against the mouthpiece and saying the syllables “OH” and “OO.”
When you blow into the mouthpiece, make sure there’s no space between your lips and the mouthpiece. This will cause your lips to vibrate and for the correct tone to be heard.
7. Tubas Vary In Pitches
We’ve already covered how tubas come in various sizes, but that’s not where the differences end! Tubas can also come in different pitches.
There are tubas in the key of Bb, F, Eb, and many more. The lowest-pitched tuba is called the subcontrabass tuba. It’s extremely rare and hardly ever used today.
It was used in the 1950s for comedic festivals and then shortly disappeared. Other types include contrabass tubas, tenor tubas, and bass tubas.
8. They Also Vary In Valves And Finish
There’s no real standard when it comes to the number of valves on the instrument. Beginner and cheap tubas have three valves, most other tubas have four. Some bigger, more expensive, tubas have six.
And being in the brass instrument family, all tubas are made from brass, but they could be electroplated, lacquered, finished with nickel, silver, or gold, or left unfinished.
9. Some Early Tubas Had Front-facing Bells
There were two versions of the early tuba: the concert tuba and the recording tuba.
The concert tuba looked like the modern tuba, but the recording tuba was made to make recording easier. Since the concert tuba had back-facing bells, recording its sound was awkward.
This is why recording tubas were invented — the same structure, same size, but different bell placement.
The forward-facing bells enabled musicians to record their sound in a more convenient way. Nowadays, there are convertible tubas that can change into recording tubas.
10. The Tuba Was Mainly Popularized By Clever Marketing
There’s no denying that the tuba is one of the most sophisticated instruments in the brass family. However, there were a lot of equally impressive instruments that preceded it.
So how did the tuba trump instruments like the ophicleide? Clever marketing techniques.
You could argue that the ophicleide was much harder to play than the tuba, but a lot of musicians disagree. It’s thought that the tuba was marketed as an easier instrument to play, with some additional bells and whistles that attracted the audiences.
11. The Tuba Isn’t Just A Backup Instrument
Tubas aren’t just bass instruments that support the main performance. Throughout history, it has been involved in numerous concertos as the featured instrument.
Symphonists like John Williams and Ralph Vaughan Williams frequently incorporated this instrument into their compositions.
The tuba becomes more prominent during marching bands, where there is usually more than one. Street performances greatly benefit from the loud bass sound, which is why tubas are an essential component of any brass ensemble.
12. The Tuba Can Be Played As A Solo Instrument
Here’s a common myth about tubas: their deep and rich tones make them unsuitable for solo performances. This is surprisingly untrue. The tuba has been involved in many solo compositions and albums.
Concertos like Fredrik Hogberg and Roger Bobo have created masterpieces that are mainly centered on the tuba, proving that it can shine brightly as a solo instrument.
13. The Tuba Has The Lowest Pitch In The Brass Family
The subcontrabass tuba is officially the lowest-pitch instrument in the brass family.
Tubas, in general, were intended to be distinctively low-pitched. The first version of the tuba in the 1830s was so low-pitched that it wasn’t a success.
It wasn’t until the late 1800s when other iterations started to surface, and the potential of the tuba was finally realized.
14. Orchestras Can Request An Additional Tuba
It may surprise you, but some orchestras use two or more tubas in their performances. It’s not common and usually involves two different types of tubas.
However, huge performances may also require additional tubas to boost the sound. Remember, a tuba in an orchestra is like the subwoofer in your sound system. Two tubas would require around 30 violins to keep the sound balanced.
Interestingly, over 7,500 musicians assembled in Frankfurt and carried out the largest orchestra performance in the world! Can you imagine how many tubas there were?
15. Tubas Can Be Used In Most Types Of Music
When we think of a tuba, we either picture a marching band or an orchestra. In reality, tubas are used in a wide variety of music types.
From jazz bands to pop groups, tubas are surprisingly versatile for their distinctive tone. They’re used to reinforce the bass sound and add more depth to the performance.
Louis Armstrong used the tuba frequently during his career. Stan Kenton, one of the most influential musicians of modern jazz, used tubas in many of his jazz compositions. The list goes on.
16. Jazz Bands Used Tubas To Perform Outdoors
Jazz bands use a string instrument called the double bass for most performances. It’s made from wood and usually isn’t very tolerant to water and humidity.
Since a double bass wouldn’t survive bad weather, early jazz players started using the tuba instead. The tuba’s durability and rich, deep tone made it a practical and effective alternative for outdoor performances and lively jazz settings.
Summing Up Facts About The Tuba
It’s one of life’s greatest ironies that the tuba is the loudest instrument in the orchestra, yet is hardly heard over the main performance, often playing a supporting role instead.
Nevertheless, from its beginnings in the 1800s to its place in today’s ensembles, the tuba has had a fascinating journey and continues to charm musicians and listeners alike.
We hope these fun facts have given you a new appreciation for this incredible instrument. Thanks for exploring the world of the tuba with us!
