TheTuba

What does a tuba look like?The tuba is one of the largest instruments in the orchestra. It is made from an astounding five metres of metal, folded back on itself in such a way that although still massive the tubist can hold it. A large tuba can weigh as much as 13 kilograms. That’s 13 bags of sugar! Tubas are so big and heavy that tubists have to lean them on their knee in order to play. This means that you can always tell which instrument in the orchestra is the tuba, as the tubist will sit it on their knee and almost wrap their arms around it to play!

The modern tubaThe modern tuba has secured its place as a cornerstone instrument of jazz bands. Sometimes jazz bands will use a tuba if they are playing outside and a double bass if they are inside, with the same player on both instruments! The tuba is also an extremely important instrument in brass bands. Whereas a symphony orchestra usually has only one tuba, brass bands can have many.

Auxilliary InstrumentsThe euphonium, sometimes called the tenor-tuba, has been used by many composers for orchestral pieces and is usually played by the tubist (though sometimes by a trombonist). A euphonium is half of the length of a tuba. The word euphonium means ‘sweet-voiced’, which is appropriate as the euphonium is higher in pitch than the tuba and creates a more singing sound. Composers might use the euphonium when they still want a deep, bass instrument to play but want a sound that is perhaps a little less ominous than the tuba!

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NZSO Music for Schools - Rachel Hyde ©2011 nzso.co.nz/education

Although the tuba is a relatively new instrument many composers have enjoyed using its deep, resonant sound as a solo instrument. Perhaps the most well known tuba concerto was composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Film composer John Williams has also written a tuba concerto.

Repertoire that features the tuba

bass

oboeBassoon

Trombone TUBA

percussion

2ndViolin

trumpetfren

ch

horn

Viola

double

Cello

harp

1st

Violin

timpani

flute

Clarinet

The tuba in the orchestraYou will usually only see one tuba in an orchestra at any one time, but a number of composers have asked for more tubas to create particularly dark and foreboding sounds. Berlioz required six tubas for his Requiem, but composers including John Adams, Shostakovich, Stravinsky and Prokofiev wrote orchestral parts for two tubas.

A tuba was made for the World Exhibition in New York FUN FACT

in 1913 that was so big it needed two people to play it; one to push the valves and one to blow into the mouthpiece.

Classroom

Task...

• Crossword PuzzleRemember what you have learnt about the tuba and see how well you can complete the crossword puzzle below.

Across3. A large tuba can weigh as much as .... kilograms.

5. Is the Tuba the largest or smallest member of the brass family?

7. How many tubas does a symphony orchestra usually have?

9. What does the word euphonium mean?

Down1. This composer required six tubas for his requiem.2. The tuba is made from ....

metres of metal tubing.4. What is the tubas auxiliary instrument called, sometime known as the tenor-tuba?6. In which city was a tuba displayed that was so big it needed two people to play it.8. Many composers enjoy using the tuba for it’s deep .... sound.

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testes