Tubas and Euphoniums

By Adam SchraderTubas and EuphoniumsOverviewIn the Brass FamilyMade from brass- either unfinished, lacquered orelectro-platedwithnickel,goldorsilver.Unfinished brass will eventuallytarnishSound Produced by Vibrating Lips into MouthpieceConicalFound in various pitches, most commonly in F, E-Flat, C, or B-FlatTubas with bell pointing forward and not upward are often calledrecording tubasEither Piston or Rotary Valves

Types of TubasSousaphone- High School Marching BandsHeliconContrabass TubaEuphonium- sometimes referred to as tenor tubaand is pitched in B-FlatTenor Tuba- often used more for the B-Flatrotary-valved tubas pitched in the same octave as euphoniumsSmall French Tuba in C- tenor tuba pitched in C, with 6 valves to make low notes in orchestral music possibleF and C tubas since WWIIWagner TubaRoman TubaEnsemble TypesOrchestra-usually has a single tubaMilitary Bands- principal bass instrument in symphonic and military bands, which have moreMarching BandsBrass QuintetsBrass ChoirsFamous Tuba PlayersHarvey PhillipsArnold JacobsTommy Johnson

Famous Works Featuring TubasVaughan Williams-Concerto for Bass Tuba and OrchestraModest Mussorgsky(orch.Ravel)-Pictures at an Exhibition-Bydlo,uses the French TubaGustav Holst-The Planetshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz0b4STz1loIgor Stravinsky- The Rite of SpringEdgard Varse-DsertsRichard Wagner-Die Meistersinger von Nrnberg,Ride of the Valkyries

History and ForerunnersPatented by Wilhelm Friedrich Wieprechtand Johann Gottfried Moritz on September 12, 1835First tenor tuba by Carl Wilhelm Mortiz, son of Johann, 3 years laterTheSerpent- a bass brass instrument that was wavy in shape to make the tone holes accessible to the playerThe Ophicleide-had a cup-shaped brass instrument mouthpiece but had keys and holes similar to a modern saxophoneHistory (Cont.)Adolphe Sax- developed a series of brass instruments known as saxhorns. The instruments developed by Sax were generally pitched in E- Flatand B-FlatAmerican Civil War- Most brass bands used Saxhorns, which had narrower bore taper than tubastodayCerveny- Contrabass Tuba were pitched in F and CThe Bombardon- had unusual valve and bore arrangements compared to modern tubas

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