The Tuba

The tuba is a huge brass instrument. It is the largest and lowest horn in the orchestra. The player buzzes their lips into a big mouthpiece to make sound. Tubas have a deep, booming voice that you can feel in your chest.

Big and Heavy

A tuba can weigh more than 20 pounds. Players usually sit down to play because it is so heavy. The tuba has long metal tubes and several valves to press. The bell at the top is very wide and shiny. Some tubas are so big they almost cover the person playing them.

Where Tubas Play

Tubas play the low bass notes in orchestras and bands. They help hold up the sound like a strong base for a building. In marching bands, players use a special kind called a sousaphone that wraps around the body. Tubas are also used in brass bands and polka music. Without tubas, music would lose its deep foundation.

Fun Facts

• The tuba was invented in Germany in 1835.
• The sousaphone is named after band leader John Philip Sousa.
• A tuba's tube can be up to 18 feet long if stretched out.

Did You Know?

There is a yearly event called TubaChristmas where hundreds of tuba players gather to play Christmas songs together.