• F Tuba - The "F" denoting the key it's based in, this instrument is the smallest of the tuba family.  It is considered a solo instrument and is between a bass tuba and baritone in size.
• E-flat Tuba - This instrument is used often in British brass bands.  This instrument is less used today than it was in the past due probably to the influence of the school bands.
• C Tuba - This is the instrument of choice by orchestral tuba players.  Because of it's key, it plays well in the often found sharp keys of orchestral music and it can project sound easier than it's B-flat counterpart.  When there is only one tuba in an orchestra, projection of sound is paramount for the player.
• B-flat Tuba - This instrument is most common in the school bands we are all familiar with.  It is the largest of all tubas and is my weapon of choice.
• Sousaphone - This is probably the most known of all tubas.  Basically it is a marching tuba.  It is almost always keyed in B-flat to fit the demand of school marching bands.  It is named after the "March King" John Philip Sousa who used it often in his bands.  (see picture at very top of page)
• Euphonium & Baritone - Depending on how you look at it, these are really piccolo tubas.  They are keyed in B-flat.  The baritone often will be written in treble clef and transposed so that it reads much like a trumpet part, though sounding much lower.

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Angelo State Tubas (w/Noel on Trombone) TUBA TERMS!

Blat - (verb) To overblow a note or notes where the beginning sounds like a large toad being stepped upon.  ("Dude!  Don't blat, you sound like @*#&!")

Frack - (verb) To blat with a little edge where the beginning sounds like a large toad being stompped upon by a large person.  ("Quit frackin' those notes!")

Fumble - (verb) to drop one's mouthpiece in the stadium at a football game, usually making a loud ping.  ("Fumble on the play! Hey, pick that up. We're about to play the fight song.")

Pedal (tone) - an extremely low tone sounding similar to a flatulent dinosaur, or so scientists believe.  ("Let's all play a pedal b-flat at the end and see if the director gets pissed!")

Phat - (adj) to be of desired quality  ("Dude! That pedal B-flat you just played was phat!")
 
MORE TUBA TERMS COMING SOON!!
 

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 TUBA LINKS (coming soon) BACK TO MENU

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TUBA ETUDE BOOKS This is a short list of some of the tuba etude books available of which I am familiar with.

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Solos I've Played (All on a Mirafone BB-flat Tuba)

• "Air and Bourree" -  J.S. Bach/arr. Bell
• "Introduction and Dance" -  J. Edouard Barat
• "Suite for Unaccompanied Tuba" -  Walter S. Hartley
• "Sonata V in C" -  Benedetto Marcello/trans. Little, Nelson
• "Sonatina" -  Halsey Stevens
• "Sonata for Tuba" -  A. Wilder
• "Concerto for Bass Tuba" -  R. Vaughan Williams
• "Six Studies in English Folk Song" -  R. Vaughan Williams

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