The term tuba is Latin for horn or trumpet. It is largely comparable to the baroque trumpet.
History
Richard Wagner, a German composer, invented the very first tuba. Aside from composing music and creating the tuba, Wagner also increased the significance of woodwinds in the orchestra. He broke the brass section into four divisions. The first section is a brass trumpet with three trumpets; the second is a bass tuba with three trombones; third, four French horns; last is four tubas.
The primary design of this instrument for marching but nowadays it is more typically played while sitting. The tuba was held by the player on his shoulder with the bell aimed forward. This directs the sound to the area where the marchers are headed.
In the early Europe, instrumentalists kept on altering the tuba designs and giving it a new name so not many were certain of what the tuba really was. Finding a tuba that was accurately constructed was extremely difficult. This made the tuba much less notable in its early developmental years.
Types of tubas
The contrabass tuba which is pitch in B flat or C is the tuba with the lowest pitch. Another type of tuba is the bass tuba that is smaller compared to the contrabass and pitched in E flat or F. Its pitch is a fourth higher than the contrabass tuba. In most of Europe, the F tuba is the standard instrument of the orchestras. It is usually played by professionals in solo and to play in higher positions in the classical ensemble. On the other hand, the E flat tuba produces sound that is an octave higher than the contrabass tubas and is the customary orchestral tuba in the United Kingdom.
The tenor tuba, also called euphonium, is pitched one octave above the contrabass tuba, B flat. B flat valve tubas are sometimes specifically called tenor tuba. There are also BBB-flat subcontrabass tubas, although they are hugely uncommon. There are four known of this type and the first two were made by Gustav Benson with the idea from John Philip Sousa.
Playing the tuba
To assemble the tuba, position the mouthpiece in the tube with a gentle, twisting motion. Never pop or strike it into position. Oil must be applied on the valves each day you play the tuba. Dismantle the valves one by one, put three oil drops, and place the valves back. If you blow hard but the air is blocked, you would know that the valve is not in the correct place.
Draw the major tuning slide out to make the tuba longer and thus lower the pitch. To make the pitch higher, push the major tuning slide in.
Removing the mouthpiece by force could destroy the braces of the tuba. Hence, if it gets jammed while playing, do not try to dismantle the mouthpiece yourself. There is a special tool designed to remove the mouthpiece safely.
Maintenance
Maintenance of the instrument is very important in preserving its integrity and quality of acoustic performance. Rinse the mouthpiece with a mouthpiece brush and lukewarm water every week and don't forget to bathe the instrument every month. Disassemble the slides and valves and scrub through the instrument using valve brushes and snake brushes with warm water and soap. Do not use hot water because this may damage the tuba's finish. After all these, assemble the tuba once again. Apply grease on the slides and oil on the valves.