By using valves to adjust the length of the bugle the tuba produced a smoother tone that eventually led to its popularity. While this changed the pitch, it also had a pronounced effect on the timbre. Tone holes changed the pitch by providing an intentional leak in the bugle of the instrument. Another forerunner to the tuba was the serpent, a bass instrument that was shaped in a wavy form to make the tone holes accessible to the player. The ophicleide used a bowl-shaped brass instrument mouthpiece but employed keys and tone holes similar to those of a modern saxophone. Harmonics starting three octaves above the fundamental pitch are about a whole step apart, making a useful variety of notes possible. Prior to the invention of valves, brass instruments were limited to notes in the harmonic series, and were thus generally played very high with respect to their fundamental pitch. The addition of valves made it possible to play low in the harmonic series of the instrument and still have a complete selection of notes. The first tenor tuba was invented in 1838 by Carl Wilhelm Moritz (1810–1855), son of Johann Gottfried Moritz. The original Wieprecht and Moritz instrument used five valves of the Berlinerpumpen type that were the forerunners of the modern piston valve. 19 was granted to Wilhelm Friedrich Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz (1777–1840) on Septemfor a 'bass tuba' in F1. History Tuba by Wieprecht & Moritz as described in Prussian patent No.19. In a British brass band or military band, they are known as bass players. Ī person who plays the tuba is called a tubaist, a tubist, or simply a tuba player. The tuba largely replaced the ophicleide. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the newer instruments in the modern orchestra and concert band.

As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibration – a buzz – into a mouthpiece. The tuba ( UK: / ˈ tj uː b ə/ US: / ˈ t uː b ə/) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family.

Tuba b flat major scale