How To Buy A TUBA, By Stan Gorbatin ‘The tuba is 2 very rewarding instrument to play ast provides mary perlormance oppartunites for musicians ‘of all ages. Students pursuing playing the tuba can look Torward o meaning and excting music-making ‘exparences in banda, crohoctas, and chambor groups. Adcionall, unkmitod solo opportu are “avaiable for tba players of all ages. Within an ensemble seting. the Mba is consiored aval important incrument 25 tise "Youndateno! the greup. As te ta serves maiode, harmenie, and mythic furetionsin today’s repertore, tub playare wil enjoy th low mallow sound of tha tuba, which they ar able to pode ina variety of setngs. History ‘The tuba. whichis the lowest pitched instrument in the brass family, was pateniedin 1835 by Prussian bandmate’ Frediin Wiheln Wispree ard ‘German buidar Gotried Montz. The atfor wae @ result of many tempts 10 ‘add a bass voice othe brass ‘amily. As th tuba joned the established members ofthe brass family, (wumpet, French hor, and trombone). he ange of he brass section nas gresty expaned. Throughout he 2m ‘century, the recogritio of he tuba asa "leitimate sclo instrument! was, most biivenced by ties inciviuals - Harvey Pies, Will Bell. re ‘Arnold Jacobs. Ove fo tat oetanding mluanca and contbubers, tis paramount that these inveials are mentioned wthin ths bre ison. Harvey Pili, rtrd tua professor from indiana Universy, s brown as ‘he “Paganini ef ne tuba" fo hic witsoee Playing. Actions, ho ie now 25 the lacooca of the tuba’ for Fis exemelary eft to alevate the tals ‘Seture. Philip’ predecessor a ncaa Universi, W/Atam Bel, ten Feferred to 2¢ te "thor ofthe tuba” due o his writing some of the fst ‘sos and resource matvial for young players ard fr teaching mary of {he cutstanding tuba perormers and teacners,incucng Harvey Piles. ‘And ofcourse, Armols Jacobs (1915-1908), who served 2s principal tuba payer fr the Chicago Symphony from 1844-1886, is considered by mary tobe the greatest ist inthe "nord rtematiraly recognized as an educator Jacobs taught tuba a Nort wesiem University or more ‘han 20 year, and gave master Gassos al ver he world His research and teaching, relaod © breathing ‘echniques, positvely infuenced Iteraly thousands of musicians arcund te word ts the Tuba Hard to Play? ‘A.commen macenception atthe tuba tckes mare ai than any her itrument. Intact, beginning tute ‘students often experience more dizziness than begining tuba students du to the lack of resistance afute presens Lie all brace inetrumonts, the tuba requ buzzing into @ mouthpiece, whieh then amplified bythe instumenttsalf For some students, the lager moutnpece se ofthe tuba a more natural than Tmouirplones othe cnr brass instruments, Adahionally, stdents wn Braces oten hava an easier te ‘wh the tua than wth other etuments. As emalir siz tubas ate now roodlyavalsbla, eudorts neod hot be exceptonaly alin order to play the tuba. Sometimes, when size is anise. young siden! may beg stay on he hartone nom or euphonium and switch fo the tiba ane two years etor ‘The Tuba Family - Which instrument is right for me? ‘The contemporary tuba farny consists of many instruments of vasious size urton, and fundamen’ pc alow you wil find some basi mformation regarcing specie ineuman typae wan the tuba famty. The BEE tubs the most widely used type of tuba, parieularly armeng elementary, midce, and high school ‘tuden's, Mest student model BBD lubes manufactured today have upight bets and are equipped with hee ‘four plein oF rota Valvos. The funcemertal pitch i, Cours, BB, Yor nhion the tuba ls named. ln many schools you may ind older BB "bel fron of “recording” tubes, which wore very popular in the mid {om century tin good conchon, ese bas are also Migr sufable fr students paniapating ie snack, ‘conver bard eating