The greatest Instrument (Tubas)

Member Name: Tubbyman

Product:	Tubas
Date:	29/01/01 (107 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great sound

Disadvantages: large size difficult for carrying

The tuba is probably the greatest of Brass instruments. It has the best range (equalled only by the French horn) and is the underlying strength of the Brass section. The principal trumpet always gets all the credit for razzing away in the top register but listen to a section with a shocking tuba player and you'll soon see how little depth there is.

THe tuba superceded the opheicleide circa 1830 and composers enthuisiastically accepted this more reliable instrument (Berlioz went through replacing ophicleide with tuba in all of his scores after being excited by one in a performance).

It's tone is far more mellow than the trombone, less raucous and as such can lack some of the penetration of trumpets and trombones but when the brass section is pounding away you can literally feel the tuba line, vibrating the ground beneath your feet.

Due to it's mellow tone it is often used in conjunction with the french horns or woodwind, leaving it quite exposed sitting amongst the less delicate brass (trpt and trbs). It can be extraordinarily versatile and the old stygma of simply oompah is very often incorrect. It can be a virtuosic instrument despite semiquavers being difficult due to the longer sounding time, good players can play fast passages much clearer than a trombonist.

All in all the tuba is a great instrument and, coming in a range of sizes, is the ideal member of the brass section (except when travelling home on the tube in rush hour!).

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