What are the Different Kinds of Tubas?

When it comes to brass instruments, there seems to be something of a hierarchy. Trumpets are bright and authoritative, always right out front. With their long slides, trombones are both visually arresting and fun to play. But tubas? Too often they are thought of as the kid Little League coaches stick out in right field. But, in actuality, the lowest-pitched instrument in the brass family plays a vital role.

There are concert tubas, marching band and jazz ensemble tubas; tubas with bells pointed upward, backward and frontward; tubas of different finishes and tuned to different pitches. In this article, we’ll describe the difference between them all … but first, a look at their origins and similarities.