The Typology and Timbre of the Tuba

Low-pitched valved brass wind instruments are often described generically as tubas. In fact, the term 'tuba' covers a broad family of instruments, with sounding lengths ranging from the 8-ft C of the classic French orchestral tuba to the 18-ft B♭ of the brass band and orchestral contrabass. The first instrument designated as a tuba was introduced in 1835, and since then a variety of models differing in bore profile as well as in nominal pitch have been used. This paper explores the historical development of the tuba family from an acoustical perspective, presenting and discussing measurements of bore profile and input impedance for a number of representative instruments from different periods and musical traditions.