|
|||||||||
Tuba LessonsLearn to play the Tuba. Tuba tutors throughout the UK; more welcome.The Tuba is the largest member of the brass family of instruments and, as a result, is played by blowing into a cup-shaped mouthpiece and then controlling the pitch of the sound produced by opening and closing valves. The name, 'tuba' comes direct from the Latin for trumpet or horn. The tuba produces the lowest-pitched sounds of the brass family. The tuba is made from brass and either left plain or finished with lacquer or plated with nickel, gold or silver. Because of its relatively limited range of musical possibilities, most orchestras or bands will only tend to have one or, at most, two, tuba players. It is normally used as a bass instrument although it does occasionally feature as a solo instrument. A tuba can either be played by sitting it on the player's lap or by strapping it to and wrapping it around the player's body - usually used for marching bands. A tuba adapted for the latter purpose is more commonly called a hélicon. A tuba can be purchased in differing pitches with the most common being F, E-flat, C or B-flat. The pitch of the tuba and the length of brass tubing which make up its principal component are also proportional and typically range from 4 to 6 metres in length (F is the shortest and B-flat the longest). The size of the conical bore is also proportional to the pitch or the length of tubing. In order of pitch (highest to lowest), the different tubas commonly available rank as follows:
Tuba music is normally written in the bass clef although brass band music tends to be in the treble clef. The tuba is controlled by valves which can be either piston or rotary. Bavarian 'Oompah' bands tend to prefer rotary valves while marching or brass bands will normally opt for piston valves. Piston valves are easy to take apart (compared to rotary valves which are much more difficult to disassemble and usually sent to a maintenance engineer to service) but piston valves need regular daily oiling. Of course the choice of valve is up to the personal preference of the player. A beginner's tuba will typically have three valves since they are both the cheapest and the easiest to master. More experienced tuba players will normally opt for instruments with four or five valves. Six-valve tubas have also been produced although they are hard to find. The reason for these extra valves is that they offer alternative fingerings which enable the musician to play more smoothly or with greater dexterity. Before you commit yourself to buying a tuba, why not see if you can try before you buy or hire one from your local music shop? Like any musical instrument if you want to get the best from your playing and acquire good habits, then the best route forward is to book up some lessons with an experienced tuba teacher. Other Instruments Click this link to find prices for tuba lessons. Look for information on another musical instrument. Search in our directory for a Tuba tutor. Go to this link to become a Tuba teacher.
Tuba Lessons |
Tuition Pages Top Info Pages! Free Information
General Pages Copyright |
||||||||
|
All material copyright of Clive West and Damaris West 2007 - 2009 and not to be used or reproduced without written permission. Home | Sitemap |
English School | Home Tutor |
Private Tuition |
Tuition Fees | Become a Tutor ~ Helpful Guides - Free Information - Tuition ~ |
|||||||||
