A wind musical instrument is called a tuba.
The tuba is a wind musical instrument that resembles the bugle (also called a bugle ). To produce the sound , the performer must blow through a mouthpiece measuring just over two centimeters to generate a current of air.
Generally the tuba is made of brass . This instrument , which is usually tuned to B flat , E flat , C or F , can have between two and six valves. Two-valve tubas are intended for those learning to play the instrument, while the most popular tubas have four valves.
It should be noted that the tuba can cover more than four octaves of extension, and this makes it an instrument of great versatility. There are different kinds of tubas: for example, it is possible to distinguish between the tenor tuba , the French tuba and the contrabass tuba , among others.
The Wagnerian tuba
The incorporation of the tuba into symphony orchestras is quite recent. It was not until the first decades of the 19th century that it began to be used, replacing the figle . In 1876 , Richard Wagner devised a version of the tuba (known as the Wagnerian tuba ) for his opera "The Ring of the Nibelung." The Wagnerian tuba, which has since been used in various works , is a combination of the traditional tuba and the French horn .
The inspiration to create this peculiar instrument came to Wagner after a brief visit to a Parisian store, more than two decades before the design and manufacture of the first example was completed. The German composer was looking for an instrument with which to interpret a specific part of his opera "The Ring of the Nibelung" with a more mournful tone than the trombone could achieve, but less incisive, something that a French horn could achieve.
It was through a conical drill similar to that used for the manufacture of a French horn and a mouthpiece less wide than that of the trombone that he was able to obtain the effect he desired. In addition, it included rotating valves that, like the French horn, must be played with the left hand.
It is possible to find two sizes of Wagnerian tuba, the bass tuba (tuned in F) and the tenor tuba (in B flat); Their extensions are comparable to those of normal horns, although the quality of their upper notes is not as good. With the arrival of the 20th century , some manufacturers began to combine both models into one that contains both tunings .
Regarding the location of the Wagnerian tuba in the orchestra, it is linked to the musician who must play it: if it is a trumpet player, then it is located above the trumpets and below the horns; In other cases, it is common for it to be placed above the common tuba (the so-called contrabass tuba ) and below the trombones.
There are different kinds of tuba.
Bruckner's symphonies
One of the composers who wrote scores indicating the specific use of the Wagnerian tuba was Anton Bruckner , a prominent 19th-century musician from Austria , for his 7th , 8th , and 9th symphonies .
There is a brass instrument called the euphonium or euphonium that is sometimes used to play the Wagnerian tuba parts; His pipe is conical and his voice covers the range from baritone to tenor . Among the reasons for this replacement is the fact that its mouthpiece is a horn, which makes its sound less penetrating and easier to produce.
Other uses of the term tuba
In the Philippines , Tuba is the name of a municipality that belongs to the province of Benguet .
It is also the name of the sap obtained from the coconut , which is used to make a liquor after distillation and a brandy or vinegar after fermentation .