Tuba for Beginners: Learning Tips

Summary: The oompah sound of the tuba is probably one of the most distinctive things this low-register brass giant has going for it. Often found in orchestral settings, marching bands, and Bavarian beer festivals, the tuba is a large valve instrument that produces deep, smooth notes and tones. Whether it’s creating a pulsing bass line for accompaniment, or actually playing the lead melody in a song, the tuba’s sound is hard to miss. And it takes a special kind of person to play this beast of an instrument. Tubas are not known to impart to their owners any abilities to look cool or “rock out.” Rather the opposite—tuba players are often stigmatized for choosing something less popular than, say, the mighty, ubiquitous three or four: guitar, drums, bass and keyboard.

If you have been considering taking up tuba, this video series is perfect for you. Not only will you learn the history of the tuba, you will learn how the various tuba parts function, basic breathing techniques for playing the tuba, and how to play various major and minor scales. Once you've got that down, try an improvisational tuba jam session to really get a feel for playing the tuba.