How it works
To label tuba parts, write a name on the line for each number. Six parts are numbered: the mouthpiece, the bell, the valves and three lengths of tubing between them.
Read the full guide
Tuba word bank
Six names, A to Z: bell, bottom bow, leadpipe, main tuning slide, mouthpiece, valves.
Where the numbers sit
1 points to the small funnel at the upper left (mouthpiece). 2 is on the thin tube that runs from it across the front (leadpipe), beside a small ring that has no number. 3 is on the middle one of three upright cylinders (valves). 4 is on the wide flare at the top (bell), 5 on the big bend along the base (bottom bow). 6 points to the U-shaped tube to the right of the valves (main tuning slide). The loops hanging under the valves are valve slides, and are not asked here.
- When marking, mouthpipe is right on line 2, piston valves on line 3 and tuning slide on line 6.
- On this drawing the breath passes the numbers in the order 1, 2, 3, 6, 5, 4.
- Twelve more parts, the valve caps, the water key and the inside of the mouthpiece among them, are numbered on the labeled tuba.
Questions and answers
Is a tuba a brass instrument?
Yes. The tuba is a big brass instrument of bass-to-contrabass range, with a wide conical bore. The player's lips buzz against the mouthpiece, number 1 on this sheet, to start the sound.
What is a tuba made of?
Generally brass, either silver-plated or given a thin coat of clear lacquer. To save weight, some tubas are plastic, or have a bell and outer tubing of fiberglass or carbon fiber.
What is the difference between a tuba and a sousaphone?
A sousaphone is a tuba made to be worn: it wraps under one arm and rests its bell on the other shoulder, easier to carry and play on the march. Most marching bands in North America use one.
When was the tuba invented?
The tuba was invented in Prussia and patented in 1835 as the bass tuba. That first instrument had five valves.