Tuba
Introducing the undisputed Grand Poobah of basically any band you find one in – the TUBA!!!
We’ve already learned that the euphonium is essentially a miniature version of the tuba, so you won’t be surprised to see that it looks very much like a baritone / euphonium.
This bad boy, however, is twice the size and plays a full octave lower than the baritone, euphonium, or trombone. It plays the lowest notes in the Band, and does it like a Boss!
The tuba truly adds a phenomenal quality to the sound of an ensemble and having at least one in the group will take the whole Band from good to AWESOME!!
Sadly, it is quite large, quite heavy, and takes A LOT of air to play, which makes it very challenging for most young players. For this reason, we generally recommend that people start out on the baritone and then graduate to tuba once they grow bigger and stronger.
Just like a rock band needs bass guitar, Concert Band needs tuba – they play the same role, laying a strong foundation for the sound of the rest of the band; without it, the music would sound empty and hollow.