Tuba

A tuba is a large brass wind instrument, the lowest in pitch of all commonly employed wind instruments. It is played vertically and has 3 to 5 values.

It is used to provide a bass-line in brass bands and some traditional jazz bands. In classical music, it is used more for its distinctive tone in coloristic effects, particularly from the late 19th century - Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, for example, employed it as a part of their rich orchestral pallettes.

The English composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams, wrote a tuba concerto that has been frequently recorded.