Differences between similar instruments

By: Brian Cormier

Similar Instruments

in Different

Styles

Tuba Comparison

s:

• Style• Valve Type• Pitch• Material• Color

• Concert• Contra• Sousaphon

e • Helicon

Tuba Styles

The Concert Tuba

• Concert Band (Bell on top)

• Silver or bronze/brass

• keys of Bb, C, Eb, or F

• 3+ valves (rotor or piston)

The Contra

• Marching Band (Bell to the front)

• Silver or bronze/brass

• key of Bb (Concert Pitch)

• 3-4 Piston Valves• Some convert to

concert form

The Sousaphone

• Marching Band (Bell to the front)

• Silver, brass, or white/fiberglass

• key of Bb(concert Pitch)

• 3 Piston Valves

The Helicon

• Marching Band (Bell to the side)

• Silver or bronze/brass

• key of Bb (concert pitch)

• 3 Piston Valves• Bell to the side

Valve Styles

1. Rotor valves• “French Horn”

valves2. Piston Valves• “trumpet”

valves

# of Valves

• 3+ valves per horn

Tuba Pitches

• Aid in Range

Summary

The right choice of horn can make a huge difference in skill level, so be sure to take into

consideration style, valve type, pitch, material and color

among other things

Attributions

Concert tuba: By Shoesbox (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsFile:CERVENY WIENER TUBA (Musica Model).jpg- Wikipedia Commonshttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CERVENY_WIENER_TUBA_(Musica_Model).jpg Sousaphone:Lucy LiuSousaphone … |Flickr Photo Sharing!http://www.flickr.com/photos/leafvert/4020898445/

Attributions cont.

Helicon:By Matthias Bramboeck (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia CommonsFile:Helikon-Stowasser-Graz.jpg- Wikipedia Commonshttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Helikon-Stowasser-Graz.jpg Piston:By PJ, background cropped by EWikist (File:Trumpet 1.jpg) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsTrumpet_1.png- Wikipedia Commonshttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ATrumpet_1.png