What Is a Tuba Concerto?

A tuba concerto is a specific piece of composed music that utilizes the tuba in what is often a three-part presentation combining orchestral music with a solo instrument. Each classical concerto follows these basic formats. Since the tuba was invented relatively late 1800s, tuba concertos are predominantly a 20th-century phenomenon, although they are still played in some venues.

The tuba as a musical instrument represents the low end of the brass or horn register. When one of these instruments is used as the solo piece in a concerto, the sound is quite distinctive. It’s important to note that different ranges of tuba may be used for a tuba concerto, where different versions of this instrument have slightly different registers. For example, the lowest sounding tubas include the bass and contrabass tubas.

Another form of tuba, sometimes called the tenor tuba, has a higher register. This instrument is also called the euphonium. These types of tuba instruments might also be used as a solo instrument in a concerto. The type of tuba that is used can affect the overall aspect of the music, since a lower register lead has its own peculiarities within a musical ensemble.

In general, the tuba concerto has the same elements as other similar classical pieces. The use of volume directions like forte and piano are common, as are the same kinds of tonal directions. The main distinguishing feature of the concerto is in its progression through various segments of composition. The specific relationships between the solo and orchestra instruments also distinguish the concerto as a certain kind of music.

The tuba concerto as a convention is actually somewhat controversial in some music circles. Those who are not fans of this type of music criticize the resulting sound of the tuba in this sort of music, partly because the extreme register of the tuba may not sound as good to some ears as the sounds of more conventional brass instruments. Others point to the wide variety of classical composers who have included this kind of composition in their repertoire, arguing that a tuba concerto is a common and established kind of musical piece. Many classical music fans are familiar with the concerto pieces written for tuba by a series of established composers of different eras.