tuba

Everyday

A very large brass musical instrument with a wide bell, played by blowing into a mouthpiece; it makes the lowest notes in a brass band or orchestra. tree →

In the lessons

In music lessons the tuba is the biggest and lowest member of the brass family, along with the trumpet, trombone and French horn. It plays the "oom-pah" bass notes in marching bands. In stories a tuba often adds a funny or booming sound. Phrases: play the tuba, a tuba player.

Examples

• The tuba plays the lowest notes in the brass band. tree →
• My brother plays the tuba in the school orchestra. tree →
• The tuba went "oom-pah, oom-pah". tree →
• A tuba has a lot of tubing coiled up inside. tree →
• The tuba player marched at the back of the parade. tree →
• It's hard to carry a tuba on the school bus! tree →

Note

Countable: a tuba, tubas. Say "play THE tuba" for instruments. Pronounced TYOO-ba (UK) or TOO-ba (US). A sousaphone is a kind of tuba that wraps round the player's body.