tuba variants

The tuba family covers a wide range of instruments unified by their conical bore, deep cup mouthpiece, and low pitch. The most common orchestral tubas are the contrabass tuba in CC or BB♭ and the bass tuba in F or E♭. The euphonium (often called the tenor tuba) plays in the baritone range and is a staple of British brass bands. The sousaphone, with its forward-facing bell, was designed for marching bands at John Philip Sousa's suggestion. The Wagner tuba is a unique hybrid instrument created at Richard Wagner's request for the Ring cycle. It combines a French horn mouthpiece with a tuba-like body, producing a tone midway between the two instruments. Bruckner, Strauss, and Stravinsky also scored for Wagner tubas. Modern tuba playing has expanded far beyond its traditional oom-pah stereotype — virtuosos like Øystein Baadsvik and Roger Bobo have demonstrated the instrument's agility and expressive range in solo and chamber contexts.