The tuba (UK /ˈtjuːbə/ or US /ˈtuːbə/;[1] Italian pronunciation: [ˈtuːba]) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid 19th-century, making it one of the newer instruments in the modern orchestra and concert band. The tuba largely replaced the ophicleide.[2] Tuba is Latin for 'trumpet'.[3]
A person who plays the tuba is known as a tubaist or tubist.[4] In the United Kingdom a person who plays the tuba in an orchestra is known simply as a tuba player; in a brass band or military band they are known as a bass player.