Difference Between a Tuba & Percussion Instruments

The tuba is part of the brass family of instruments.

Musical instruments can be played in several ways. Some are played by hand, some with bows and still others when the musician blows into a mouthpiece. The tuba is one of those instruments. On the other hand, percussion instruments have to be struck to produce a noise.

Brass Facts

The tuba falls into the family of brass instruments, along with the french horn, trombone and trumpet. It produces a deeper, lower sound than most brass. It's a large instrument that has to be taken apart into two, sometimes three sections when it is put into a case.

Tuba Playing

A tuba musician forces air into the tuba mouthpiece through his nearly closed lips. His lips vibrate against the inside up of the mouthpiece to help produce different sounds. The player creates different notes by pressing the tuba's piston valves with his fingers.

Percussion Play

A percussionist strikes the surface of her instrument with a stick, mallet or her hand. Depending on the instrument, the sound produced from this strike may or may not have a musical tone. Percussion instruments typically provide contribute to the rhythm of a musical piece.

Percussion Range

Percussion instruments are classified as tuned instruments, or instruments with indefinite pitch. The tuned percussion instruments contain the marimba, kettle drum, vibraphone, xylophone, tubular bells and glockenspiel. Indefinite pitch percussion instruments include drums (bongo, tenor, side, tabor and bass), triangles, cymbals, the gong, the tambourine and the rattle.

References

• Beginband: Tuba/Sousaphone
• Naxos: Musical Instruments: Jan. 2011