Tuba Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. Who are credited with patenting the modern tuba in 1835?
A. Adolphe Sax and Vaclav Cerveny
B. Wilhelm Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz
C. John Philip Sousa and J.W. Pepper
D. Richard Wagner and Ferdinand Sommer
Answer: B. Wilhelm Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz
Q2. What was the tuba’s primary predecessor in orchestras before its invention?
A. Serpent
B. Euphonium
C. Helicon
D. Ophicleide
Answer: D. Ophicleide
Q3. In what year was the sousaphone developed for marching bands?
A. 1835
B. 1845
C. 1893
D. 1913
Answer: C. 1893
Q4. Which composer requested special tubas for his opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung?
A. Richard Wagner
B. Gustav Holst
C. Ralph Vaughan Williams
D. Paul Hindemith
Answer: A. Richard Wagner
Q5. The tuba belongs to which family of musical instruments?
A. Woodwind
B. Percussion
C. Brass
D. String
Answer: C. Brass
Q6. What produces the sound on a tuba?
A. Player’s buzzing lips into the mouthpiece
B. Reeds vibrating
C. Striking the bell
D. Keys covering tone holes
Answer: A. Player’s buzzing lips into the mouthpiece
Q7. How many valves do most modern tubas have?
A. 2–3
B. 3–6
C. 6–8
D. None
Answer: B. 3–6
Q8. Which type of valve is common on German-style orchestral tubas?
A. Piston valves
B. No valves
C. Berlin valves only
D. Rotary valves
Answer: D. Rotary valves
Q9. What is the most common tuba pitch in American concert bands and marching bands?
A. F tuba
B. CC tuba
C. Bb tuba
D. Eb tuba
Answer: C. Bb tuba
Q10. F and Eb tubas are often classified as:
A. Contrabass tubas
B. Bass tubas
C. Tenor tubas
D. Subcontrabass tubas
Answer: B. Bass tubas
Q11. BBb and CC tubas are classified as:
A. Bass tubas
B. Wagner tubas
C. Marching tubas only
D. Contrabass tubas
Answer: D. Contrabass tubas
Q12. What is the approximate tubing length of a BBb contrabass tuba?
A. 12 feet
B. 13 feet
C. 16 feet
D. 18 feet
Answer: D. 18 feet
Q13. The sousaphone is a marching adaptation of which tuba?
A. F tuba
B. CC tuba
C. Tuba
D. E? tuba
Answer: C. Tuba
Q14. How does the euphonium primarily differ from the tuba in bore shape?
A. Cylindrical bore vs. conical
B. Narrower conical bore vs. wider conical bore
C. No bore difference
D. Euphonium has cylindrical bore
Answer: B. Narrower conical bore vs. wider conical bore
Q15. The euphonium is pitched an octave higher than which tuba?
A. F tuba
B. CC tuba
C. BBb tuba
D. Eb tuba
Answer: C. BBb tuba
Q16. In British brass bands, tuba parts are often written in:
A. Transposing treble clef
B. Concert pitch bass clef
C. Tenor clef
D. Alto clef
Answer: A. Transposing treble clef
Q17. Which famous piece features a prominent tuba solo in “Byd?o” from Ravel’s orchestration?
A. The Planets by Holst
B. Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky
C. Tuba Concerto by Vaughan Williams
D. Ring Cycle by Wagner
Answer: B. Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky
Q18. Who composed the first major concerto for tuba in 1954?
A. Richard Wagner
B. Gustav Mahler
C. John Williams
D. Ralph Vaughan Williams
Answer: D. Ralph Vaughan Williams
Q19. Which notable tuba player was principal with the Philadelphia Orchestra and a pioneering female tubist?
A. Roger Bobo
B. Arnold Jacobs
C. Carol Jantsch
D. Oystein Baadsvik
Answer: C. Carol Jantsch
Q20. Arnold Jacobs is famous for his tenure with which orchestra?
A. New York Philharmonic
B. Chicago Symphony Orchestra
C. London Symphony Orchestra
D. Berlin Philharmonic
Answer: B. Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Q21. Which tuba player is known for multiphonic techniques in pieces like Fnugg Blue?
A. Oystein Baadsvik
B. Roger Bobo
C. Howard Johnson
D. Velvet Brown
Answer: A. Oystein Baadsvik
Q22. To maintain a tuba, what should be done regularly to valves?
A. Never oil them
B. Apply valve oil
C. Polish with silver cleaner
D. Soak in acid
Answer: B. Apply valve oil
Q23. How often should the mouthpiece be cleaned?
A. Never
B. Daily with polish
C. Only when tarnished
D. Weekly with warm soapy water
Answer: D. Weekly with warm soapy water
Q24. An interesting fact: the largest playable tuba ever built is pitched in:
A. CC
B. Bb
C. F
D. Eb
Answer: B. Bb
Q25. Which jazz style historically featured the tuba prominently before the double bass took over?
A. Swing
B. Bebop
C. Early New Orleans jazz
D. Fusion
Answer: C. Early New Orleans jazz