Now that you have learned and solidified the proper embouchure for the tuba, it is time to get the fingers involved and add some notes!
The B-flat Major Scale!
The first notes you are going to be playing on the tuba as you work on good tone are ALL the notes of the B-flat Major scale! It may seem like a lot, but following the sequence below will make it very accessible. You may have already learned how to play some of these notes and what they look like on the music staff, but in case you haven't you can learn that here as well! When playing each note, remember to re-form the "OH-OO" embouchure, place the mouthpiece comfortably on your lips with the correct 2/3 to 1/3 ratio, take a deep breath, and blow with the same amount of air pressure you would use to blow out birthday candles. Examples of each note are available for you to listen to in order to get the correct sound in your ear, and you can even play along with the video to help you match the pitch and sound you are hearing. As you work your way through the scale, don't worry if you get to a point where you are unable to get out some of the notes. As your embouchure gets stronger and more used to vibrating, it will become easier and you will be more successful!
Let's start with the higher notes of the B-flat Major scale: F, G, A, and high B-flat!
Now let's try the lower notes of the B-flat Major scale: E-flat, D, C, and low B-flat!
Even though we are not quite ready to talk intonation yet, it is important to learn the low 'C' on tuba with the 4th valve, rather than the 1st & 3rd valve combination, since this is a very sharp note on the instrument. If your instrument does not have a 4th valve and you must use 1st & 3rd, there are other ways to adjust for this pitch problem which will be addressed on the Intonation page.
Let's try putting all the notes together and play the B-flat Major scale!
As you are practicing and playing the notes of the B-flat Major scale, what do you hear? Are you matching pitch and sound and playing with the best tone possible? Or do you hear a lot of rushing air, thin and pinched sounds, or gargled sounds? If you need to, re-visit the Troubleshooting section of the Embouchure page until you are able to master the correct tone of these notes on the tuba!
Beginning Band / Method Book Notes
If you already are or plan on being in your school's band program, chances are you have or will receive a beginning method book. These books are designed so that students on ALL instruments can learn and play together on similar notes as they start their adventures in band! The first of these notes are usually, in concert pitch and on the tuba, B-flat, C, D, E-flat, and F. After mastering the notes of the B-flat Major scale, you are ready to move on to these 5 new ones! But wait... all 5 of them are actually from the B-flat Major scale you just learned!
Flying Along! ...
Now that you have mastered your first notes on the tuba, it is time to go over some information regarding Intonation!