Understanding the Wagner Tuba: a practical guide for horn players

Gaizka Ciarrusta Insagurbe

Horn players have the duty to play the Wagner tuba when the repertoire demands it, but do they really know how to do it and how to adapt to the change of instrument? Mastering the Wagner tuba and feeling confident on stage can be a difficult task. Not having one's own instrument, nor subjects or teachers dedicated to the teaching of this instrument complicates its knowledge and preparation. Therefore, this research aims to facilitate and educate in this process, providing the most relevant information both intellectually and practically and offering a complete overview of it. Following an inductive methodology based on written sources, an exhaustive technical analysis and the experience of professional horn players, it tries to answer questions such as why Richard Wagner created this instrument, what role it plays in the orchestra and what demands its performance requires. For all this, if you are a horn player and have to play the Wagner tuba or have already played it but have had no previous education, the results of this research will guide you in the process and will make you obtain a higher level of interpretation and knowledge.

3. The study of the Wagner tuba and its comparison with the french horn

The following chapter constitutes the second of the aforementioned research blocks, aiming to address all practical aspects of the instrument. On one hand, the instrument itself is examined, encompassing everything visually observable about it. On the other hand, the more complex part of the entire investigation is studied, which involves seeking and providing answers to all the questions a horn player may encounter when playing the Wagner tuba.

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Gaizka Ciarrusta Insagurbe - Understanding the Wagner Tuba: a practical guide for horn players - 2024