Free tuba solos with piano accompaniment
Last updated
Ten pieces for tuba and piano, easiest first, from a first solo up to a showpiece.
1. Brahms’ Lullaby
Brahms’ cradle song, known in English as “Lullaby and Good Night”. Slow, in E♭ major, one octave from to , under two minutes.
2. Song of the Volga Boatmen
A Russian work song, made famous around the world by the bass Feodor Chaliapin. It stays low, to , in B♭ minor (five flats), under a minute and a half.
3. Danny Boy
The Irish song to the Londonderry Air, sung at farewells and funerals around the world. Slow, in F major, to , about two and a half minutes.
4. The Swan
The cello solo from Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals; Anna Pavlova danced The Dying Swan to it in 1905. In F major, to , so it sits high for tuba, with long, quiet lines. About three minutes.
5. In diesen heil'gen Hallen
Sarastro’s aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, written for a deep bass voice. Slow, in E♭ major, to , a little over two minutes.
6. The Elephant
The double bass solo from Carnival of the Animals, an elephant dancing a waltz, and a favourite of tuba players. In E♭ major, down to the pedal ; the s beside it need a fourth valve. Under two minutes.
7. Largo from the New World Symphony (Dvořák)
The slow movement of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, whose tune the cor anglais plays in the orchestra. In B♭ major, to , in long, slow phrases, about three and a half minutes.
8. Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Brahms)
The best known of Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, written for piano four hands. Fast with sudden slow bars, in G minor with a middle part in G major, to , about two minutes.
9. In the Hall of the Mountain King
Grieg’s music from Peer Gynt: it starts quietly, low down, and gets faster and louder to the end. In B minor, to , under two and a half minutes.
10. Csárdás (Monti)
Vittorio Monti’s violin showpiece from 1904, slow and fast sections in turn, ending at full speed. The hardest of these solos, in D minor and D major, to , almost five minutes.
Tips for playing with a pianist
- Both of you, look through the piece on your own before the first rehearsal. Then you can listen to each other instead of just getting through your own part.
- Listen to the piece with its piano part first, for example on YouTube. You learn which of your phrases go with which part of the piano, and what the piano plays while you rest.
- Tune to the piano. You can move your tuning slide in a second; the piano would need a piano tuner and an afternoon.
- If you slip, keep playing. A good pianist adjusts to you, but if you stop, the music stops.