The tuba has the lowest sound of all brass instruments and produces sound when players buzz their lips against the mouthpiece. It is one of the more recent instruments, only emerging in the mid-1800s, and replaced the ophicleide due to the added versatility of valves in tubas. Ironically, tuba means “trumpet” in Latin. The tuba is the main bass in the brass section of ensembles, but can also be a solo instrument as well. The tuba is also commonly found in jazz and marching bands. Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuba