The Wagner Tuba

  • Wagner Tuba
    • Introduction
    • Wagner Tuba History
      • The Vision
      • The Apprentice
      • Trials and Transpositions
      • Fruition
      • The Disciple
      • Wagner’s Heirs
      • Modern Voices
      • Wagner Tuba Revival
    • Physical Properties & Range
    • Wagner Tuba Notation
    • Position in The Score
    • Seating in the Orchestra
  • Composers
    • Wagner Tuba Composers
    • Stephen Caudel
    • Andrew Downes
    • Jan Koetsier
    • Jorge E. López
    • Elisabeth Lutyens
  • Richard Wagner
    • Introduction
    • Birth in Leipzig
    • The ‘Acting’ Father
    • Wagner the Student
    • Early Compositions
    • Marriage to Minna Planer
    • Wagner in Paris
    • Mathilde Wesendonk
    • King Ludwig II of Bavaria
    • Wagner and Cosima
    • Bayreuth & Final Years
  • The Brass Section
    • Introduction
    • French Horn Introduction
      • French Horn History
      • French Horn Range
      • The Double Horn
      • French Horn Manufacturers
      • Famous Horn Players
      • French Horn Repertoire
      • Learning The French Horn
      • French Horn Orchestration
      • Contemporary Jazz Horn
    • Trumpet Introduction
      • Types Of Trumpet
      • Trumpet History
      • Trumpet Range
      • Famous Trumpet Players
    • Trombone
    • Tuba
  • News
  • English
    • Deutsch

Notation

This is an area of some confusion, principally caused by Wagner himself who varied his notation even within the one work of The Ring. For example, in Walkure and Siegfried the tuba parts are given in Eb and Bb, the tenor tubas in the treble clef sounding a 6th lower than written, the bass tubas in the bass clef a tone lower. However, in Rheingold and also in the Vorspiel of Götterdämmerung they are in Bb/F notation. Switching back again, from Act 1 of Götterdämmerung through to the end of the work Wagner reverted to the double transposition of Eb and Bb.

The following however would seem to be the accepted norm with the Tenor Bb Wagner Tuba sounding a major second lower than written and the Bass Wagner Tuba in F sounding a fifth lower than written.

Wagner Tuba Notation
Composers of works involving the Wagner Tuba since Richard Wagner’s time have all experienced a dilemma with the instrument’s notation.

For today’s orchestral performances, most Wagner Tuba parts have been totally transcribed and retain the standard F Horn transposition throughout. In this way, the uncertainty is avoided by horn players.

Back to The Wagner Tuba

Wagner Tuba Menu

  • The Wagner Tuba
  • Wagner Tuba History
    • The Apprentice
    • Trials and Transpositions
    • Fruition
    • The Disciple
    • Wagner’s Heirs
    • Modern Voices
    • Wagner Tuba Revival
  • Physical Properties & Range
  • Notation
  • Position in The Score
  • Seating Within the Orchestra

Terms/Privacy ~ Contact the wagner-tuba.com team ~ Website by Dark Sea Web ~ © 2001-2023

  • English
  • Deutsch