Tubas are made with either piston or rotary valves. ... Tubas generally have from three to six valves, though some rare exceptions exist. Three-valve tubas are generally the least expensive and are almost exclusively used by amateurs, and the sousaphone (a marching version of a BB♭ tuba) almost always has three valves.

Does a tuba have valves or slides?

Tubas designed for beginners typically have three valves, while those for professionals can have between four and six. ... Piston valves slide the cylinder vertically into the casing and require regular oiling, and rotary valves rotate.

What type of valves does a tuba have?

Tubas come in a choice of rotary valves or piston valves. Similar to the valves on a trumpet, piston valves move up and down to forward air into various combinations of tubing, for the purpose of changing notes. These extend the length of the instrument. Rotary valves direct air into various tubing paths by rotating.