The need for a bass voice in 16th century music was addressed by the invention of the "serpent" in 1590. It was an snake shaped instrument made of wood and covered by leather with 6 holes to select chromatic tones. The inner tube was roughly conical. The serpent was played with a mouthpiece- with the lips creating the vibrations necessary for generating a musical note.  It was used extensively in religious and orchestral music well into the 19th century.  The serpent sound however was weak, intonation inaccurate, and could not compete with brass instruments.  Listen to a serpent solo. Keys were eventually added to the serpent, and metal adaptations called "Bass Horns" and "Opheclides" were early 19th century improvements.

The first tuba proper was patented by Prussian bandmaster Wilhelm Wieprecht and German instrument-builder Johann Gottfried Moritz in 1835. By 1843, Adolphe Sax had begun manufacturing Wieprecht-Moritz-type tubas in Paris.  His Eb bass Saxhorns had a narrower bore and smaller bell profile than the later tubas. In 1878, a  compensating valve system was invented by D. J. Blaikely to extend the range of the instrument, while stabilizing the lower pedal tone pitch.  Bass tubas are made in keys of Bb, C,  Eb, and F - and are made in many shapes: upright; helicon; over-the-shoulder; oval "Wagner" tubas and sousaphones.  Tubas come with 3 to 6 rotary or piston valves.