In a standard symphony, the low instruments are double bass, contrabassoon, tuba and sometimes contrabass trombone. C1 is the lowest C on the piano and B0 is the lowest B on the piano. The lowest note on musical instruments, provided that they are not mutilated like tuning down, is determined mathematically. read more
” (The word “sounding” was added after I had already answered the question. My answer below is for the original question.) From a vertical elevation perspective: Probably the soles of the shoes of all of the performers of the orchestra. read more
Made of about sixteen feet of tubing, the tuba is the lowest-sounding member of the brass family. It is one of the newest instruments in the orchestra, having first appeared in the mid-19th century. The concert tuba generally has four or five valves and is held upright in the player’s lap. read more