Wagner commissioned the instrument for his four-part opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, where its purpose was to bridge the acoustical and textural gap between the French horn and trombone.

Wagner wanted a sound that would invoke Norse legends and create a better blend in the brass section.

This meant that Wagner needed the flexibility of a saxhorn, which were valved instruments that allowed for chromatic range.

The saxhorn had a more cylindrical and larger bore, used the parabolic cupped mouthpiece, and thus had a more brassy tone that wasn't quite suitable for Wagner's tonal intent.

[11] The Wagner tuba nominally exists in two sizes, tenor in B♭ and bass in F, with ranges comparable to those of horns in the same pitches while being less adept at the highest notes.

Several 20th-century and later manufacturers have, however, combined the two instruments into a double Wagner tuba that can easily be configured in either B♭ or F.[10] Wagner tubas are normally written as transposing instruments, but the notation used varies considerably and is a common source of confusion—Wagner himself used three different and incompatible notations in the course of the Ring, and all three of these systems (plus some others) have been used by subsequent composers.

Wagner tubas appear in the work of composers such as Richard Strauss, Anton Bruckner, Béla Bartók, and many more.

As time passed, the availability and convenience of including Wagner tubas in concert programs became a reoccurring problem.

Rued Langgaard, a great admirer of Bruckner, wrote for eight horns in his First Symphony (1908-11); four of these parts were written for tenor and bass Wagner tubas.

When this work was eventually premiered, the orchestra decided against using Wagner tubas, instead playing the parts on horn.