Go to IMSLP (International Music Score Library Project). Download the original Arban for cornet. Then, use MuseScore or Photoscore to transpose specific exercises into bass clef yourself. This is time-consuming but free and legal.
The short answer: Not a free one that is legal and accurate.
However, the method has been updated digitally by the community. If you own a legal copy of the Bass Clef Arban (published by Carl Fischer or Alfred), you can often find companion play-along apps (like SmartMusic or Tomplay) that have updated, interactive PDF excerpts.
Warning: Many websites claiming to offer the "Arban Complete Method for Tuba PDF upd" are actually linking to the 1912 trumpet version. You will spend an hour printing it, only to realize every etude is written in a treble clef octave that gives you a headache.
Having the PDF is only half the battle. Here is a 10-week plan to dominate the Arban method for tuba using your digital file. arban complete method for tuba pdf upd
Week 1-2: The First Studies. Play each melody at pp (pianissimo) and ff (fortissimo). Do not skip the repeated sections.
Week 3-4: Double Tonguing (Page 100+ in most editions). Set your metronome to 60 BPM. Play one bar of "Tu-ku" on a single note (F in the staff). Increase BPM by 2 every day. Do not move on until clean at 100 BPM.
Week 5-6: Major Scales. Use the PDF to cycle through all 12 keys. Do not just play the scale up and down. Play the arpeggios and the interval studies.
Week 7-8: The Art of Phrasing. Play the "Air Varie" (Operatic melodies). Record yourself. Compare your phrasing to a singer or violinist on YouTube. Tuba is a melodic instrument—prove it. Go to IMSLP (International Music Score Library Project)
Week 9-10: Characteristic Study #1. This is your final boss. Use the PDF’s annotation tools (highlight, draw brackets) to mark breath marks and tricky fingerings.
Edited by Joseph Alessi (principal trombone, NY Phil) and Dr. Brian Bowman (tuba legend), this is the most user-friendly and updated version. It includes:
If you find a PDF labeled "Arban Complete Method for Tuba PDF upd," this is likely the one you want.
If you are looking for a free, updated PDF of the Arban for tuba, that doesn’t legally exist in a modern edition. Most “free PDFs” online are unauthorized scans of the Carl Fischer edition (copyright infringement) or incomplete homemade transpositions. If you find a PDF labeled "Arban Complete
If “upd” means a user-created updated version, you might find on tuba forums (TubeNet, TromboneChat) someone who re-engraved or added fingerings and shared it for personal use – but those are not official publications.
When searching for an updated PDF, you will encounter three main editions. Knowing the difference will save you hours of frustration.
This is the cheapest and most common PDF floating around. It is the original 1894 French edition. Do not use this for tuba. It is in treble clef for C cornet. Transposing on the fly is a nightmare.
The original Arban was written for Cornet/Trumpet. A "Complete Method for Tuba" (like the famous Young/Jacobs edition) features: