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I saw this in a parade.

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The tone sounded like a horn. I guess it is enlarged to make it louder in open areas.

kevin
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1 Answers1

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It's a Sousaphone. Invented by one Philip Sousa, famed for his marches. He wrote many, which are still played, particularly in USA. He needed an instrument that would be capable of playing the lowest notes in marching bands, and came up with the serpentine bass you see.

Many years ago, I had one, sadly sold it to a friend. It took hours to polish, but later versions are fibreglass, so easier to maintain - and don't mind too much being played in the rain!

Tim
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  • Do they play tuba parts, or are some songs arranged for sousaphones specifically? – piiperi Reinstate Monica Jan 10 '20 at 07:29
  • @piiperiReinstateMonica - seems reasonable to assume that any work by Sousa would have specific Sousaphone parts, I guess! But why couldn't any low part be played, possibly an octave out? That would surely work. – Tim Jan 10 '20 at 07:32
  • I was just thinking about the actual marching bands who use sousaphones - do they usually just take any existing arrangement and its tuba part. I mean, if someone tries to find music for the sousaphone, or music where it's used, it might be good to know that it's used as a different kind of tuba. – piiperi Reinstate Monica Jan 10 '20 at 07:44
  • @piiperi Reinstate Monica - As part of that tuba family, and generally as a Bb instrument, yes, sousaphones can play any tuba parts (oviously Bb tuba parts make most sense!) – Tim Jan 10 '20 at 08:21
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    Sousaphones are a type of tuba and play regular tuba music – jjmusicnotes Jan 10 '20 at 12:26
  • @jjmusicnotes - Yes, and since they're not transposing instruments per se, (they play what's written, so to speak) they would be able to play any tuba music - even though tubas (tubae?!) are pitched in Bb, C, Eb or F. Is that fair comment? – Tim Jan 10 '20 at 12:44
  • @Tim - absolutely. Low brass instruments are classified as Non-C Non-transposing instruments. Specific to tuba, each of the keys has a specific performance tradition. – jjmusicnotes Jan 10 '20 at 19:21
  • One manufacturer offered two styles - Fibreglass bell, easily detached for convenient transport and Traditional Brass bell, cannot be stolen or mislaid! Take your choice. They're tubas and play tuba music. Valued for their appearance in marching bands and some types of jazz band. My tuba-playing friends tell me they're not as rewarding to play as a 'real' tuba. – Laurence Jan 11 '20 at 18:13