Description

Specifications Silver chrome sousaphone *2'' is the musical instrument which belongs from the family of tuba. The sousaphone is a type of tuba that is widely employed in marching bands. Designed so that it fits around the body of the tubist and is supported by the left shoulder, the sousaphone may be readily played while being carried. The sousaphone is a valved brass instrument with the same tube length and musical range as other tubas. It’s shape is such that the bell is above the tubist's head and projecting forward. The valves are situated directly in front of the musician slightly above the waist and most of the weight rests on one shoulder. The bell is normally detachable from the instrument body to facilitate transportation and storage. Modern sousaphones almost definitively use three non-compensating piston valves in their construction, in direct contrast to their concert counterparts' large variation in number, type, and orientation. It semi-conical—no valved brass instrument can be entirely conical, since the middle section with the valves must be cylindrical. While the degree of conicity of the bore does affect the timbre of the instrument much as in a cornetand trumpet, or a euphonium and a trombone, the bore profile of a sousaphone and most tubas is similar. It is manufactured from sheet brass, usually yellow or silver, with silver, lacquer, and gold plating options, much like many brass instruments.It is in the key of Bb, and the instrument's part is usually read in "concert pitch", not transposed as with a trumpet in Bb. Like other tubas, It has parts written in the bass clef. Very large bore (>= 0.**0 inch) sousaphones, with oversized bells as large as *2" in diameter, were made by Conn ("Grand Jumbo"[*6K(*-valve) & *8K(*-valve)]) and King ("Jumbo"[***5(3 & *-valve versions)],,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,The sousaphone is a type of tuba that is widely employed in marching bands. Designed so that it fits around the body of the musician and is supported by the left shoulder, the sousaphone may be readily played while being carried. The instrument is named after American bandmaster and composer John Philip Sousa, who popularized its use in his band.The sousaphone was developed in the ***0s by C.G. Conn at the request of John Philip Sousa, who was unhappy with the hélicons used at that time by the United States Marine Band. The hélicon is an instrument that is wrapped in a helical shape and can thusly be worn around the player's body, facilitating marching activities. Most tuba-sized helicons have a bell which points between straight up and to the player's left, and the size of the bell is proportional to that of a commom European style upright tuba. Sousa wanted a tuba that would send sound upward and over the band with a full warm tone, much like a concert (upright) tuba, an effect which could not be achieved with the more directional hélicon bell position. The new hélicon requested by Sousa would have an oversized bell that pointed straight up, but otherwise would be like a normal helicon. Contrary to popular belief, the sousaphone was not initially developed as a marching instrument, as the professional band Sousa started after leaving the Marines (for which he wanted this new instrument) marched only once in its existence. Rather, Sousa wanted a concert instrument which would be easier to hold and play, while retaining a full, rich sound. The tone he sought was achieved by widening the bore and throat of the instrument significantly, as well as pointing it straight upward in a similar manner to concert instruments, a feature which led to the instrument being dubbed a "rain-catcher". Some versions of this design allowed the bell to also rotate forward, projecting the sound to the front of the band. This bell configuration remained the standard for several decades. Versions with the characteristic extra *0° bend making a forward-facing bell were developed in the early ***0s. Early sousaphones had **-inch-diameter (**0 mm) bells, with **-inch (**0 mm) bells popular in the ***0s. From the mid****0s onward, sousaphone bells have been standardized at a diameter of *6 inches (**0 mm). Some larger sousaphones (Monster, Grand, Jumbo, or Giant, depending on brand) were produced in limited quantities,