Sousaphone
The sousaphone is a Musical instrument of the family of the coppers, related with the tuba - double bass, and often confused with the hélicon.
It has on the tuba the advantage of being carried on the shoulder, in a balanced way, without being cantilever front like the tuba. This enables him to be played while going without too much tiredness, from where its great success in the brass bands. The sousaphone is frequently used in the orchestras of traditional Jazz (Dixieland).
The sousaphone is a Instrument transposing instrument in B flat (one also finds some in F and E flat); it comprises 3 in general piston S like the trumpet (sometimes 4) for a Tessiture located two lower octaves. Its most outstanding characteristics are on the one hand the body of the instrument which surrounds the musician, and on the other hand the oversize house located above its head, dismountable and directional, often directed forwards. It is on this level that it is distinguished from the hélicon which has to him a house much more modest and not leaving the plan rolling up the instrument (like a horn). The Hélicon is preferred with the sousaphone for the assembled processions, the house not being off-set and offering less catch to the wind.
In the brass family, it is closer to the subfamily of the Trombones and Trompettes that Tubas, horns and Cornets (although the true bass trombone is the Cimbasso): indeed the tube of the instrument is cylindrical mouth to the exit of the last piston, then conical to the house whereas the tuba is conical on almost all the longor of the tube, pistons included/understood. The sound is a little percussif (less soft) than that of a tuba.
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