Sousaphone
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The Sousaphone was built in 1898 and named after the American bandmaster, John Philip Sousa. It is a large bass tuba with a huge forward-facing bell. To play the sousaphone you stand right inside its circular tube, resting the sousaphone on your left shoulder. The instrument is popular in marching bands and traditional jazz bands, especially in the United States.
| Family |
| Brasses |
| Pitch range |
| At least two octaves. |
| Material |
| Brass. (Ligh weight models are made of fiberglass.) |
| Size |
| The total length of unwound tube is between 13 and 18 ft (4-5.50 m). |
| Origins |
| The sousaphone was built by the American company Conn in 1898, after a design by the American bandmaster John Philip Sousa (1854-1932), from whom the instrument gains its name. |
| Classification |
| Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
| And also... |
| The fast model had an upward-pointing bell and was known as the "rain-catcher!" The design of today has the bell facing forward instead. |
