Sousaphone

The sousaphone is a brass musical instrument in the tuba family. It was first created around 1893 by J. W.

Pepper as a modification of the helicon, at the direction of American bandleader John Philip Sousa, after whom the instrument was named.
Sousa intended the bass sound of his helicons to better project above the heads of the band, and into the auditorium.
Like the tuba, sound is produced by moving air past the lips, causing them to vibrate or "buzz" into a large cupped mouthpiece.

Back to Instruments & Anatomy →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

BRASSARTIST

The world of brass — instruments and technique, bands and repertoire, and the tools that keep every player in tune.

Get new guides by emailOccasional emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

InformationAbout Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Affiliate Disclosure Cookie Policy

Every species, image, fact, and figure is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses. No content is AI-generated.