Sousaphone And Marching Tuba

Sousaphone History:

Sousaphones were named after the great band leader, John Philip Sousa. Sousa had been known for using helicons with his own concert band, a three-valved instrument that also wrapped around the player in a circular fashion. Frustrated with the tone quality and articulation of the instrument (which he described as “explosive”), Sousa contacted J.W. Pepper requesting an instrument where the bell would be adjustable and face upwards. Mr. Pepper did in fact produce the instrument, and in honor of J.P. Sousa, named it the sousaphone. Contrary to popular belief, the sousaphone was not designed for the marching band, but rather the concert band; thus the bell was to face upwards per request of Sousa for added warmth to the ensemble. As the instrument became more suited for the American marching band, transformed to be a bell-forward instrument for better sonic projection.

Brass or Fiberglass?

A brass sousaphone has a warmer, richer tone, closer to that of a concert tuba than a marching instrument and is more durable in the long run. A fiberglass sousaphone on the other hand is lighter and less expensive, but is also less durable and has much to be desired for tone quality. Typically, band programs try to match the materials, makes, and models of the instruments so that they can have a large, even sound. One of the best ways to purchase a used sousaphone is to find a university or competitive high school marching program that purchases these instruments in sets. Often times, they will try to cycle through their instruments as new models come out, and it can be a great way to find a great sousaphone for sale. if you are a band director who is deciding between fiberglass or brass, consider the needs of your program. Do you have a good set of concert tubas for your tubists, and do they have instruments to practice on at home? This I believe, is your top priority. If your school’s budget does not have room for quality concert instruments for your students to use, then you would be doing them a disservice by spending the funds available for brass sousaphones, as fiberglass ones are less expensive. On the other hand, if you have a competitive program and can afford brass and are not concerned by the extra weight on the students, purchasing these instruments will give your group a better depth of sound. I think most band directors would agree that a Conn sousaphone is one of the best constructed brass instruments, probably followed by King and Yamaha.

Marching Tuba vs. Sousaphone

As American marching bands and drum corps have gained popularity in the past several decades, a whole line of marching instruments were developed to meet the needs of these ensembles. Drum corps tend to use specially designed marching tubas that are shaped like a concert tuba, but have inline piston valves that are ergonomically designed for the player. Most high schools end up using convertible tubas with a bit, and some use the same instruments converted to concert horns during concert band. I came from a high school that used convertible tubas, and they had great sound out on the field, but the horns had a lot of wear and tear to be used for concert instruments. Typically we would take those instruments home during the school year to be used as our practice horns. From the perspective of ergonomics, take some time to try holding both a marching tuba and a sousaphone for an extended period of time. Both will feel uncomfortable after a while, so it’s important to have realistic expectations for students, i.e. do they need to have the same “horns up” position as everyone else? Do they need to do the full rehearsal with the instruments on their bodies?

Images and Perceptions of the Sousaphone:

Tosh.0 recently featured an online hit of the week titled “Sousaphone, Saxophone” in which a saxophone and sousaphone have a silly conversation on a telephone. The Onion (fictitious news paper) wrote a humorous article about Sousaphone Hero, parodying the largely successful Guitar Hero franchise.

Sousaphone image from musiciansbuy.com