Marching brass

Sousaphone

Marching brass instruments are brass instruments specially designed to be played while moving. Most instruments do not have a marching version - only tubas, baritones, euphoniums, French horns, and Mellophones have marching versions; the tuba even has two: the contrabass bugle and the sousaphone. The main difference between the concert horns and their marching counterparts is that the bell has been relocated to project sound forward rather than over (or under) the player's shoulder. Because these instruments are used in an activity that is predominantly outdoors they tend to be sturdier and more resistant to wear and tear than their concert counterparts. These instruments are used by all kinds of groups ranging from high school marching bands to drum and bugle corps.

Bugles

The drum and bugle corps activity has been a driving force of innovation behind the creation of marching brass instruments for many decades. The mellophone and the contrabass bugle are among the creations spawned by instrument manufacturers for use in the marching activity due to the influence of drum and bugle corps hornlines.

The bugles utilized in modern drum corps are distinguished from their marching band counterparts mostly by their key: bugles are keyed in G; band instruments are keyed in B♭.

Contrabass

Main article: Contrabass bugle

Contrabass bugle

The contrabass bugle, or "contra", is the bugle equivalent of a marching tuba.

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