The helicon is a

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wi ...

musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...

in the

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

family. Most are B basses, but they also commonly exist in E, F, and tenor sizes, as well as other types to a lesser extent. The

sousaphone The sousaphone ( ) is a brass instrument in the tuba family. Created around 1893 by J. W. Pepper at the direction of American bandleader John Philip Sousa (after whom the instrument was then named), it was designed to be easier to play than ...

is a specialized version of the helicon. The first sousaphone, a non-production prototype made by J. W. Pepper & Son, Inc., had an upright bell, hence the nickname "rain catcher" because of its shape. Later production versions differ primarily in two ways: a bell shaped to face forward with a larger flare and a bell diameter of , and a "goose-neck"

leadpipe In a brass instrument, a leadpipe or mouthpipe is the pipe or tube into which the mouthpiece is placed. For example, on the illustration of a trombone, the leadpipe would be between #3 and #4, the mouthpiece and the slide lock ring. In the ...

which offers greater adjustability of mouthpiece position at the expense of tone quality. Both the sousaphone and helicon have a wide and roughly-circular shape leaving a large empty area in the center, and are designed to be worn around the player's body, with the inside of the coil resting on the shoulder. The instrument is very popular in Central and Eastern Europe and is a common instrument for a

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the ti ...

and a

mounted band A mounted band is a military or civilian musical ensemble composed of musician playing their instruments while being mounted on an animal. The instrumentation of these bands are limited, with the musician having to play his/her instrument, as well ...

. It is used by Ed Neuhauser of the traditional folk band

Bellowhead Bellowhead is an English contemporary folk band, active from 2004 to 2016, reforming in 2020. The eleven-piece act played traditional dance tunes, folk songs and shanties, with arrangements drawing inspiration from a wide range of musical styl ...

. The range of the B helicon is two octaves below that of a B

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a so ...

, thus similar to the more common B bass tuba (though generally without the additional valves and other optional features sometimes seen on tubas, meaning that a few notes in the lowest range are unavailable on the helicon).

History

The helicon is derived from the

saxhorn The saxhorn is a family of valved brass instruments that have conical bores and deep cup-shaped mouthpieces. The saxhorn family was developed by Adolphe Sax, who is also known for creating the saxophone family. The sound of the saxhorn has a ...

, or the

saxtuba The saxtuba is an obsolete valved brasswind instrument conceived by the Belgian instrument-maker Adolphe Sax around 1845. The design of the instrument was inspired by the ancient Roman cornu and tuba. The saxtubas, which comprised a family of ha ...

. Helicons were first used in the 1860s in cavalry and artillery

s, then later used in military marching bands.

Helicon family

The Slovenian composer Igor Krivokapič invented a new family of Helicons which were produced by the German manufacturer Melton: * Soprano in E * Alto in B * Tenor in E * Baritone in B * Bass in F (or EE) * Contrabass in BB (or CC) File:Joueur.jpg, Two musicians playing helicons. File:Philip Timms Helicon E flat bass 1909 18552.jpg, Philip Timms with his E bass helicon in 1909

References

{{Authority control Brass instruments