Helicon (instrument)

The Helikon, also called Helikontuba, is a Central European brass instrument. The word " Helikon " is a neologism based on the Greek word " helix ", which will describe its spirally screwed appearance.

Situating a Brass Instrument

The Helikon heard as the tuba to the family of horns, as the scale length is conical. The scale length is defined by the opening angle of the horn and the opening length. Representatives of the opposing cylindrical scale are, for example, trumpet and trombone.

The Helikon is the forerunner of Sousaphons whose great horn, however, is removable and not sideways like the Helikon, but is passed over the head of the player. To play the Helikon as the tuba and the sousaphone with a cup mouthpiece.

Special

The first Helikon was given around 1849 by Wilhelm Wieprecht at the company Musical Instruments Stowasser in Vienna in order after Wieprecht had possibly seen this round instruments in the Russian military musicians. It can be worn by the better players around the looped design with the rider but also in the marching music. However, when sitting the conventionally shaped tuba has advantages.

Use

If you want to take in the instrumentation on historical references into consideration, it should be emphasized that the Helikon is preferable a native of America sousaphone for Central European music. Historically, the Helikon remains the classic Central European Marschtuba, it is also used as before in music groups with historical references as the Baden " Gälfiäßlern ". Helikone have disappeared almost entirely from the march orchestras. The main reason for this is probably the function of the tuba as an eye catcher in a marching formation to be, as the example in marching bands is handled, because sousaphone and marching tubes ( tuba) are in this respect much more attractive. Built Helikone but are still.

• Brass Instrument