[Dixielandjazz] Sousaphone--backward bells

[Dan Augustine]

John and DJML--
    I don't know, but throughout human history the meagre impediment of not knowing something has not significantly reduced the desire to impart one's innate wisdom on a topic, or to argue with someone else about his ludicrously mistaken views on the subject.  Therefore, i leap into the breach:
    One reason the construction and use of backward-facing bells might have disappeared is that a) trombones in the front row with backward-facing bells would spray their sounds all over the other band-members behind them, a catastrophe devoutly to be decried and avoided; b) instruments with backward-facing bells in the rear of the band ("can you hear me in the rear" jokes go here) would send their sounds away from the rest of the band and the audiences, possibly creating difficulties in keeping step and the music together.  Or none of the above.
    Sousaphones also at one time had their bells pointing straight up (the 'rain-catcher' model), but this design was also discontinued, possibly coeval with certain species of birds having developed the ability to strafe.

    Dan
**------------------------------------------------------------------------**
>From: "John Farrell" <stridepiano at tesco.net>
>Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 13:10:48 -0000
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Sousaphone
>
>Brian Wood's comment :
>
>"a sousaphone is really a tuba adapted for marching"
>
>reminded me of the time I went to Kentucky to hear Mr. Jack Daniels' Silver
>Cornet Band - what a marvellously accomplished outfit they are! Also on the
>same bill was a sizeable military band which wore Civil War uniforms and
>replicated the music and instrumentation of the period (it was so long ago
>that I can remember only one of the tunes they played - "Eating Goober
>Peas"). The bells of many of the larger brass instruments pointed backwards,
>when the conductor explained that this was to enable the troops marching
>behind to hear the music I thought "What a sensible idea" and wondered why
>the backward facing bell was discontinued.
>
>Does anybody know?
>
>John Farrell
>http://homepages.tesco.net/~stridepiano/midifiles.htm

-- 
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**  Dan Augustine     Austin, Texas     ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu  **
**    "The tuba is the certainly the most intestinal of instruments,  **
**     the very lower bowel of music." --  Peter De Vries             **
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