Oom-pah-pah

In the last post I told you that I'd show you some common circus instruments.  Most of them you've seen in other places.  You know, the usual suspects of band music: cornets, trombones, clarinets, drums.  But, holding down the bass end of these groups are tubas.  Tubas were used before other bass instruments were widely available, and were popular because, in comparison to a string bass or a piano, they were portable.

At the Circus Museum I found a few displays with the older, retired instruments.  Of course, I got a picture:

You can see the cornet on the left, lower corner, a saxophone and, in the upper right, is a helicon tuba.

Here is a closer view:

A helicon tuba is the direct predecessor to the sousaphone, which was developed by march king John Phillip Sousa.  The helicon is a type of marching tuba, designed to wrap around the player's body, making it easier to carry and play while walking around.  Sousa redesigned the helicon so that is was lighter and even easier to march with. 

The helicon is usually a BBb bass pitch, but sometimes was pitched in EEb.  The helicon itself was developed from another instrument called the saxhorn or saxtuba.  (I'll have to wait on the explanation of a saxhorn, because, after some preliminary research, there is a lot behind those horns.)  The saxhorns and saxtubas were used in military bands, and because it was a common band arrangement at that time period, it is logical that circuses would include the same configuration.

Before bass guitars and even before string basses were found in early jazz music, tubas were used.  Because the tubist had to breathe, the feel of that early music is more of a "two-beat".  Once "walking bass" was possible, jazz began to change in feel and style.