Like the tuba, sound is produced by moving air past the lips, causing them to vibrate or "buzz" into a large cupped mouthpiece.

Unlike the tuba, the instrument is bent in a circle to fit around the body of the musician; it ends in a large, flaring bell that is pointed forward, projecting the sound ahead of the player.

The first sousaphone was built by James Walsh Pepper in 1893 at the request of John Philip Sousa,[1][2] who was dissatisfied with the hélicons in use by the United States Marine Band.

[3] Sousa wanted a tuba-like instrument that would send sound upward and over the band, much like a concert (upright) tuba.

The valves are situated directly in front of the musician slightly above the waist and all of the weight rests on the left shoulder.

For simplicity and light weight, modern sousaphones almost always use three non-compensating piston valves in their construction, in direct contrast to their concert counterparts' large variation in number, type, and orientation.

To facilitate making the mouthpiece accessible to players of different height or body shapes, most sousaphones contain a detachable tubing gooseneck which arises from the lead pipe on the upwind side of the valves.

However, the sousaphone (uniquely) is also commonly seen manufactured from fiberglass, due to its lower cost, greater durability, and significantly lighter weight.

[citation needed] Perhaps the most highly regarded sousaphone ever built is the 0.734-inch-bore (18.6 mm) Conn model 20K, introduced in the mid-1930s and still in production.

Very large bore (>= 0.750 inch) sousaphones, with oversized bells as large as 32 inches (81 cm) in diameter, were made by Conn ("Grand Jumbo" [46K (3-valve) & 48K (4-valve)]) and King ("Jumbo" [1265 (3- & 4-valve versions)] & "Giant" [1270 (3-valve) & 1271 (4-valve)]) in the mid-1920s and 1930s, and by Martin, York, & Buescher, but they disappeared from the catalogs during the Depression or at the onset of World War II.

Since 1961, sousaphones have been available made of fiberglass reinforced plastics instead of brass; RMC-Reynolds announced their new 18-pound instrument that year (branded as "Reynolds" or "Martin")[7] and Conn's 16-3/4-pound 36K debuted soon thereafter.

Fiberglass sousaphones can be found commonly in younger marching bands, such as middle schools, due to their lighter weight.

In Switzerland and Southern Germany, "Guggenmusik" bands often use these instruments that provide great display and passable tone.

In large marching bands of the United States, the bell is often covered with a tight fitting cloth, called a sock, which enables the sousaphone section to spell out the school's name, initials, or mascot.

Sousaphone players are also known to perform the 'flaming tubas', in which flash paper is ignited in the bell, thus making it appear as if the musician is breathing fire.

They also utilize what they refer to as the "Überphone", a sousaphone that was disassembled from its coiled format and welded back together on a twelve-foot frame to extend straight up from the player's shoulders.

The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band sousaphone section (called "Bass Horns" within the university) execute a distinct two-step and four-step counter-march during marching performances.

Damon "Tuba Gooding Jr." Bryson from The Roots played the sousaphone on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Red Baraat, a Brooklyn-based dhol & brass band that fuses North Indian Bhangra with hip-hop, go-go and jazz music, features John Altieri on sousaphone.

Warren G. Harding, the 29th President of the United States, was a sousaphone player who played well enough to join the band celebrating his election.