Mini Sousaphone

I loved that concert E flat major minor diminished suspended augmented seventeen-and-a-quarterth scale.

The instrument was made for small Indian men like me. They're actually extremely common in India and can be found at music shops for ~$300. They've got some weird instruments down in India!

The most astute read the title.

The F scale sounded like harmonic minor.

Been enjoying your videos since discovering you.  I am a 55 year old sax player from Arkansas U.S.A.  Been playing for 44 yrs. but am just a hobbyist.  I love your stuffy sense of humor as you hand out the assessments on these horns.  You are the Simon Collwell of Brass instraments!  Tough but fair.  Keep up the good work and I look forward to watching your videos.  Mark

So, here's my thoughts: -The air leaks could be that instrument in particular -It would fit me, being the 160-lb. 6-foot-tall person I am -I play the Marching Baritone already and have picked up a traditional sousaphone before, leading me to the conclusion that:    I WANT IT.

it sounds like a middle schooler playing Trombone

The second you played that middle Bb, I made the exact same face you did at the exact same time. For real, though, I would love to have a real tenor sousaphone. It's such a silly, cool idea.

You gotta love Trent's face of utter disgust at 5:40

Only thing I could think to use it for is a prop for a theater production.

4:05 playing mini sousaphone

It's tuned in a minor key, lol

I would love this. I’m a baritone/euph player and i love the anatomy of a sousaphone

Hi Trent, I enjoyed your quality sounds and teaching methods! Thank you...

LOL! I'm deaf to tuning and I can hear the out of rune higher register all too well

If you look at Civil War Brass Band Instruments you will find that Eb Altos, Bb Tenors, Bb Basses (Baritones) and Eb Basses built for Cavalry Units all use the helicon look. Much easier to carry one on a horse if you can leave your handsfree. The smaller of these horns all had the extra tubing. They also did not have water keys, but that is before someone invented them. I will say that the ones we play they all do a better scale then your horn did here. I play a Bb Helicon Tenor manufactured during the war, but I also have played an Over-The-Shoulder Infantry horn in parades.

We use it in our band it sound good when you play an euphonium part with it

Yesterday I heard someone playing one of these instruments, and the intonation was horrible. However, Sai Musicals also sells euphoniums (euphonia?) for US $287 with free shipping, and I purchased one of these a couple months ago. The intonation isn't perfect, but it's only the 2nd valve that's slightly flat. It has those hexagonal valve buttons, and the valves are 'clanky' and they also need to be oiled every few days as they get stuck quickly. Sai Musicals says not to use valve oil, and I sent an email asking what should be done instead but I've received no answer. There is a water key ('spit valve') but I had to get the hole in the tubing drilled at a hardware store because this had been overlooked in the manufacturing process. Overall, I'm happy with the instrument, enjoy playing it, and I've been told it was a good value for the money, but it wouldn't be suitable for a professional player. I recall seeing a review of this sousaphone provided by a buyer who didn't understand this wasn't a bass (or more precisely contrabass) instrument and felt 'cheated'.

this horn would be called a sousaphonium because its in a tenor pitch like a euphonium

I wonder if a couple of bits were added between the mouthpiece and the lead pipe, the intonation might be helped?