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The question came up in another thread, and it's one I've struggled with a bit, so here it is in its own thread: what's a good way to play sousaphone from a seated position? For full credit,
- not supporting the sousaphone's weight on one shoulder (this from the other thread.)
- not assymetric, i.e. leaning neither to left nor right
- sitting with butt in the middle of the chair, where it almost has to go if you get one of those plastic stacking chairs with the sort of dished seat

While in 7th grade playing a little Eb tuba in All-County band I was seated beside another kid with a sousaphone. The bell slowly descended until it rested on my head. I concluded that when the player is seated the proper position for a sousaphone is lying flat on the floor, or hanging on the band room wall.

To me its best when my Sousa just is on balance on my both legs. Under my left foot I keep something to raise it a little. On my left shoulder there is some soft foam so sousa feels comfortable and is not stressing my shoulder too much. I also choose my chair and its position very carefully. Because the sousa is on balance its relatively easy to keep on playing even longer times.

Like the Sousa band picture posted above, I turn my chair so the back is more to the left. Not only for rehearsals for summer outdoor gigs, but I have a semi-annual gig where the stage is such that the only way to get projection off the stage is to use either a recording bell or a souzy.

iiipopes wrote:Like the Sousa band picture posted above, I turn my chair so the back is more to the left. Not only for rehearsals for summer outdoor gigs, but I have a semi-annual gig where the stage is such that the only way to get projection off the stage is to use either a recording bell or a souzy.

Does that take pressure of your shoulder or does it just allow you to sit comfortably?

Someday I'm going to make a seat accessory where you sit on a slightly buttock molded pan with a straight up post and arm to set the Sousa circle upon for support ... It will be able to set upon any chair, and your body weight will hold it in place...

Think a sousaphone mount could be added to one of those battery powered scooters to make a motorized sousaphone? Likely it has been done.

Donn wrote:Think a sousaphone mount could be added to one of those battery powered scooters to make a motorized sousaphone? Likely it has been done.

I cannot remember the name of the show. It was on PBS and it was about Native American bands. The sousaphone player was in a jazzy like chair for a parade. If you can't march anymore why not.

Joemac wrote:

iiipopes wrote:Like the Sousa band picture posted above, I turn my chair so the back is more to the left. Not only for rehearsals for summer outdoor gigs, but I have a semi-annual gig where the stage is such that the only way to get projection off the stage is to use either a recording bell or a souzy.

Does that take pressure of your shoulder or does it just allow you to sit comfortably?

A souzy is a souzy. It just gets the back of the chair out of the way of the back of the bugle.

I play Sousaphone at home sitting on a drum throne without a back, I can get a position nearly identical to standing if I raise the height of the stool as high as it goes so my right leg isn't hitting the horn.