sousaphone

American  

[soo-zuh-fohn, -suh-] / ˈsu zəˌfoʊn, -sə- /

noun

1. a form of bass tuba, similar to the helicon, used in brass bands.

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sousaphone British  

/ ˈsuːzəˌfəʊn /

noun

1. music a large tuba that encircles the player's body and has a bell facing forwards

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sousaphone Cultural  

1. A kind of tuba that wraps around the player's body so that it can be carried easily while marching.

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Discover More

The sousaphone is named after the bandmaster John Philip Sousa, who suggested building the instrument in this shape.

Other Word Forms

• sousaphonist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of sousaphone

1920–25; named after J. P. Sousa; see -phone

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sousaphone

What better way to announce your presence than with the boom boom of the sousaphone?

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025

The tuba usually used in marching bands, the sousaphone, is one of the few instruments a player wears.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025

Each sousaphone has a cover on the bells with a letter, all together spelling out “Mercer Island.”

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 24, 2023

The sound system had clearly been set up in haste: Brent “Bass Heavy Slim” Gossett’s sousaphone, massive as it was, was usually lost in the mix, and Bell’s vocals were often muddy.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 7, 2022

Universal's fundamental method for the tuba and sousaphone.

From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1970 July - December by Library of Congress. Copyright Office