History of Helicon

Helicon – low sounding wind musical instrument.

Sousaphone is the ancestor of the helicon. Due to its design, it can be easily hung on the shoulder, or attached to the horse’s saddle. Helikon dresses in such a way that one can move or march while playing music. It is convenient for transportation, in which case it can be folded into a special case.

The helicon was first designed specifically for use in Russian military cavalry bands in the first half of the XNUMXth century. Later it was used in brass bands. In symphony, they did not use it, since it is replaced by another musical instrument – a tuba, similar to a helikon in sound.

The helicon trumpet has a large sound range, it consists of two curved rings that fit snugly together. The design of the musical instrument gradually expands and ends with a wide bell. The weight of the structure is about 7 kilograms, the length is 115 cm. The color of the pipe is usually yellow, some parts are painted silver. There are many varieties of helicon, they are the same pipes, only the weight and length may differ slightly. If you listen to the sound, the tone goes from the note la to the note mi.

Today, the helicon is mainly used in military bands, general meetings, parades and ceremonial events.

The tool is widely distributed around the world. Many pieces of music cannot be imagined without a helicon. Talented composers and musicians are still developing their art of playing this instrument. The sound of the helicon is the lowest among all types of brass instruments. If you do not know how to play, the music will turn out dull and monotonous. With the help of the lips, the musician tries to blow as much air into the pipe as possible in order to achieve the greatest variety of tonality of the melody. The musicians play mostly classical music or jazz.