Helicon

The helicon is a member of the brass (Hornbostel–Sachs 423.232). Learn how it makes its sound and explore related instruments.

How the helicon makes its sound

In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the helicon belongs to the brass (lip-vibrated aerophones): the player's buzzing lips set the air column vibrating – trumpets, horns, trombones, tubas and the didgeridoo.

More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.

Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.

From Wikipedia

The helicon is a brass musical instrument in the tuba family. Most are B♭ basses, but they are also built in E♭ or F, and occasionally in tenor or even smaller sizes.

The helicon has a wide, roughly-circular shape designed to be worn around the player's body, with the tubing wrapped under one arm and the bell resting on the opposite shoulder.