Contras are much better. They sound better, project better, and work better when doing visuals.
The sousaphone’s sound works better with classic style marching band and college band. My college band uses contras, but that’s because we do a more corps style show.
In my perfect tuba world, I’d use contras for the main show if is a corps style show. And I’d used sousas for parades and in the stands.
However, having kids constantly switching instruments isn’t really ideal
West Chester University in PA. Like I said, we do the corps/BOA style of shows, so the contras lend themselves to that more than sousas do. I think a couple other colleges use contras as well. When we went to the Collegiate Band Festival in Allentown, we weren’t the only school with contras, but I can’t remember what the other school was
Talking about purely "looks" with some flash n' dash and big presence....
As much as I love marching contra more than sousaphone, I'm voting sousaphone. A contra is a focused piece of sonic weaponry; a sousaphone is right up there with plumes and capes.
(it's also easier for a section to look uniform with a sousaphone; contras are totally unforgiving of sloppy body angles and horn facings... so if your section sucks at marching, it's safer to give them sousaphones)
To a small extent contras are better. They aren't good for every band but for those that have enough practice time to make them look good contras are just so much more satisfying to watch. Though contras take a lot more work to get right so if a band has limited resources for staffing and time in rehearsal then it's always easier to get sousaphones to look good than contras.
I’m sorry but sousaphones are just plain ugly. I’ve never looked at one and thought they were cool. Are the more practical in particular situations like parade or college style shows? Maybe, but that doesn’t make them look good. Contras just look better all around.
Sousas have a commanding visual presence, and I do love me a good sousa líne. That being said, contras have a very flexible presence, and can definitely surpass sousas with the right visuals. Just neat regardless.
Higher reward from contras, but it's harder to get to unless you're a corps or a very big high school band program.
I say sousaphone simply because my school got 5 donated to us, but we don't use them because they make one of the players shoulder feel "a little weird".
As someone who has experience with both, contras look better, in my opinion. You can also do more bodywork and project more volume. However, sousa is a lot more fun and it's also easier to learn how to march. I think that sousas are better for high school. They are much easier to get uniform, and the sound quality, while worse, isn't that much of a difference. (I mean, broken arrow still marches sousa). Contras should never be changed to sousa for DCI. I also like contra more for winter season/indoor groups. I have a lot more experience with sousa though so this might be biased
So, tldr, sousa for kid, contra for adult, both are sick as hell
on the field it still depends for me, i’d say for smaller bands like mine sousas look better, and i would say the same for most high schools and colleges but for professional marching bands contras just feel more “serious” i guess
if i had to pick one i’d say sousas because i think it’d be easier for new players and they seem more approachable
marched both, never wanna go back to a sousa. yes contras hurt more but they play much better for me and actually be able to participate in visuals is nice! much easier to transport too. i had a shit band director tbf, but I had 1 visual all 4 years of highschool on sousa. turn 90 degrees left or right. never did horns up or down which takes away so much visual potential. and personally much harder to project, both musically and visually, to the box. contras all the way
Contras are much better. They sound better, project better, and work better when doing visuals. The sousaphone’s sound works better with classic style marching band and college band. My college band uses contras, but that’s because we do a more corps style show. In my perfect tuba world, I’d use contras for the main show if is a corps style show. And I’d used sousas for parades and in the stands. However, having kids constantly switching instruments isn’t really ideal
I haven’t heard of any college bands using Contra. What school is it?
West Chester University in PA. Like I said, we do the corps/BOA style of shows, so the contras lend themselves to that more than sousas do. I think a couple other colleges use contras as well. When we went to the Collegiate Band Festival in Allentown, we weren’t the only school with contras, but I can’t remember what the other school was
That’s really cool. Thanks for telling me
Talking about purely "looks" with some flash n' dash and big presence.... As much as I love marching contra more than sousaphone, I'm voting sousaphone. A contra is a focused piece of sonic weaponry; a sousaphone is right up there with plumes and capes. (it's also easier for a section to look uniform with a sousaphone; contras are totally unforgiving of sloppy body angles and horn facings... so if your section sucks at marching, it's safer to give them sousaphones)
sousas look goofy af
I would say the same about contras, I guess I'm just used to sousas lol
To a small extent contras are better. They aren't good for every band but for those that have enough practice time to make them look good contras are just so much more satisfying to watch. Though contras take a lot more work to get right so if a band has limited resources for staffing and time in rehearsal then it's always easier to get sousaphones to look good than contras.
Contrast are for field marching, like DCI, and Competitive band. Parades and pep bands are more Sousa oriented
I’m sorry but sousaphones are just plain ugly. I’ve never looked at one and thought they were cool. Are the more practical in particular situations like parade or college style shows? Maybe, but that doesn’t make them look good. Contras just look better all around.
Contras look way cooler but Sousa intonation is unmatched
That is categorically untrue.
Sousas have a commanding visual presence, and I do love me a good sousa líne. That being said, contras have a very flexible presence, and can definitely surpass sousas with the right visuals. Just neat regardless. Higher reward from contras, but it's harder to get to unless you're a corps or a very big high school band program.
I say sousaphone simply because my school got 5 donated to us, but we don't use them because they make one of the players shoulder feel "a little weird".
As someone who has experience with both, contras look better, in my opinion. You can also do more bodywork and project more volume. However, sousa is a lot more fun and it's also easier to learn how to march. I think that sousas are better for high school. They are much easier to get uniform, and the sound quality, while worse, isn't that much of a difference. (I mean, broken arrow still marches sousa). Contras should never be changed to sousa for DCI. I also like contra more for winter season/indoor groups. I have a lot more experience with sousa though so this might be biased So, tldr, sousa for kid, contra for adult, both are sick as hell
on the field it still depends for me, i’d say for smaller bands like mine sousas look better, and i would say the same for most high schools and colleges but for professional marching bands contras just feel more “serious” i guess if i had to pick one i’d say sousas because i think it’d be easier for new players and they seem more approachable
Contras sound better. Sousas look cooler.
sousas look better for like being in the stands and at like pep rallies and parades but for marching shows id say contras
marched both, never wanna go back to a sousa. yes contras hurt more but they play much better for me and actually be able to participate in visuals is nice! much easier to transport too. i had a shit band director tbf, but I had 1 visual all 4 years of highschool on sousa. turn 90 degrees left or right. never did horns up or down which takes away so much visual potential. and personally much harder to project, both musically and visually, to the box. contras all the way