Fiscorn powerful baritone voice has no counterpart, (save perhaps the piston-valved marching baritone), in the organology. The forward-projected sound makes a pair of fiscorns the most suitable two instruments to join the shrill Catalan shawms (tenoras and tibles) and flabiol pipe, together with trumpets and trombone in the outdoor town-square setting where the cobla bands play for sardana dancers. While the instrument is often played by trombonists, its conical nature is easily mastered by tuba or euphonium players. Several instrument manufacturers have attempted to solve the intonational discrepancies of the instrument in recent years, with a varied success. The instrument is
Roman tuba Gaul," The Pennsylvania State University. 2.John Ziolkowski, The Roman Bucina: A Distinct Musical Instrument? Roman tuba The "tuba" of ancient Rome is a military signal trumpet, quite different from the modern tuba. The "tuba" (from Latin "tubus", "tube") was produced around 500 BC. Its shape was straight, in contrast to the military "buccina" or "cornu", which was more like the modern sousaphone in curving around the body. Its origin is thought to be Etruscan, and it is similar to the Greek salpinx. About four feet in length, it was made usually of bronze, and was played with a detachable mouthpiece.