Carpets

The following photos depict a series of Over-The-Shoulder design instruments from Eb and Bb Cornets to Eb and Bb OTS Tubas. These OTS instruments were unique to the brass bands during the American Civil War period circa 1860-1865. It apparently was intended that the backward aiming bells would provide the following troops with musical guidance for marching in step.

These fell out of favor shortly after the Civil War when bandmasters realized that the marching troops listened mainly to the drum beat and not the music- while the admiring crowds along the roads wanted to hear the tunes!!

These instruments were usually equipped with Top Action string operated rotary valves, or Berliner style piston valves. An occasional horn with Perinet style valves has been reported. The OTS horns were often mixed in with other bell-forward and/or bell-up stle horns.

A musician playing a solo on an OTS horn at the park bandstand creates an interesting sight- with his back to the audience!!