Members of the Brigadiers Drum & Bugle Corps (NY) hornline in 2007, with contrabass horns (contras). The contrabass bugle (usually shortened to contra or simply called the marching tuba) is the lowest-pitched instrument in the drum and bugle corps and marching band hornline. It is essentially the drum corps' counterpart to the marching band's sousaphone: the lowest-pitched member of the hornline, and a replacement for the concert tuba on the marching field. It is different from the other members of the marching band and drum corps hornlines in that it rests on the shoulder of the player, rather than being held in front of the body.