Posted by Joe S. on November 24, 2000 at 17:51:37:
In Reply to: Tubists playing Euph..... posted by Matt C. on November 24, 2000 at 01:12:58:
I'm not meaning more than I say and I'm not saying more than I mean: I have just as much respect for "artist" level baritone horn players as I do for "artist" level players of any other instrument. However, I have found, though personal experience since age 13, that the baritone horn is the "tenor saxophone" of the brass instrument family. In other words, if one can hold on to their mental, reading, and button-pushing abilities regarding the baritone horn with little reinforcement, the air/embouchure part requires little to no maintenance to maintain good quality performance capabilities. (Again, I am not speaking of "artist" level performance.) I get hired occasionally to double on the baritone, and a day or two ahead of a bit of refreshment seems quite adequate to keep the contractor and the conductor tickled with what I am able to do on stage or in the pit.
The above paragraph risks sounding like bragging, but rather it is ENCOURAGEMENT to YOU to take up the instrument. AGAIN, ruling out "artist" level performance ability, I have found (since I first picked one up at age 13) the baritone horn to be "tuba lite".
And as far as terminology, I prefer to preserve language and to keep it understandable. I first saw the name "euphonium" being used widely when T.U.B.A. was formed. A Yamaha, Willson, King or Conn bell-front, or WHATEVER with HOWEVER many valves and WHATEVER specific bore size to me is a "baritone horn" - as they always have been. Perhaps the very skinny ones many be referred to as "tenor horns". I think that a lot of confusion has arisen from manufacturers creation of instrument names, and others adopting those names as legitimate. If we, as users of language, can use the word "car" rather than being forced to say "large four-door American luxury sedan", then I can certainly use the three-syllable and quite understandable "baritone horn" rather than the (slightly pretentious?) Latinized four-syllable "euphonium".
At the risk of making MORE inflamatory statements, I prefer MY sound on the baritone horn to that of most trombonists. Besides being "fumble fingers", many trombonists get a "forced" sound out of a baritone horn, because they feel obligated to work just as hard as they do when playing the trombone. Indeed, the baritone is much easier to blow, and this throws off many trombonists attempting to double on the baritone.
Summary: TRY IT! YOU'LL LIKE IT!...and use a "real" baritone mouthpiece (like a Schilke 51D) and NOT some gimmicky "tuba players' baritone mouthpiece".
Paul Harvey, good.......day.