Baritone, Euphonium, or ?? | Home... |
By David Werden
When I was in high school, my parents decided to buy a new instrument
for me to replace the student model I had been using. The music store showed me a top of
the line King 3-valve "baritone." The salesman said it was a fine instrument,
but if I was a serious player, I should spend another $80. For the extra money I would get
not a mere baritone, but a genuine ***E*U*P*H*O*N*I*U*M***. When I asked what the
difference was he explained that a baritone has three valves, while a euphonium has four.
He also told me that a euphonium has a different bore, and sounds nicer that a baritone. I
ordered the more expensive instrument.
As the years passed, I learned
that the only difference between those two horns was the extra valve. The salesman
wasnt trying to mislead me--he was simply as confused as most people about the
difference between a baritone and a euphonium. Over the years I have heard many
explanations of this difference. Some are: a euphonium has four valves, a baritone three;
if its in a bass clef its a euphonium, if its in treble clef its a
baritone; a baritone is little euphonium; a baritone has the bell pointed forward, a
euphonium points up; and (attributed to Robert King) a euphonium is a baritone played
well.
This confusion of names may
contribute to the somewhat anonymous nature of my chosen instrument. In the USA, the
average man on the street doesnt know what a euphonium is. This is partly due to a
lack of exposure to the horn, but if he ever has seen one, it may have been referred to as
a baritone, a baritone horn, a tenor tuba, or a euphonium. Also, the name baritone is
sometimes confused with baritone saxophone or the baritone voice.
I have consulted over two dozen
reference books to understand the distinction between these two instruments. These sources
included dictionaries, encyclopedias, music dictionaries, and music texts. All agreed on
the general definition of these two horns, although none offered anything as specific as
measurements. They agreed on the following: a baritone has a smaller bore and bell than a
euphonium, with tubing that is mostly cylindrical. Its sound is lighter and brighter. The
euphonium has a larger bell and bore, and its tubing is mostly conical. It has a larger,
darker, more powerful sound. Four well-known sources have characterized the distinction as
follows:
Baritone
New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
narrow bore (shows accurate photo)International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians
smaller bore & tone; semi-conical cup mouthpiece; 3 valvesNew Harvard Dictionary of Music
smaller bore; tapered like a cornetNew Oxford Companion to Music
narrower bore
Euphonium
New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
wide bore; warm, large tone; deep-cup mouthpiece; tenor of tuba familyInternational Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians
larger bore & tone; semi-conical bore; deep-cup mouthpiece; 3 to 5 valvesNew Harvard Dictionary of Music
larger bore; tapered like a flugelhornNew Oxford Companion to Music
wider bore; called baritone in USA
These statements are sufficient to categorize the instruments now on the
market, yet there is a noticeable confusion about euphoniums and baritones.
The Conn American-style
euphonium fits very well into the range of measurements of the other traditional-style
euphoniums, yet this instrument is more often called "baritone" than
"euphonium." The Conn line is interesting in this regard. Their various models
all share the same dimensions of tubing, bell size, and taper, but Conn has usually listed
their most expensive model as "euphonium" and their cheaper models as
"baritones." Other American companies have followed the same path, apparently
feeling that the name "euphonium" justifies a higher cost and connotes better
quality.
An almost humorous example of
the confusion of definitions is found in the nearly extinct double-bell euphonium. This
was an instrument with an extra valve to send the sound either to its large euphonium-size
bell or to a much smaller trombone-size bell. The smaller bell gave it a bright sound,
similar to a true baritone horn. To the best of my knowledge, this instrument was never
called a double-bell baritone. The same instrument minus the small bell was (and is)
frequently called a baritone. The inconsistency is that the double-bell version was able
to approximate the sound of a baritone, while the single-bell instrument could only sound
like a euphonium.
My own instruments are made in
England by Sterling and are typical of the horns made by many other manufacturers from
Europe and Japan. My euphonium has an upright-bell, side-valves, and a bore of .592
inches. This type of horn is seldom called a baritone. I also use an upright-bell,
side-valve baritone horn. This horn has a .522 inch bore and a bell only slightly larger
than that of a trombone. It possesses a much brighter sound than my euphonium. This type
of horn is virtually never called a euphonium. The tubing of the euphonium is almost
entirely conical. The tubing of the baritone is much more nearly cylindrical. The nature
of the baritones bore can be demonstrated by pulling out the main tuning slide and
reversing it. It will still fit into the horn reversed, but such is not the case with my
euphonium' tuning slide.
While most agree on the names of
my particular instruments, such is not the case with the instruments in many of our public
school bands in the USA. They are similar to the Conns mentioned above, and generally have
a .560 bore and forward-facing bells of about 10.5 inches diameter (although many are made
with upright bells as well). Even a casual examination of the tubing will show that it is
almost entirely conical. I believe the breed was originally designed to let a single
instrument play both euphonium and baritone music. While the early samples of this type of
"hybrid" instrument may have had a sound nearly centered between a baritone and
a euphonium tone, the desire for a smoother, fuller sound has led the manufacturers to
gradually change the instruments characteristics. The modern version have a sound
very close to that of the European and Japanese euphoniums. They sound slightly brighter,
but not nearly as bright as a true baritone horn. Also, compared to my own horns, their
.560 bore is somewhat closer to the .592 euphonium than to the .522 baritone bore.
View euphonium picture
View baritone picture
View American-style euphonium picture
Notes for the photos:
Notice the relative sizes of the bottom bows and the "throat" of the bell; notice also the continuous taper of the tubing of the two euphoniums.
(photos of baritone and upright euphonium used with permission of Yamaha Corporation of America; photo of American euphonium used with permission of The Selmer Company)
Measurements aside, my experience from playing most brands of this
bell-front breed is that they sound like euphoniums. There is an old saying that goes
something like "If it looks like a duck and waddles and quacks, then call it a
duck." These bell-front type instruments should certainly be called euphoniums. All
the definitions I found would support this title based on the characteristics these horns
possess. The fact that they are slightly smaller in bore and sound than the euphoniums
commonly found in Europe and Japan certainly shouldnt disqualify them from the title
"euphonium." Consider the modern trombone. Most symphony players use trombones
with large bores (around .547 inches) and large bells. However, many trombones are made
with bores in the range of .500 to .515 and smaller bells. They sound somewhat smaller and
brighter than their larger brothers, yet they are still called trombones.
Music publishers share the
confusion. As a professional euphonium player I read a large quantity of music each year.
Roughly 80% of the music I played was marked "baritone," and yet about 1% of it
was actually intended to be played on a true baritone.
While it may seem more awkward
to have to say "euphonium" instead of "baritone," let us help others
get into the habit of using the correct names for these instruments. It is time to end the
confusion.
Dimensions of several popular baritones and euphoniums:
Yamaha
Baritone
Bore: .504"
Bell: 8.25"
Taper: narrow
Euphonium
Bore: .571"
Bell: 11"
Taper: wide
Besson
Baritone
Bore: .515"
Bell: 8.38"
Taper: narrow
Euphonium
Bore: .580"
Bell: 11-12"
Taper: wide
Willson
Baritone
Bore: .512"
Bell: 10"
Taper: narrow
Euphonium
Bore: .592"
Bell: 11.5"
Taper: wide
Sterling
Baritone
Bore: .522"
Bell: 9.60"
Taper: narrow
Euphonium
Bore: .592"
Bell: 12"
Taper: wide
Amati
Baritone
Bore: .488"
Bell: 8.75"
Taper: narrow
Euphonium
Bore: .559"
Bell: 11.75"
Taper: wide
Conn
American-Style Euphonium
Bore: .563"
Bell: 11"
Taper: wide
NOTE: All measurements are in inches. Bore size is an INTERNAL tubing measurement
David Werden
View photo
A graduate of The University of
Iowa, Mr. Werden was the euphonium soloist with The United States Coast Guard Band for
more than 20 years. He has performed throughout the United States, as well as in Canada,
England, Japan, and the former Soviet Union. Through FM and TV broadcasts, his solos have
been heard in dozens of countries around the world. He is a recitalist and clinician, and
has performed at local, national, and international symposiums. He was a member of The
USCG Band Euphonium/Tuba Quartet, the Atlantic Tuba Quartet, and the Classic Brass Band.
He previously taught at the University of Connecticut and is listed in the 1996 edition of
Marquis' Who's Who in American Education.
His
efforts to expand the role and recognition of the euphonium led the British magazine
Sounding Brass in conjunction with the American publication Euphonia to name him
"Euphonium Player of the Year" in 1980. He is the first American awarded this
honor. In 1981 he was elected to the post of Euphonium Coordinator for the Tubists
Universal Brotherhood Association (T.U.B.A). In 1987 he was appointed to the Board of
Directors of T.U.B.A. His many solo performances and his efforts to expand the role of the
euphonium in music earned him the prestigious Coast Guard Commendation Medal. He has also
been awarded two Coast Guard Achievement Medals, the Coast Guard Special Operations
ribbon, two Coast Guard Unit Commendations, and three Coast Guard Meritorious Unit
Commendations.
He has
published articles in Euphonia magazine, The Instrumentalist magazine
and the T.U.B.A. Journal. He is the author of The Blaikley Compensating
System, Scoring for Euphonium, and is co-author
with Denis Winter of the Euphonium Music Guide. He
compiled and edited a series of papers by Arthur Lehman into the book The Brass
Musician. He has also published over three dozen arrangements for a variety of solo
instruments and ensembles.
David
Werden is currently living in Minnesota and working as a computer consultant. He performs
in the Sheldon Theater Brass Band and is in constant demand as a guest artist and
clinician.