Baritone or Euphonium?

Now that I've covered the history of the euphonium, you may have a question lingering in your mind. "I've heard this instrument you described called both a 'baritone' and a 'euphonium'. What's the difference?" Well, I'm glad you asked. Before doing this website, I didn't know the difference either. When people would ask me what I played, I would answer with both "baritone" and "euphonium."

First of all, I'll define some terms. "Bore" means the diamater of the tubing of the instrument. An instrument with "cylindrical tubing" maintains consistent diamter throughout the instrument until it flares open at the bell. Just like a cone gradually increases in diameter, an instrument with "conical tubing" will have tubing which gradually widens. Brass instruments, defined as instruments which "produce sounds by vibrating lips into a cup-shaped mouthpiece," are classified as to how their tubing "tapers." Instruments with cylindrical tubing, such as trumpets and trombones, will produce a bright tone. The euphonium, cornet, and other conical instruments will produce a dark mellow tone (Phillips 1-2).

According to Dave Werden whose one of many claim to fames is "Euphonium Player of the Year" in 1980, the aforementioned qualities are the fundamental distinctions between the baritone and the euphonium. Click here for his site where I received information on the euphonium vs. the baritone.

"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" (Werden 1).

 

Here are pictures of my trombone and trumpet. Notice how both have cylindrical tubing:

(trombone courtesy of Matt Rouse)

(there's my trumpet again)

Now here is a picture of my euphonium again, as seen on the front page and a 'baritone horn'. I have been notified by Paul Schmidt of The Serpent Website that the 'baritone horn' is actually a narrow bore marching euphonium. He says that "one accurate way to tell the difference is to look at the main tuning slide (this applies only to horns that have the slide immediately after the valves, which means most of them) and see if the slide can be reversed" (Schmidt 1). On euphoniums, "the conical bore profile" of the tubing will remain and one end of the slide will be larger than the other. On baritones, slides may have the "same diameter at each end" (Schmidt 1).

(tilt your head in an akward angle as you notice the gradual increase in tube diameter; "baritone horn" courtesy of Ian Davisson)

(YBH-301S Baritone Horn;Photo courtsey of Yamaha Corporation of America)

Here is a picture of a true baritone horn, courtesy of Paul Schmidt:

Mike Buck's 20-J (don't ask me what that's supposed to mean):