Shoulder-mount baritone/euphonium

[davidp]

We were talking about this at rehearsal this evening. We have some t-bone players who will, at some point, need to acquire a marching horn. We are all wondering if a convertible, shoulder-mount baritone would be considered DCA legal (Yamaha and Jupiter make 'em; there may be others). I have read somewhere on here that there were shoulder-mount baritone bugles used in the past (at least I think I read it on here somewhere), and it would keep people from buying a single-purpose horn (upright for concert, bell-front for drum corps).

Any help would be appreciated. :)

Edited June 9, 2006 by davidp

[Glen]

We were talking about this at rehearsal this evening. We have some t-bone players who will, at some point, need to acquire a marching horn. We are all wondering if a convertible, shoulder-mount baritone would be considered DCA legal (Yamaha and Jupiter make 'em; there may be others). I have read somewhere on here that there were shoulder-mount baritone bugles used in the past (at least I think I read it on here somewhere), and it would keep people from buying a single-purpose horn (upright for concert, bell-front for drum corps).

Any help would be appreciated. :)

"A bugle, for purposes of DCA competition, is a bell front brass instrument pitched in ANY KEY. The number of valves, either rotary or piston in any combination, is limited to three, excepting the contrabass bugle which may have four. A slide may be employed to also change pitch as well. The length of any such slide is limited to a length, which lowers pitch by no more than a major second" .

From the 2006 DCA rulebook.

Glen

[dckid80]

Madison used tromboniums in the very early 80's.

[davidp]

"A bugle, for purposes of DCA competition, is a bell front brass instrument pitched in ANY KEY. The number of valves, either rotary or piston in any combination, is limited to three, excepting the contrabass bugle which may have four. A slide may be employed to also change pitch as well. The length of any such slide is limited to a length, which lowers pitch by no more than a major second" .

From the 2006 DCA rulebook.

Glen

So (and I apologize for sounding like a jerk), I can take that as a yes, seeing that a shoulder-mount bari could be considered bell-front (yes, as far as stuff like this is concerned, I am that stupid, as we are just getting started :D)?

[johnric]

Madison used tromboniums in the very early 80's.

I thought 27 used them for a short time also

[TomPeashey]

Glen's answer was YES... bell front brass in any key... so they would be OK

The slide rule was a clever way of saying no slide trombones

[JimF-LowBari]

Back in the 50s or early 60s there was a contraption :P that looked like you described. It was a should mounted euph and was used by a (some?) girl corps instead of contras. Think I asked the question because I saw pieces of the beast down in our corps equipment room.

[Shadow_7]

We are all wondering if a convertible, shoulder-mount baritone would be considered DCA legal (Yamaha and Jupiter make 'em; there may be others).

When the DCI bunch converted to Bb's, the shoulder Euph was the only one available to them from Yamaha. They chose NOT to use shoulder Euphs. Even SCV who had marched nothing but Euphs at some points in time opted to march all baritones, insted of employing a shoulder Euph. Yamaha now makes a bell front model that is now being employed by some corps. But you have to figure there's a reason they avoided the shoulder Euph. Aside from the Contra ailment of not being able to see anything on your left.

I believe they are legal as long as it's limited to 3 valves. Which makes it sort of not a Euph if you're planning on using it in it's concert configuration. Without the 4th valve, it's a little difficult to play the Holst Suite in F, and a couple other standard charts.

[Eddie]

They're quite popular in Japan with the younger elementary/junior high groups

[bigmyq]

Can someone post a picture of what they look like? I'm curious...