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Euphoniums and Baritones


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I know when I was marching (a little bit "back in the day") a lot of corps had their leads play bari and 2nd and 3rd parts play euph.

OK, I'm an old fart, but in '81, Crossmen marched 12-14 baris and 4 euphs. On some charts, lower voices were in 4 parts and the euphs played their own line. For others, we played in three parts and the euphs split depending on field position.

I've noticed that the euph is utilized much more in today's brass lines. I hope the newer models are easier to carry. The one I played (I think it was a King) was heavy and awkward, but had an amazing sound!

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When I first marched horn for impulse in 01, I played euph. We had Kanstul euphs and they were beasts!! I got used to carrying them, which took a while but then they moved me to 3rd bari, so I marched a baritone that year. I believe we had like 12 baritones and 4 euphoniums thats year and I also remember that the upper leads, 3 of them, had King Two Valve horns lol...

there was definitely diversity amongst the instruments. After that year, I agreed never to hold a horn again lol so I played snare drum and still marched corps ;)

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Anyway you cut the mustard, (strictly from a drum corps perspective) it all comes down to POWER! You can play at the low end of the baritone register on a bari, but you can't play too loud, or the air will get trapped in the cyliderical tubing and it'll sound like a bullfrog, because too much air is being forced through it at the same time and it doesn't have enough room to accomodate it. With a ueph's conical tubing you can "punch" out the air at the low end, and it comes out clean at the bell. That's why (as I recall) DC's brass instuctors went crazy for the instument back in the early 70's. I believe that the word Euphonium is of Greek extraction meaning "beautiful sound". In some parts of the world it's thought of as an instument in a class all it's own, but in North America it's generally regarded as being part of the baritone family. Not sure if that's totally accurate, but what the heck....not bad for a dumb perc guy. :)

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I know when I was marching (a little bit "back in the day") a lot of corps had their leads play bari and 2nd and 3rd parts play euph.

At Regiment our lines were mixed, whoever could carry the euph got stuck with one.

In 89 we had either 6 or 7 girls spread throughout the line so they got baris and I think all the leads got baris, only 5 or 6 of us marched euph if I recall correctly.

Hey Mark, Spam and I played euphoniums in 89, and I think the total was 6 in the line.

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That is the way the Star lines were layed out as well. The King G Euphs were glorious sonorous beasts. Clearly longer and more spread out then the pea-shooter baritones. Not for the weak of back or spirit.

The only problem with the King G euphs were the crappy big ### valves...I got carple tunnel from those stupid things...no joke

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PR marched 23 Euphs in 2003

So that's why "The Lords Prayer" is freaking unbelievable!!!!!

Edit: someone correct me if it is the lords supper, I don't remember and am too lazy to find out :P

Edited by triplefunk
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