no excuses euphonium

[Alex C]

Okay euphonium players, no more excuses for not practicing. Finally are REAL travel euphonium for a moderate price. It's new so it may not be at your local retailer's store yet but Christmas is coming.

Follow the link and scroll down a bit for the hop arrangement of Saints played on this fabulous... thing.

https://www.nuvoinstrumental.com/products/jhorn/

[Mary Ann]

I think it is actually a fabulous idea for little kids. If it were in F instead of Bb I'd get one for a friend who is having trouble with high range on trumpet but would easily play the horn range; but he doesn't want to learn new fingerings.
I have to assume those were competent players....sounds like the thing has wide slots and of course a less able player would be even more blatty. But great for little kids.

[bloke]

flat 5th partial, but it does make a good loud noise.

[iiipopes]

I think it is actually a fabulous idea for little kids. If it were in F instead of Bb I'd get one for a friend who is having trouble with high range on trumpet but would easily play the horn range; but he doesn't want to learn new fingerings.
I have to assume those were competent players....sounds like the thing has wide slots and of course a less able player would be even more blatty. But great for little kids.

The school band directors I played under never switched a person from trumpet to french horn; instead they switched them to treble clef transposed notation euph/bari.

Hmm. The "C" set of slides for concert pitch might come in handy, especially in this season, so a player who plays treble clef notation doesn't have to transpose or have transposed for them concert pitch music, for example, piano, hymnals, etc., in a similar manner that trumpet players tend to use C trumpets for such rather than transposing for a Bb concert band instrument.

[tubanh84]

This appears to be a handy solution to an ever-present problem: A handy, portable third instrument to bring to auditions to play Bydlo if asked.

It's an appropriately serious response to a request to play Bydlo at an audition.

[bort2.0]

$130 on Amazon

[iiipopes]

I'm waiting on post-Christmas clearance.

[bloke]

This appears to be a handy solution to an ever-present problem: A handy, portable third instrument to bring to auditions to play Bydlo if asked.

It's an appropriately serious response to a request to play Bydlo at an audition.

yeah, darn it...That happens to me ALL the time...

[Mary Ann]

The school band directors I played under never switched a person from trumpet to french horn; instead they switched them to treble clef transposed notation euph/bari.

Oh I've heard him try to play trombone. He uses trumpet air, cannot be convinced to use more. Sounds just awful, phoo phoo phoo. He would actually, I think, be as good an amateur horn player as he is an amateur trumpet player, and better suited to the range; his trumpet pedals are quite good, including those that have no slot. He is actually considering it but being a thrifty fellow is looking for a single F in ... thrift stores and pawn shops, where he is talented at finding amazing deals.

[iiipopes]

The school band directors I played under never switched a person from trumpet to french horn; instead they switched them to treble clef transposed notation euph/bari.

Oh I've heard him try to play trombone. He uses trumpet air, cannot be convinced to use more. Sounds just awful, phoo phoo phoo. He would actually, I think, be as good an amateur horn player as he is an amateur trumpet player, and better suited to the range; his trumpet pedals are quite good, including those that have no slot. He is actually considering it but being a thrifty fellow is looking for a single F in ... thrift stores and pawn shops, where he is talented at finding amazing deals.

I appreciate your setting forth the broader context. He might be able to do either/or. The horn embouchure is different from other brass embouchures, especially if you are a proponent of the Farkas school. But also: tell him to be very, very careful about a used horn. Since french horns usually do not have water keys, water can collect and cause corrosion from the interior decimating the long lead pipe of a horn, and to replace it could be economically impractical depending on the overall resale value of the single horn. Moreover, most single horns are now considered "student" horns, and do not have much resale. This, compounded by them being prone to corrosion, makes purchasing a used horn that does not have any provenance (whether the prior owner being able to demonstrate maintenance, or having been gone over by a reputable shop) difficult at best, especially since both of these details will have the effect of raising the price for any particular horn. I still recommend a baritone or euphonium as a first place to go after trumpet.

[Mary Ann]

You may not know that I am primarily a horn player; and I have found for myself, that a mature embouchure can get the characteristic sound out of any brass. The difference is the width of the vibrating aperture. Trumpet and horn are pretty close. I personally found the difference in the use of air to be more problematic, mostly between euph and horn. Tuba is SO different that I had no trouble switching between; I have no high range on trumpet but sound just fine on the range I do have.

He would not get a horn without having me evaluate it first. I play on an E Schmid double with a Lawson ambronze bell. He also is quire reasonably competent in evaluating brass, currently playing on a Yamaha Xeno cornet.

[tubanh84]

This appears to be a handy solution to an ever-present problem: A handy, portable third instrument to bring to auditions to play Bydlo if asked.

It's an appropriately serious response to a request to play Bydlo at an audition.

yeah, darn it...That happens to me ALL the time...

Has this ever happened to you?

Cut to black and white video of a conductor asking for Bydlo and bloke putting his hands up in exasperation.

WELL NOT ANYMORE!

[bloke]

Quite a few years ago, I was in the finals at Winnipeg.
I wasn’t (absolutely not al all) interested in moving there, but had airline points (remember those things?) that would disappear if I didn’t use them for something, and that little audition was happening. I was genuinely concerned that I was in the final round, because I knew I would not accept the job, and I did not wish to annoy the committee nor the music director by turning the job down.
The music director - a euphonium player (I was told later), asked for the Pictures passage in the final round. I played it very well on my F tuba (a particular instrument which makes most any player sound better than they are). I got a nice wink and smile from some of the committee members. The music director picked someone who brought their euphonium with them. It worked out fine, because he really wanted the job and accepted it, and I absolutely did not want the job, and would not have accepted it. Hearing the intonation and resonance characteristics of that plastic thing (about the size of an English baritone, but with horrible tuning), I would - without question - still play that excerpt on my F tuba, if that thing was the only other instrument at hand…even - and particularly - if the music director was a euphonium player.
Previously, I thought you were joking… and I still really believe that you are (trolling)…
…but this post was just in case you were actually serious and were not trolling.

This appears to be a handy solution to an ever-present problem: A handy, portable third instrument to bring to auditions to play Bydlo if asked.

It's an appropriately serious response to a request to play Bydlo at an audition.

yeah, darn it...That happens to me ALL the time...

Has this ever happened to you?

Cut to black and white video of a conductor asking for Bydlo and bloke putting his hands up in exasperation.

WELL NOT ANYMORE!

[tubanh84]

Previously, I thought you were joking… and I still really believe that you are (trolling)…
…but this post was just in case you were actually serious and were not trolling.

yeah, darn it...That happens to me ALL the time...

Has this ever happened to you?

Cut to black and white video of a conductor asking for Bydlo and bloke putting his hands up in exasperation.

WELL NOT ANYMORE!

Me? What? Troll? I don’t even know what that means.

[Three Valves]

You can't troll a troll!!

Or can you??



When bloke started out his story with "I was in the finals at Winnipeg" I though to myself, he plays hockey??

[tubanh84]

When bloke started out his story with "I was in the finals at Winnipeg" I though to myself, he plays hockey??

Not if he's in the finals in Winnipeg he doesn't...

[bloke]

Me? What? Troll? I don’t even know what that means.

I was pretty sure that you did not.

If you are ever interested in trying it, I’ve discovered that simply telling factual stories - in a “deadpan“ tone - is one of the best ways to troll other people (people who are not particularly good at trolling, but try hard).

[prairieboy1]

When bloke started out his story with "I was in the finals at Winnipeg" I though to myself, he plays hockey??

Not if he's in the finals in Winnipeg he doesn't...

Lol! My laugh for the day!! Now, who would not like to live in Winterpeg? Many people, including myself!!

[Mary Ann]

The only thing I had heard up to now about Winnipeg was from my friend who played horn for the traveling Phantom show. He HATED Winnipeg and was happy to get out of there and never go back.

[bloke]

When I was there, I was thinking, “My God. Could you imagine all this in 3 feet of snow, and with $.75 dollars?”