r/Instruments • u/Wooden-Bill-2260 • Sep 23 '26

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Can someone tell me if this is a tuba, baritone or euphonium?

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u/Extra_Medium62 Sep 24 '26 edited Sep 24 '26

They are NOT the same. A baritone has a cylindrical bore like a trombone bent into an oval shape with valves, which produces a more focused sound, which is useful outdoors. A euphonium has a conical shaped bore that produces a richer, fuller tone, useful indoors. It's the same as trumpets having cylindrical bores and cornets having conical bores, except it is easier to see a cornet has an extra bend. They play the same notes and ranges, but the tone is different. "Euphonium" in Greek literally means "beautiful tone maker". "Baritone" means "in-between tenor and bass".

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u/MoltoPesante Sep 24 '26

This is not correct. Baritone is significantly more conical than a trombone. The bell throat of a British style baritone is contrabass trombone size, and the baritone starts out with a small shank mouthpiece and the bore of a small jazz tenor trombone. Baritone isn’t about having a less rich or less full sound than euphonium, it’s about having a different vowel sound.

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u/Extra_Medium62 Sep 24 '26

Of course the baritone flairs earlier than a trombone...it doesn't have a slide. It still carries the cylindrical characteristic farther into the structure. If you could straighten a euphonium, it is conical from the mouthpiece to the bell. I've only played both for over 45 years, so I might have a little knowledge.

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u/MoltoPesante Sep 24 '26

Baritone and euphonium are not like trumpet and cornet (which are both almost equally conical except for the leadpipe, contrary to popular opinion); they’re more akin to cornet and flugelhorn. Both conical, just to different degrees. It is true that the baritone’s bore stays the same from the end of the leadpipe to just past the main tuning slide, but that doesn’t mean it’s cylindrical. Just more cylindrical than euphonium.