[Trombone-l] Going out on limb. Was: do you object to teachingeuph/baritone?

[Adrian Drover]

> From: Jon Brummel
> 
> - I would rather play Euphonium in a band ANY day over trombone -
> c'mon- you get Trumpet, Flute, and MELODY parts, and the rest of the
> time, you're a tuba up an octave- what's NOT to love?


Well, Jon, I'm not overjoyed about playing in octaves with the tuba on euph.
I think this is an outmoded idea stemming from the classical 'cello-bass
relationship in older scores.  In the band, if you feel the need to write
the bass line in octaves, a better solution is to divide the tubas into bass
and contra-bass.  Then there are other instruments in the band which are
much better suited to play the bass line such as bass 'bone, bass clarinet
and bassoon.   

When the euph is not soloing or doubling the melody or playing a
counter-melody line I would rather hear them divided to fill out the
mid-register harmonies.  The euph is a singing instrument, not one for
playing um-pahs.

Just my humble opinion of course, I hope you understand.

A.