First instrument

[Philip Jensen]

Our family rule was if you wanted to play an instrument you had to take piano lessons first. Did two years of that and hated it (maybe with a different teacher I'd have like it more) Started trumpet on my own the summer before 5th grade. Playing piano and starting a couple months before most kids put me at the top.

In 7th grade I was sitting 1st chair when the director asked if someone wanted to play tuba (Eb). I jumped at the chance, though the director tried to discourage me. Thankfully he gave up easily, which also was good because my headstart lead was diminishing. I didn't care for the competition

Switch to Bb (Olds 99) in the summer between 9th and 10th grades. I don't recall struggling at all with the change. (Can't say the same for relearning Eb a couple years ago)

Skip over another 20 years and I finally had my first real tuba lesson a couple years ago and now have a small stable of horns.

[Mark E. Chachich]

In fourth grade I selected tuba as my first choice. However, someone else was using the school tuba, so I was a baritone player (in my opinion that was very good for my future tuba playing). In eighth grade I switched to tuba (no one was playing tuba at my school) and started learning string bass.

Mark

[GC]

I started near the end of my 9th grade year on tuba. Before leaving high school, I became fairly proficient on trombone and baritone, and majoring in music ed. required me to become reasonably decent on other brass and woodwinds (although I am possibly the worst trumpet player in existence). I knew that life in a small town would not allow me to make much money on tuba, so I learned bass guitar while in college, and it is now my main instrument. Tuba for fun, bass for profit.

[vmi5198]

My musical upbringing, before I decided to persue a music degree, was entirely through the Salvation Army. I originally started on Cornet at 7, as all kids did at that age. At 12 I was asked if I wanted to try Tuba in the junior SA band, and I immediately thought of my Dad who plays in the senior SA band. I jumped at the chance to play the same instrument that my Dad plays! I immediately started to enjoy it more than the Cornet, and soon found my own fascination for it.

It has been quite a musical journey so far, and I am now in Japan persuing more musical opportunities. I look forward to more great experiences with this great instrument in the future!

[JayW]

I like to think I came from the "typical" progression.... 1st I played trumpet, then Euphonium and eventually when I got to High School switched to tuba. I like to think of it as musical Evolution.....trumpet = single cell organism, euph = multi cell organism, and finally the highest level of evolution the Tuba = some alien species that is way more evolved than any human.

[Captain Sousie]

I started with the piano at age 6 then clarinet in junior high. Saw the light for low brass and went to the baritone. Then I saw Mecca and switched to tuba and I have never looked back.

Sousie

[tubapress]

I've been wanting to ask all of you if the tuba was your first instrument or if you began on something else, then for one reason or another switched to tuba?

Think back to your days in elementary or grade school when you had to pick your first instrument.

For me, the tuba has been my first and only instrument. So you might consider me as a purist. However, down the road I might try the string bass or even the electric one. I like instruments that produce a low sound.

So take this poll and offer any stories.

Hank74

I actually started on violin in 3rd grade and loved it. I had an awesome private teacher that sadly moved away to Houston. I tried 3 diffrent teachers, but found myself getting frustrated, bored and losing interest.

My Jr. High band director caught me at a party just after my 8th grade year and talked me into trying tuba. 24 yrs later.......

[ThomasDodd]

Paino so far back I don't remember. after a year, I gave up because I couldn't get two lines at once, and my finger are shortr (causing guitar to be a problem too).

6th grade band started, and I pick trombone. Tuba wan't an option anyway. Had trouble with slide positions and learned my mother had played baritone which had valves. 9th grade I marched triombone in the fall, but tried to switch to baritone that spring. Director wouldn't allow it, but offered tuba. Finished high school on tuba. Somewhere in ther I got into rock and tried guitar. I even played bass in Jazz band. But wasn't very good. College was more tuba, with a few attempts at trombone in jazz band there. 15 years later, tuba is still the only instrument I'm respectable with.

I recently started teaching my son trumpet/bugle since the tuba is too big for him, he can get credit for bugle in the Boy Scouts, and he's not touching my trombone (slide + 10 year old = lot's of repair dollars). I was working on the trumpet to teach him and learned about http://www.buglesacrossamerica.org. remembering the trouble we had getting an honor guard for my father, along with my military service, I think it's the right thing to do. Tuba and trombone aren't appropriate though.

[dtemp]

We had instrument picking day in 6th grade. All the vendors from around the area would come in with different instruments and the band directors would have you play them and pick which one you like. My mother said I sounded very nice on the oboe. I told her it sounded like a dying duck. I wanted to play the tuba. My band director was worried that it would fall on me and literally kill me. Keep in mind that I was about 4'9" and weighed 68 lbs. in the 6th grade. Thats the whole story, I've been playing tuba ever since. I dink around with guitar, bass, piano, and do a lot of electronic music, but the tuba is still my baby. I don't plan on switching.

[Chuck(G)]

Paino so far back I don't remember.

"Paino"...

That about sums up what I must have sounded like when I started tickling the ivories at age 6. Although not nearly as painful as my older brother who was trying to make a violin sound like something other than an instrument of torture...

[hurricane_harry]

highams, forgive my ignorance... but would you please explain the difference between euphonium and baritone?

ephoniums tend to have wider bores than baritones. a baritone tapers like a cornet and a euphonium tapers like a flugle horn. a euphonium tends to have a warmer sound, and can vary with the amount of valves. ussually from 3-5 (although i have seen 6 valves). a baritone tends to ussually have three valves and have a sound more resembling a trombone.

guitar age 6
string bass age 8
trumpet age 12
tuba/euphonium age 14
tuba/euphonium/bass trombone age 16

[Rick Denney]

ephoniums tend to have wider bores than baritones. a baritone tapers like a cornet and a euphonium tapers like a flugle horn. a euphonium tends to have a warmer sound, and can vary with the amount of valves. ussually from 3-5 (although i have seen 6 valves). a baritone tends to ussually have three valves and have a sound more resembling a trombone.

Since you are from Connecticut, I'll ask you this:

Is the following instrument a baritone (by the traditional U.S. definition) or a euphonium?



Answer: A baritone, but only because that's what people call it. It looks, sounds, and plays like an older, smaller-bored euphonium, and it has four valves. (It's a 1937 Reynolds.)

If baritones are a different species from euphoniums, then piston and rotary tubas must be a different genus. Too many kids, when given instruments that don't have this feature or that feature, are made to feel as though their instrument is incapable of making music because it is called a baritone and not a euphonium, when the differences (at least in the U.S.) are more nomenclature than substance.

Rick "reserving the different species designation only for the British baritone" Denney

[hurricane_harry]

ephoniums tend to have wider bores than baritones. a baritone tapers like a cornet and a euphonium tapers like a flugle horn. a euphonium tends to have a warmer sound, and can vary with the amount of valves. ussually from 3-5 (although i have seen 6 valves). a baritone tends to ussually have three valves and have a sound more resembling a trombone.

Since you are from Connecticut, I'll ask you this:

Is the following instrument a baritone (by the traditional U.S. definition) or a euphonium?



Answer: A baritone, but only because that's what people call it. It looks, sounds, and plays like an older, smaller-bored euphonium, and it has four valves. (It's a 1937 Reynolds.)

If baritones are a different species from euphoniums, then piston and rotary tubas must be a different genus. Too many kids, when given instruments that don't have this feature or that feature, are made to feel as though their instrument is incapable of making music because it is called a baritone and not a euphonium, when the differences (at least in the U.S.) are more nomenclature than substance.

Rick "reserving the different species designation only for the British baritone" Denney

then is a blue devils euphonium player a blue devils baritone player cause he calls his horn a baritone?

[ThomasDodd]

Is the following instrument a baritone (by the traditional U.S. definition) or a euphonium?

Answer: A baritone, but only because that's what people call it. It looks, sounds, and plays like an older, smaller-bored euphonium, and it has four valves. (It's a 1937 Reynolds.)

I'd call it a baritone, because of the taper. It looks slower than what I'm used to seeing called euphonium. What I've seen called euphoniums have a steeper flare on the outer and bottom bow.

But maybe it's just my imagination.

I want what is called a marching trombone, but wrapper like a baritopme/euphonium, bell from, and with side valves. What would that be?

[Chuck(G)]

Bartione:



Euphonium:



Obviously, a baritone is played sideways...

[Rick Denney]

I'd call it a baritone, because of the taper. It looks slower than what I'm used to seeing called euphonium. What I've seen called euphoniums have a steeper flare on the outer and bottom bow.

But maybe it's just my imagination.

I want what is called a marching trombone, but wrapper like a baritopme/euphonium, bell from, and with side valves. What would that be?

It probably is your imagination, or the lack of anything to compare it with in the picture. It is perhaps a bit narrower of taper than my Besson euphonium, but not really by much. The bell is a bit smaller (10.5 vs. 11), and the bore likewise (.56 instead of .58"). But the two instruments are much more alike than, say, a jazz tenor trombone with a half-inch bore and an 8" and a symphonic tenor trombone with a .525 bore and a 9" bell. Put it next to a King euphonium, and it would look the same. It looks narrower than the Besson because the top bow curves away from the bell lower than on the Besson. This is also why a Miraphone tuba looks narrower than, say, a King 2341, which actually it has a wider throat.

People who played instruments like that Reynolds played the same parts as are now played by people playing Willson 2950's. And after the Reynolds was made, many who played those parts used Conn Connstellation baritone horns that had a slightly smaller bore than does that Reynolds.

Compare that with an English baritone, with its .5" bore and its 8" bell, and the difference is vast compared to the minor variations between euphoniums.

As to which marching instrument is what, I don't know. I played an instrument called a marching trombone, made by King, about a year ago. It had a trumpet bore and an 8" bell. It was nothing like any American-style baritone horn I've ever seen or played.

Rick "who thinks the instruments define the words, not the other way around" Denney

[ThomasDodd]

Compare that with an English baritone, with its .5" bore and its 8" bell, and the difference is vast compared to the minor variations between euphoniums.

If that has side valves and is bell front, just add a tromone/trumpet taper (mostly cylindrical) and I'll be happy. I think that should be a baritone.

As to which marching instrument is what, I don't know. I played an instrument called a marching trombone, made by King, about a year ago. It had a trumpet bore and an 8" bell. It was nothing like any American-style baritone horn I've ever seen or played.

I believe that's still called a marching trombone(about 0.5" bore), while baritone/euphoniums have a cornet/tuba like bore shape. Marching trombone since it doesn't stik out in fromt and is bell front. Valve trombones still stick out in the front and look more like a trombone.

[Rick Denney]

If that has side valves and is bell front, just add a tromone/trumpet taper (mostly cylindrical) and I'll be happy. I think that should be a baritone.

You might want to measure some tapers before you make the distinctions you are making. For example the cornet is no more conical than the trumpet, at least not the ones I've seen. It's wrapped a bit differently, but I think it gets its mellower tone from a narrower bore. And that Conn baritone with the bell front and the side valves has a taper design a lot more like any euphonium than any trombone. Again, compare it to a British-style baritone and you'll see the huge difference.

Trombones used to be pea-shooters, too. But when the bore got larger, we didn't give them a new name and assign a qualitative value difference to them.

Rick "who will take a picture of the Reynolds and the Besson side by side at first opportunity" Denney

[Tubatoad]

Started on trumpet, as we had one in the family (no rent! ) and the small mouthpiece was supposed to push my teeth back into line without braces ( ). After a year either the music nor the improvised orthodonture worked, so then to euphonium for a year (better music, useless for orthodonture ), and then to trombone for 35 years. Finally to the horn I really wanted to play from the start - Tuba!

[ThomasDodd]

Trombones used to be pea-shooters, too. But when the bore got larger, we didn't give them a new name and assign a qualitative value difference to them.

I was talking about the marching trombone, but wrapped differently. It has a very different taper than a euphonium (marching vesions). As to bore, I'm thinking a bore like my Olds Studio model. It's listed as 0.485/0.500 w/ 7.5" bell, not the 0.550+ bore of a symphonic horn or euphonium. Personally I don't like the sound of the big bore horns.

The O-21 was the marching trombone from Olds and it had a 0.500 bore, as did the O-20 valve trombone. Now, if I took either of those horns and wrapped it like a bell front euphonium/baritone, would that be closer to a euphonium or a British baritione?