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Use the same mouthpiece for both, then divide your practice as per which you perform on more.

I, too, play both trombone and euphonium. My situation is most probably very different than yours. I played trombone for 15 years before I ever touched a euphonium. Only when I changed my major (during my senior year) to music did I start playing euphonium. Most of my performance monies come from playing trombone... but most of my performance challenges come from playing euphonium. I play trombone in a professional big band, a jazz combo, a brass quintet and a community band. I do have to figure out how to play Dorsey solos to get that silky smooth effect and work out improvised solos, but most of the music is not that difficult. I play euphonium in a professional level wind ensemble and in a gigging quartet. I practice for these groups, a lot. I also have to practice baritone for the brass band I perform with. Fortunately I love to practice euphonium, not so much trombone.

I have the perfect solution to your problem. Run the trombone over with your car, then hang the flat trombone on your wall and never..., ever..., share your euphonium time with the devils instrument again.

Then, buy a Conn 20J or some other BAT and attempt to play your euphonium solos on it. After about two months, the euphonium will seem like a trumpet. And best of all, most of your euphonium phrase and breath control problems will have gone away. That's cause tuba rules!!!

Love this response...

b.williams wrote:I have the perfect solution to your problem. Run the trombone over with your car, then hang the flat trombone on your wall and never..., ever..., share your euphonium time with the devils instrument again.

I've recently compounded my problems with "which axe am I gonna practice today?" by buying a tuba.

I've played euph for decades and trombone even longer. Bass trombone is a recent addition to my playing opportunities as well.

Bloke, as usual, affords one viewpoint in addressing the question. I'd say, however, that both euph and trombone have their idiosyncracies and to explore each instrument to their full depth takes decades. It can be argued that euph, being a relatively new instrument to the brass world, is being explored more and more each day and that the true experts on the instrument (not me, btw), continually expand the capability of the instrument.

While the trombone's slide adds a physical element that is disproportionate to that of the euph (moving one's arm versus fingers), those who work on euph technique
understand all too well the hand cramping that goes on. This might be much like a trombonist who realizes that after awhile, his arm's about ready to fall off. Exploring the higher tessitura on trombone makes things slightly easier because of all the slide position choices that are available, but the fact is playing high like that takes chops, focused air, and a great ear in lieu of arm dexterity. I'd suggest that the same issue confronts the euphoniumist.

For me, I tend to concentrate my practice on the horn that I'm weakest on. Currently, that's tuba. I can't afford to forget about the other horns, but there's only so many hours in the day...

IIRC, please note that Brian Bowman got his DMA on trombone, not euphonium. I'd be curious as to his thoughts on this issue, but I ain't gonna pay him to prognosticate!

Eupher6 mentioning Brian Bowman got my typin fingers itchin. I am accepting as true the statement that Brian got his DMA on trombone (I don't KNOW this though.) and that does sound very likely as back in the 60s-70s a lot of schools regarded Euphonium as a "secondary" instrument and just did not offer performance degrees on euphonium. I think Brian's prowess might have had something to do with that situation changing. I remember a couple solo passages at all state (Illinois) in 63 where Brian really stole the show with not just technique but in particular with his sound. Many people had just never heard a true 'euphonium" sound before. Conn and Olds baritones were the go at that time. Boy, did the Besson dealer have a good time with people suddenly wanting a new besson euphonium in their band!! I could even get a better sound from it than most baritone players did from their instruments.
I knew Brian when he was in high school and we often met at contests, all-district and all-state band settings. We also were both at NMC Interlochen in 63 & 64. Except for 1 occassion at Interlochen, I can not recall anybody ever "beating" Brian on euphonium. Trombone was a different matter. Brian was certainly more than capable on bone but there were other players with better technique and sounds though pure musicianship was probably his patch on either instrument. Brian mainly loved euph better than bone and it was what he decided he would excel on and the rest is history.

To the mouthpiece matter. I strongly agree with Jake that where practical it is best to use mouthpieces with the same rim sze and contour and vary the other parts to suit varying instruments, desired output, etc. In that way you are not interfering with tissue development in the embouchure. He would also suggest that if one were doubling and had to use different rim sizes it was better to have them as different as possible, ie tuba / trumpet double would be better than using one size for contra tuba and a smaller one for bass. Of course he also pointed out that mouthpieces are a lot cheaper than tubas and a big tuba could be made to sound like a smaller one with a change of mp and the change would buy a lot of beer.
How to divide practice time, well, I think that largely depends on which needs the most work to help you reach and maintain the standard you want/need for the playing you are doing be it pleasure or paid performing. I had a period when I made most of my income on bass trombone so that was where I spent the most practice time because it was not my stronger area.

I think the question of which is the more demanding instrument has been pretty well answered already and if one wanted to be equally proficient on both the trombone would most likely require more time. Blokes mention about tuning is certainly valid - face it trombone has a far wider scope for fine tuning without distorting tone.

In the end it is for the player to decide which, if either, is to be the "home base" instrument and allocate practice accordingly keeping in mind that there are far more paying opportunities for a good trombonist than there are for an exceptional euphoniumist,

Ken Herrick wrote:Eupher6 mentioning Brian Bowman got my typin fingers itchin. I am accepting as true the statement that Brian got his DMA on trombone (I don't KNOW this though.) and that does sound very likely as back in the 60s-70s a lot of schools regarded Euphonium as a "secondary" instrument and just did not offer performance degrees on euphonium.

I remember reading about Dr. Bowman's DMA on trombone a couple years ago. I did a search to try and confirm what I had read, but was unable to source it. If I'm wrong about that, I'll be happy to recant my statement.

My own story about Dr. Bowman isn't nearly as personal or complete as yours, Ken. I played the Chicago TubaChristmas in 1998. After the introductions of the principals, including Dr. Phillips and Frederick Fennel, Dr. Bowman came out and sat next to me. Instead of chatting with me, though, he did the right thing and talked to a youngster sitting on his other side. I did manage to get his autograph, though!

I did not mean to sound as if I am in any way questioning Eupher6's statement that Brian did his DMA on trombone, simply saying that I don't have first hand knowledge on that point. No offence taken here and none intended.
I don't want to be starting a flaming war as has happened at times here.

I guess the way to get 'the authoritative answer' would be to see if Brian himself would care to write something. His views on this whole topic - a good one in my view - could make for some very good, helpful reading. I should imagine there would be somebody here who is in direct contact with him, possibly a current student, who could directly ask him to do something for us. I would suspect he would be a member even. If he isn't we should try to encourage him to join. In the meantime possibly he would write something which somebody else could post on his behalf if he is not a member.

I'm not wanting to hijack this thread but, reading it along with some other posts, particularly some from Elephant, Rick Denney, and Bloke et al, I feel we should be reaching out more to people like Brian to tap the wealth of helpful information persons such as he could provide.
In the past, when I was working with Prof Roger Woodward toward establishing a top class academy of music here in Australia, I found Brian to be quite forthcoming in offering any assistance he could give.

Having mentioned Roger, an exceptional pianist/musician/humanitarian, I suspect that if he were to be approached in the right way, he would be very supportive of the tuba and euphonium community, I haven't been in touch with him for some time but I believe he is still chair of the fine arts department at San Francisco State University. A good project for any SFSU students who might be members here.

I see Bloke has posted a reply while I have been writing this bit:

As I am sure you (Bloke) have said; if it works for you - do it! Even what the greats like Jake and Harvey have said must be taken as guidance first or, put another way, gather up all the tools you can to have in your bag of tricks and use the one which works for you when needed. What you have said here is true - thank goodness!!!!!!!