Have you even heard of one?
Do you know what a euphonium is? Have you even heard of one? The answer for most people is no. The euphonium is not a very well known instrument, and only plays the melody in more advanced music. It is rare that you will find a euphonium player, because many types of bands do not have them. Steven Mead and David Childs are some of the best euphonium players in the world.
The melody
There are many songs in which the euphonium does play the melody. Rebecca Wellons, band teacher at Wayland middle school says, “Euphoniums can play beautiful soaring melodies.” However, in most music for younger and less experienced bands, it always gets stuck with the boring base part. Usually the trumpets, clarinets and flutes will have the melody in these songs.
The “cello” of the winds
Many people know that the cello often gets stuck with the low boring parts, but they can play very high, very low and in the middle. Euphoniums are sometimes referred to as the cello of the winds. They too can play very high, very low and in the middle. This is not to say that they don’t ever play the melody because they do.
The problem is that this only happens in more advanced music. That will likely cause younger, less experienced players to quit before they get to the stage where they do get more interesting parts.
You actually play one?
At the Wayland Middle School in 2014 there are only two euphonium players. In 2012 out of all the fourth graders in the district of Natick, only four played the euphonium and at least one quit. Many people may decide not to play the euphonium because you can’t take the case on the bus because it is so big. They also want an instrument that plays the melody more often, like a trumpet.
Sound
Above all things, the euphonium has a beautiful sound. Out of all the brass instruments, they can go the quietest. However that does not mean that they are not loud. Euphoniums can also be as loud as a trumpet. They are also the instrument with a sound closest to the human voice. Over all, euphoniums are often overlooked instruments with a beautiful sound.
