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Music Appreciation

  1. Is Euphonium a B-Flat or C Instrument?

    We euphonium players are certainly long suffering! It starts with the very name of our instrument - is it a baritone or a euphonium? (The preceding phrase is linked to an article where I address the question, for those who are confused.)

    Beyond that, many amateur and even some non-euphonium-playing professional players are not clear whether a euphonium is pitched in Bb or in C. Most publications that include euphonium parts, which may be called either "Euphonium" or "Baritone Horn," ...
  2. The Basics: Scales and Arpeggios

    Would you like to be able to sight read better? Would you like to be able to improve your technique? Would you like to relax more when playing music so you can focus on the music instead of the notes? Then keep reading!

    I have always emphasized that students and advanced players should be doing scales and arpeggios every day. You should know them well enough to incorporate them in your practice without needing music in front of you. That step may take a while, but it is not too difficult
    ...
  3. Taking Music Seriously - Or NOT

    In 1981 the great British euphoniumist Barrie Perrins sent me a letter with some interesting enclosures. One had to do with jokes. It was an article he wrote for the magazine The Musician and was titled "It's a Funny World."

    The last part of the article dealt with musical jokes, and it told one of my favorite stories. It's a favorite partly because it points out the ease with which some reviewers (and "regular" people) assume something is good just because it's new. Here is the section: ...
  4. The Euphonium Family - Baritone, Euphonium, Double-Bell Euphonium

    There has been so much confusion for soooooo long about the difference between baritone and euphonium that I wrote a monograph a few decades ago, which later become this web page:

    http://www.dwerden.com/eu-articles-bareuph.cfm

    I think it helped many to understand the technical differences. But there is nothing like seeing and hearing the different horns in action, so I recently recorded on video the same song, played in the same room, recorded on the same equipment, played ...
  5. U.S. Marine Band Sousa Concerts - Michael Colburn, Director

    Here is a video narrated by Col. Michael Colburn, director of The United States Marine Band ("The President's Own"). He explains a little about the annual Sousa concert they do and also give some very interesting history of John Philip Sousa. Col. Colburn is formerly the euphonium soloist with the Marine Band.

    http://www.dwerden.com/music-videos/...s.cfm?vid=1943
  6. A New Look at The Music Man

    I have been "studying" one of my favorite movies lately -- The Music Man. "Why do I like it?" you might ask. First, it is set in my home state of Iowa. And of course it is the only musical I can think of that has a song with the word "euphonium" in it. But mostly I just like the music.


    I hope you are already familiar with the story. I cheating salesman goes from town to town in the Midwest selling things people don't need. So he creates a need. In ...
  7. Recordings - Don't Believe Everything Your Hear

    We all know that software can do amazing things with visual effects. Jurassic Park is a great example. There really aren't dinosaurs waiting at the casting department, right?


    Now we have software that can make an out-of-tune performer sound in tune! It even works in real time during live performances. And it can also produce some intentional "electronic" effects (now I know how Cher got that sound!) Is this a boon or a cheat? Watch the video below and decide:

    ...
  8. Music Appreciation 101:8 - It's Not the Horn. Whistlers.

    Subtitle: How Much Did You Spend on Your Instrument?

    The purpose of this chapter is to show that music must come from within you. Many players get so focused on the difficulties of playing their horn that they don't manage to get their musical feeling out the bell.

    We have already looked at the ocarina and harmonica, either of which can be obtained for very little money. Now let's look at a no-cost medium: whistling.

    There are some very high-level whistlers ...

    Updated 01-06-2019 at 08:21 AM by davewerden

    Categories
    Euphonium-Tuba Blog , Music Appreciation
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