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Thread: Role of euphonium in the Concert Band

  1. #1
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    Role of euphonium in the Concert Band

    Hello Everyone,

    Could I ask what is the role/roles played by the Euphonium within the Concert Band?

    Thanks,

    Leon

  2. #2
    It depends on the band and the composer. The rules suffer a bit between brass band and concert (or "wind") band.

    Basically it plays a strong melodic role. It also can be used well in a counter-melodic role, although that is often overlooked by American composers today. It serves well as a tenor tuba voice.

    Any particular reason for asking?
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
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  3. #3
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    Well...the reason why I was asking that question was because I'm still kind of confused on how the Euphonium is called the "cello" of the band.

  4. #4
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    I've never hear it called that, but then I don't get around much where people would say things like that. But it makes a kind of sense.

    If you look at the spectrum in an orchestral string section, you've got: double bass (bass), cello (baritone-ish), viola (tenor-ish), and violin (soprano). One way to look at their surrogates in a band (if you're just looking at brass) is: tuba, bass trombone/euphonium, French horn/baritone/tenor trombone, and trumpet/flugelhorn/cornet.

    This is certainly arguable since the range of the euphonium overlaps the bass, baritone, and tenor ranges (and possibly the soprano as well). Nonetheless, it's not unreasonable to see it positioned in a band in roughtly the same way that a cello is positioned in an orchestra. Actually, if you lacked French horns, euphoniums could be used on at least a lot of those parts; and if you lacked trombones and bass trombones, euphoniums could be used to cover those parts; and in fact, it's quite possible to cover most tuba parts on a compensating euphonium. Of course, a euphonium won't sound a lot like a French horn, a trombone, or a tuba. But -- depending on the range involved, it can be a reasonable approximation.

    You could, of course, argue that the baritone saxophone is the cello of the band. But I think that too many people would laugh.
    Last edited by ghmerrill; 08-16-2015 at 10:30 PM.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Leon Chen View Post
    Well...the reason why I was asking that question was because I'm still kind of confused on how the Euphonium is called the "cello" of the band.
    That's a slightly different question, but the answers are largely the same. And that is a phrase often used for the euphonium.

    The roles I described above could also be said of the cello to some extent. It can add a top octave to the double bass, it can be used to good effect in counter melodies, and of course it is often used in melodies.

    In a concert band the bassoon might serve some of these same roles, but there are bassoons in orchestra too. So one could argue that the original composer (if you are playing a transcription of an orchestra piece) passed up bassoon and used cello, therefore it might make the most sense to pass up the bassoon in band for the same lines and use euphonium.

    There is a nice relationship between euphonium and cello. We often study their literature, like the Bach cello suites. In older band transcriptions we often follow the cello part very closely. For those, and a few other reasons, I spent a semester of my masters program studying with the cello professor. It was one of the best and most enlightening experiences I've had in music study!
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
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  6. #6
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    I've heard the phrase 'cello voice' in a band when describing the euphonium. In that context I would say the euphonium is the "tenor soloist" of the band. Beyond that the euphonium has a supporting role as described above in helping the tubas an octave higher, the horn section (same octave) and sometimes the trumpets an octave lower. If the euphonium is missing you might not know exactly what is missing but know that something IS missing in the ensemble's sound.

    The the cello voice comment reminds me of what my teacher/mentor Fred Dart told me years ago. He said that when he played in the Air Force Band in the '50s, that then commander colonel Howard added a cello to the band. Fred said he hated that because the cellos stole all the good solos.
    Rick Floyd
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by davewerden View Post
    ... it might make the most sense to pass up the bassoon in band for the same lines and use euphonium.
    It would also make sense to do this if you actually want that line to be heard. In a lot band contexts, the dynamic level is sufficiently high that a bassoon will be buried (or at least obscured) by it. In my experience in community bands, you can count on there being one or maybe two bassoons (over approximately 45 years of playing in community bands, I can't seem to recall a single one that sported three or more bassoons). But there are anywhere from one to ??? (8 or so? It happens.) euphoniums/(American) baritones. And a single euphonium is capable of a controlled and in-tune dynamic level that will bury a roomful of bassoons.

    I think it might reasonably be said that the bassoon is the cello of the woodwind section, though it and the bass clarinet are also the bass of the woodwind section (absent a contra-bassoon, which almost no one short of the military concert bands has). There's no substitute for the bassoon (I raised a bassoon player -- and a clarinet player, and a flute player -- what was I doing?), but it needs a certain level of sanity in which to perform and be heard.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  8. #8
    Gary,

    See these search results for "the cello of the band" - it's a pretty good overview of the stickiness of the term.

    https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...0the%20band%22

    I mention it in my Masters paper as well, including a reference to Cliff Bevan's book "The Tuba Family" using the same term:

    http://www.dwerden.com/forum/content...y-David-Werden
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
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    Facebook: davewerden
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  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by RickF View Post
    The the cello voice comment reminds me of what my teacher/mentor Fred Dart told me years ago. He said that when he played in the Air Force Band in the '50s, that then commander colonel Howard added a cello to the band. Fred said he hated that because the cellos stole all the good solos.
    I have it on good authority that in the USAF Band days, Brian Bowman harassed the 2 cellists by giving them tee-shirts with this imprint (as best I recall):

    W.E.S.A.
    Wooden Euphonium Society of America
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  10. #10
    A good master's thesis might be to discuss the evolving role of the euphonium in contemporary American wind band music. Over the last few years I have played a generous handful of contemporary grade 5-6 works in wind ensemble. Unfortunately, I think many of the composers only see the euph as a tenor tuba, because they study orchestral composition and really only understand the orchestral brass. Some of the most effective and interesting parts have been in playing as a fifth French horn part or doubling the solo horn or first trumpet on the octave. Here and there the euph is given a prominent solo or counter-melodic line, but not to the extent of earlier band music. These composers tend to do a lot of contrasting woodwind choir against brass choir, whole band rhythmic stuff, and largely see the euph as a high tuba. It seems a little different in English wind band music, where the euph is used more prominently and in more traditional ways.

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