Brass Band Auditions and Audition Advice

[rgorscak]

If I get one, I also do not like to use alternating fingering. I have enough trouble with that on my Besson 2052 Euphonium (plus really having to adjust the trigger a lot for high notes). The Neo seems to be having best consistent reviews. The Wessex is definitely a lot less expensive. I will mull over it for a while to see if I want to get a baritone or not. It is not like I need one. It is just an expensive hobby

Thank you for your feedback.

[rgorscak]

would not having a 4th valve be a detriment?

[MichaelSchott]

would not having a 4th valve be a detriment?

I assume the Wessex compensating Baritone compensates for the sharp C and Cb concert pitches. A 4th valve on a compensating horn does the same but also allows the pedal octaves which are for the moot on brass band baritone parts. To sum up, the lack of the 4th valve and it’s connected compensating system should not be a detriment.

[rgorscak]

the thing is, every horn i look up is sold out, Wessex, Yamaha Neo, Besson 2056, and more. Must be a run on horns! Gives me time to concentrate on trying to play my 2052 in tune (a work in progress with a lot of drawbacks from time to time)!!!

[DaveBj]

The compensating 3-valve baritones are actually quite flat rather than sharp on the 1-3 and 1-2-3 combinations, a result of not being able to make the compensating tubing short enough. The notes are okay in fast passages, but for sustained notes I either had to lip it so far up that the tone suffered, or jam the main tuning slide in, which is what I wound up doing.

[rgorscak]

I know Dave Werden has a comparison chart for Euphoniums on intonation. Is there one somewhere for baritones?

[bbocaner]

I'm not aware of one, but the issue I have with Dave's euph chart is I believe he uses the most in tune alternate fingering for each note (although I can't find the reference on this, can someone correct me if I'm wrong?), I'd kind of like to see where things lie without doing that.

[davewerden]

I'm not aware of one, but the issue I have with Dave's euph chart is I believe he uses the most in tune alternate fingering for each note (although I can't find the reference on this, can someone correct me if I'm wrong?), I'd kind of like to see where things lie without doing that.

The only fingering choice I make while testing is whether to use 12 or 3 on the appropriate notes. But I don't consider that a true "alternate" fingering. If I remember correctly, the old B&H booklet on the Blaikley compensating system listed the sequence of fingerings as 0, 2, 1, 3, 23.

[bbocaner]

aha, gotcha. thanks for the clarification.