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The Baritone horn is a traditional instrument of the brass band, being a brass instrument with piston valves that function in the same fashion as a trumpet. By altering the length of the tube in which the sound is resonating, a sound that is created by the vibration of the players lips, the horn makes its noise and plays its song. Pitched in B flat, one octave below the trumpet, it is a suitable companion to trumpet playing musicians, providing a good accompaniment that is in harmony and of a similar timbre to the sound emanating from the trumpet.

Baritone is not a Euphonium:

Care should be taken to avoid confusing the Baritone Horn with the Euphonium, for though similar in appearance (I may have even mixed up some of the photos ) they are not the same. The Baritone horn is smaller, and wraps its coils more tightly to produce a higher pitched sound that is quite brassy and clean. The euphonium is opposite, being closer in sound to the Tuba, with a presence that is bass and full.

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When Played:

The Baritone has had a recognizable and significant presence within Brass band music in the Continental United States for more than a hundred years. The Baritone provides a resonant fullness at the lower ends of the musical range, enhancing trumpet pieces and making the lower pitched Tuba or Euphonium more audible. Marching bands, high school football bands and military brass bands are all commonplace users of the Baritone Horn.

How to Play:

To play the Baritone is reasonably simple, involving breathing through the specially engineered mouthpiece that connects to the elongated and carefully shaped tube. Being pitched in B flat means that when the instrument is played without any of the piston valves being pressed, it will produce notes that are either B flat or harmonic relations of. Understanding the principles of physics that result in the production of sound within the tube is extremely useful when playing a brass type instrument such as the Baritone, and also has excellent applications when other areas of musical interest are considered.

Support Instrument:

Being an instrument that is more commonly used as a support instrument for lead Trumpet or Trombone players there is not such an array of solo pieces or compositions that are tailored to the Baritone. Its similarity to the construction of the Euphonium, with a nine foot tube and very proximate pitching allows the Baritone to be used as an effective replacement for the Euphonium in Brass bands.

Care of Instrument:

When looking after the Baritone, make sure that it is well oiled with the correct oiled, and regularly polished to keep the mechanical components in good working order. A shiny baritone horn looks great on stage, or in parade display. Take care if unscrewing the valves to look at the pistons, because if it is an inferior instrument, the threads may not realign, and you won't be able to put it back together. This is a feature common to low quality Indian and Chinese made instruments. Not to say that India and China don't produce quality too.