Euphonium Euphonium The euphonium is a large, conical-bore, baritone-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word "euphōnos", meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( "eu" means "well" or "good" and "phōnē" means "sound", hence "of good sound"). The euphonium is a valved instrument. Nearly all current models have piston valves, though models with rotary valves do exist. The euphonium may be played in bass clef as a non-transposing instrument or in treble clef as a transposing instrument. In British brass bands, it is typically treated as a treble-clef instrument, while in American band music, parts may be written in
Tenor cornett about the sound of the tenor cornett; he describes it as "bullocky and horn-like" in his "Syntagma Musicum" of 1619. He suggests that a trombone is to be preferred and the alto and tenor voices of cornett and trombone ensembles was usually played on trombones. However, tenor cornetts seem to have been common enough and composers like Gabrieli, Lassus, Hassler and Schütz (the fourth cornetto part of the "Psalmen Davids" of 1619 requires a tenor cornett) frequently made use of this instrument. Christopher Monk speculates that Praetorius heard the instrument played rather badly on several occasions. The "In Dulci Jubilo