Euphonium/Baritone Buyers Guide
from the MMF! Music Library

Baritones are the preferred choice for beginners. Many students start on a baritone and typically play it for several of years before switching to a euphonium.

Baritones and Euphoniums differ only slightly in construction. Baritones have a cylindrical bore, which basically means that the bore stays the same size, like a paper towel roll, until the bell flare. Euphoniums have conical bore, which means that the bore gets larger all the way through the length of the instrument just like an ice cream cone does. The effect of the conical design is a slightly darker tone than a baritone.

Euphoniums are built with three valves or four valves. Advanced players prefer a four-valve instrument as the additional valve helps to improve the intonation and extend the low range of the instrument.