Baritone, Euphonium and Alto Horn: Valves and Play-Along

How it works

Press a note in the chart to see its valves and hear it; the diagram moves to show the change. Play the notes in order plays them one after another. Open the play-along to pick a tune: the notes scroll to the left and each one is played as it reaches the green line, while the box on the left shows the valves. Use Speed to slow down – 50% is a good start.

Wait mode

With wait mode on, the music stops at each note until you press the matching note button, the note’s letter on the computer keyboard (A–G), or Space once you have played it. It counts right and wrong presses. Without Listen the page cannot hear you, so it is honest practice for reading and fingering, and your teacher or your ears check the sound.

Kids’ mode

Kids’ mode makes the buttons bigger and switches color notes on (C red, D orange, E yellow, F green, G teal, A blue, B purple). The note names are always shown too, so color is never the only clue. The setting is shared with the other Classfern Music pages.

Treble clef, bass clef and the alto horn

The baritone and euphonium are pitched in B♭. In US schools they usually read the bass clef at concert pitch (“baritone B.C.”). Treble clef parts (“baritone T.C.”, as in brass bands) are written a 9th (an octave and a whole step) higher than they sound: written C sounds as concert B♭, and has the same valves as C on the trumpet. The valves are exactly the same in both clefs – only the note names change (treble clef C = bass clef B♭). The alto horn (called the tenor horn in the UK) is in E♭ and sounds a major 6th lower than written: written C sounds as concert E♭.

Valves

Valve 1 is the one under your first finger. Many notes share the same valves – in treble clef C, G, E and the C above are all “open” – and your lips and air choose between them, so listen to the sound you are aiming for. The chart is for three valves. Many euphoniums have a 4th valve, which gives other (often better in tune) fingerings for the low notes – your teacher will show you.

Valve chart

Notes in gray are outside the beginner range.

Baritone or euphonium in B♭ (treble clef) – valves for each written note

Written note	Sounds (concert)	Valves
F♯3/G♭3	E2	1 + 2 + 3
G3	F2	1 + 3
A♭3/G♯3	F♯2/G♭2	2 + 3
A3	G2	1 + 2
B♭3/A♯3	A♭2/G♯2	1
B3	A2	2
C4	B♭2/A♯2	open
C♯4/D♭4	B2	1 + 2 + 3
D4	C3	1 + 3
E♭4/D♯4	C♯3/D♭3	2 + 3
E4	D3	1 + 2
F4	E♭3/D♯3	1
F♯4/G♭4	E3	2
G4	F3	open
A♭4/G♯4	F♯3/G♭3	2 + 3
A4	G3	1 + 2
B♭4/A♯4	A♭3/G♯3	1
B4	A3	2
C5	B♭3/A♯3	open
C♯5/D♭5	B3	1 + 2
D5	C4	1
E♭5/D♯5	C♯4/D♭4	2
E5	D4	open
F5	E♭4/D♯4	1
F♯5/G♭5	E4	2
G5	F4	open
A♭5/G♯5	F♯4/G♭4	2 + 3
A5	G4	1 + 2
B♭5/A♯5	A♭4/G♯4	1
B5	A4	2
C6	B♭4/A♯4	open

Baritone or euphonium (bass clef) – valves for each written note

Written note	Valves
E2	1 + 2 + 3
F2	1 + 3
F♯2/G♭2	2 + 3
G2	1 + 2
A♭2/G♯2	1
A2	2
B♭2/A♯2	open
B2	1 + 2 + 3
C3	1 + 3
C♯3/D♭3	2 + 3
D3	1 + 2
E♭3/D♯3	1
E3	2
F3	open
F♯3/G♭3	2 + 3
G3	1 + 2
A♭3/G♯3	1
A3	2
B♭3/A♯3	open
B3	1 + 2
C4	1
C♯4/D♭4	2
D4	open
E♭4/D♯4	1
E4	2
F4	open
F♯4/G♭4	2 + 3
G4	1 + 2
A♭4/G♯4	1
A4	2
B♭4/A♯4	open

Alto horn (tenor horn) in E♭ – valves for each written note

Written note	Sounds (concert)	Valves
F♯3/G♭3	A2	1 + 2 + 3
G3	B♭2/A♯2	1 + 3
A♭3/G♯3	B2	2 + 3
A3	C3	1 + 2
B♭3/A♯3	C♯3/D♭3	1
B3	D3	2
C4	E♭3/D♯3	open
C♯4/D♭4	E3	1 + 2 + 3
D4	F3	1 + 3
E♭4/D♯4	F♯3/G♭3	2 + 3
E4	G3	1 + 2
F4	A♭3/G♯3	1
F♯4/G♭4	A3	2
G4	B♭3/A♯3	open
A♭4/G♯4	B3	2 + 3
A4	C4	1 + 2
B♭4/A♯4	C♯4/D♭4	1
B4	D4	2
C5	E♭4/D♯4	open
C♯5/D♭5	E4	1 + 2
D5	F4	1
E♭5/D♯5	F♯4/G♭4	2
E5	G4	open
F5	A♭4/G♯4	1
F♯5/G♭5	A4	2
G5	B♭4/A♯4	open
A♭5/G♯5	B4	2 + 3
A5	C5	1 + 2
B♭5/A♯5	C♯5/D♭5	1
B5	D5	2
C6	E♭5/D♯5	open

Good to know

The charts are Classfern’s own, written from the standard published charts; there are often other fingerings for the same note, and your teacher may prefer one of them. Library pieces were converted by computer, and only the melody line is shown. The sounds are a guide to the pitch, not a recording of a real instrument. Where the music comes from.

Frequently asked questions

Why are the notes different from the piano?

Brass instruments in B♭, E♭ and F read transposed parts: the written note is not the note the piano calls it. Choose your instrument and clef, and the chart and the play-along show the written note with the concert (piano) note beside it, and play the sound you should hear.

Does it use the microphone?

Only if you press Listen in the play-along: then the microphone is used on this device to hear which notes you play, and nothing is recorded, saved or sent. The chart, the lessons and wait mode never use it.

How are the lessons graded?

Every step says how it is assessed. Questions about valves and notes are graded by Classfern. Playing steps are self-assessed (you check them off when you have done them), the playing check is judged by a teacher or parent with a simple rubric, and recordings and practice diaries are evidence kept at home – Classfern only keeps a list. Results stay on this device.

Why are some tunes missing?

The search only shows tunes whose melody fits this instrument, or fits after moving it by an octave. The library also has only out-of-copyright music, so modern songs are not in it.