The
Euphonium is a
conical-bore,
baritone-voiced
brass instrument that derives its name from the
Greek word
euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" (
eu means "well" or "good" and
phonos means "of sound", so "of good sound"). The euphonium is a valved instrument; nearly all current models are
piston valved, though
rotary valved models do exist. The euphonium is a non-
transposing instrument known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, variety of character and agility. A person who plays the euphonium is sometimes called a
euphoniumist,
euphophonist, or a
euphonist, while British players often colloquially refer to themselves as
euphists, or
euphologists. Similarly, the instrument itself is often referred to as
eupho or
euph.