Well, with luck some far more experienced musicians will give you the benefit of their advice, but here's my two pennorth.
First off, quite a few comments I've seen on American brass forums seem to suggest that many of the posters are under the impression that 'baritone' is just what Brits call euphoniums, or that the two instruments are so close there's little to choose between them. In reality, baritones and euphs are as different as trumpets and cornets, have a markedly different sound, and have very different jobs to do in a brass band.
Baritones (like trumpets and trombones) have a much more parallel bore, giving them a brighter, punchier sound; euphs (like cornets) have a more conical bore, giving them a more mellow and richer sound. If you look at these two pictures below (both from the same manufacturer and equivalent ranges), you'll see what I mean:
Regarding what I've said above about the different types of sound you get from the two instruments, it's a fact that a very accomplished player
can get a euph-like sound from a baritone, and a baritone-like sound from a euph (though they have to work at it), but that doesn't alter the fact that, due to the way the bores and bells are shaped, the two instruments have an
inherently different sound, and - contrary to some opinions I've seen on other forums - they are
supposed to have a different sound. As I said above, they have different jobs to do in a band.
Trombones sound very much the same to my ear as baritones - which is not surprising, as they have parallel bores, too - and, like both baritones and euphs, in British-style brass bands, all three are in the key of Bb. So you might ask, if baritones and tenor trombones have the same kind of sound, and are in the same key, why do bands have both? Because you cannot do a long, smooth glissando on a baritone - and the valves on a baritone means that (if you're reasonably good!) you can play certain runs of notes relatively easily on a baritone which would be somewhere between difficult and impossible on a trombone, if that particular sequence of notes required shifting between extreme positions on the slide for consecutive notes. Sure,
some players can do what appears to be almost impossible with both baritones and trombones - but us mere mortals have our limitations!
Getting even more into the '
very personal opinion' zone, I'd say when it comes to choosing what to play - go for the one whose sound really
grabs you - and makes you think "I'd give my eye teeth to be able to make that sound!"
Bear in mind that a lot of learning to play is going over the same stuff (sometimes one bar) over and over and over and over . . . until you crack it. At times, it can be tough enough to keep up your enthusiasm when you run into a brick wall, even with an instrument whose sound you love to bits (yep - that's the voice of experience
). I don't think I could keep going with an instrument about which I thought "Well, it's alright . . . I
suppose . . . "
"Do you think the Baritone/Euph makes a good solo instrument?"
You only have to listen to some top notch street buskers to know that any instrument can make a good solo instrument! It's really down to the skill of the player, though I think it's fair to say that playing solo (whether you're playing a solo part in a band or playing on your own) is always going to be more demanding than playing an 'accompaniment' part in a band; there's a reason why new cornet players start in the back row! And there is this about playing completely on your own; you can play what you want, when you want, how you want.
"Which one is easier to learn relying exclusively on live internet lessons?"
Um - I've never tried live internet lessons, so can't speak from experience; the only comment I can make is that (from advice offered to beginners by teachers who use Skype) is that you MUST have a decent set-up, in terms of vision and sound, so that your teacher can both see and hear exactly what you're doing, with real clarity. In other words, a cheapo camera and mike plugged into your computer is not going to cut it - and remember that your teacher needs to be able to see if your posture is sound, that you're breathing using your diaphragm and not just the top part of your lungs, and that you aren't ramming the mouthpiece into your lips, etc, etc. - basically, as close as you can get to them being in the same room as you!
The other point, which I've found to be true for myself (and have been told the same by plenty of other people) is that playing with others not only boost your enthusiasm for learning, but improves your playing skills much faster than if you only ever play on your own.
Price; a limit of $600 doesn't give you a lot of scope; you only have to look at the sheer complexity of those instruments to see that making them is a very labour-intensive business. Two suggestions; first, don't buy new. All other things being equal, an instrument which sells second hand for $600 is going to be much better than one which sells new for $600. Second, really,
really try to find someone to go with you when you buy it. A music teacher, a good musician with a local band, whatever - but it's a real help to have someone with the necessary skill and experience to be able to pick it up and try it to see what it's like. You only have to talk to other players to hear stories of when they tried something which looked nice, but wasn't at all easy to play, or which didn't sound that good - and then tried another which didn't look much at all, but which was a delight to play and which sounded great. You can't always accurately judge books by their covers!
HTH, and I hope other more experienced people will be along soon to give you the benefit of their advice.
