Student Alto & Tenor Horns

With a look that resembles a smaller-sized euphonium but with a mid-range sound that's more akin to the French horn, alto/tenor horns are a common staple in British-style bands. Students who are still in the early stages of playing might be wondering what the difference is between the alto and the tenor horn. Essentially, they're the same instrument, and whether they're called the alto or the tenor usually depends on the maker of the horn. With that in mind, student alto and tenor horns are made today by some of the most trusted names in brass instruments, including Jupiter, Besson, Yamaha and Amati.

A quality student alto/tenor horn should be lightweight, easy to blow and should stay in tune. The good news is that each of your choices in this catalog have all those traits, and the Amati 311 Series Eb Alto Horn also just happens to be very affordable. Featuring a 7.9" upright bell and a .460" bore with three top-action, stainless steel piston valves, this horn has amazing projection and a responsive tone.

Yamaha's reputation in the brass instrument world cannot be overstated, and their student alto/tenor horns are just further proof as to why they continue to be so respected. With the Yamaha YAH-203 Series Eb Alto Horn, your aspiring musician will be playing like the pros in no time. Its ease of play and top-notch intonation is the result of steady, durable construction. It also has perfectly rounded tubing for smoother air flow and hand-lapped valves and pistons for noiseless action. The 203 might be an intermediate horn, but you could easily find themselves going back to this beauty even well after they've mastered their technique.

It was mentioned earlier that the alto/tenor horn is very similar to a French horn. While this is true, choosing to learn the alto/tenor horn has many upsides. In fact, euphonium players will find it much easier to transition to an alto/tenor horn than they would to a French horn. Additionally, the alto/tenor's short tubing and piston valves give it an improved clarity and accuracy. At this point we'll leave the browsing up to you, but hopefully you've realized by now that you're definitely in the right place for a new student alto/tenor horn. This instrument is both fun and rewarding to play, and each option in this section is worthy of your consideration.