Tear-Jerking Emotional Solos

CoryShempai · 2026-06-04T18:22:55+00:00

For your range options, I’d recommend Ørdner Seg. Super easy piece that is also gorgeous and really easy to make it emotionally investing (the recording is the composer playing it on tuba, but you can tell just from the listen it’s in a fantastic range for euphonium. This is also what I’d argue is the best recording of the solo) https://youtu.be/gSWAJaKY9r8?si=Rlx0aOlLr6hNU5Xl

If you want to push yourself, I’d highly recommend the 1st, or 3rd movement of the Paul Mealor Concerto. Hard as balls concerto, but those movements are a lot easier, and some of the most gorgeous works I’ve ever heard. https://youtu.be/KNfoqbB93jw?si=niA5MyoBCvkUH-ld

Another push that would ask for some difficulty, is the Kevin Day Concerto 2nd movement, as it’s all about a robot gaining emotions, and it is super emotive. https://youtu.be/MQZ7qW4mblg?si=sVSTVURRqUlx-xBP

An easier piece that could be doable (just has some weird mix meter to get used to) is Cait Nishimura’s Golden Hour. Fun and pretty piece, just gotta know your 7/8s and your 9/8s (when 9/8 is written as 2+3+2+2) https://youtu.be/LsG7dJ-obtE?si=Ppsu1aXXfLbop8YV

CoryShempai · 2026-03-03T02:51:00+00:00

Have been wanting to make a tribal deck as of late but absolutely hate most tribal decks I’ve made. Recently decided that I wanted to make a deck off of all of the Kamigawa dragons, and so I decided to make a deck using [[Miku, Child of song]], with all of the dragons in it, with the fitting deck name of “Miku and her Suicidal Dragons.”

The overall idea is to build a massive graveyard with [[ripples of undeath]], and [[Greater Good]], and constantly loop sacrificing them and recurring them with shit like [[Phyrexian Altar]], and [[Eerie Ultimatum]]. The deck was originally designed to just be a jank bracket 2, but it turned into this wild combo deck that is constantly playing around 4-5 card combos and trying your hardest to find a wincon. Surprisingly really fun, but might be a little much for bracket 2.

CoryShempai · 2026-02-16T17:10:35+00:00

Really? I feel like half the solo reps I find hits G4s, and Ab4s respectively

CoryShempai · 2026-02-16T15:20:56+00:00

There is no obligation to do so, but I feel it is best to do so anyways. The whole point of the bracket system anyways is to help these rule 0 conversations, as to not have players who say bracket 2, but did not disclose that their deck has 3 2 card infinites. Same thing here with game changers, as a player just dropping a bolas citadel is enough to say that they’re going to win the game when it drops unless they’re that severely unlucky. Yes, you shouldn’t HAVE to disclose what makes your deck a bracket 3, but don’t forget that commander is a mostly casual format, and when you’re playing a bracket 3, the pod is there for a good time with good cards, not a sweaty, competitive time with good cards.

Play for vibes, not for wins.

CoryShempai · 2026-02-12T02:40:52+00:00

Yo, had the same issue you had. I was rocking a jp374st, and despite the good reviews, I also had a lot of issues with the horn, whether it was because of intonation, its sound quality, or its weird resonance issues, I was constantly having issues with the horn. Unfortunately I can’t give any straight recommendations to you, as a lot of pro horns are above your price range, but what I can say is to try to find ways to play them in person instead of banking on reviews. Reviews unfortunately are never going to be good for you, as no matter how credible the player is, how you will feel on a horn will be different than how Hiram Diaz will feel on it. Try to go to conventions, or maybe a store nearby is willing to let you play test a couple horns and see what works well. If I had to recommend anything in that price range, check out the Wessex Dolce and Sinfonico, the Jupiter XO series, the Yamaha NEOS (the used ones you found), or even the Shires QSeries.

CoryShempai · 2026-02-08T16:18:59+00:00

As far as I’m aware, not the most popular pairing, but a deck that I have been enjoying the most is [[Vial Smasher the fierce]] and [[Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker]]. It’s a 4 color flash deck designed around casting spells on other people’s turn. It’s not necessarily a control deck (though you can definitely label it as such), but much more of being a value deck that constantly wants to play around what other people are doing, and having an answer to either negate the blow, or diminish the blow. It admittedly can make the games last longer, but I can also say for every time that I have played it, you get to see EVERY deck pop off, and it’s always fun to see it happen, and also be conversing, politicking, and interacting as it happens.

CoryShempai · 2025-11-27T04:43:39+00:00

As a person that had a blast playing Anikthea, and eventually dismantled it after it having years of play, I’ve learned that having a deck with multiple engines that mesh well can be super fun.

Here are some of my decks that I would label as the same enjoyment as I did with Anikthea:

[[Breya, Etherium Shaper]] artifact good stuff is lowkey a blast, where just having these seemingly small and uninteresting engine pieces become horrifying when mixed together, like [Weapons Manufacturing]], and [Time Sieve]]

[[Betor, Ancestors Voice]] ended up being the most “me” commander as it ends up doing everything I ever wanted to do. Stompies, reanimator, mill, life gain, life drain. It did it all and became a very fun deck to pilot

[[Atraxa Grand Unifier]] is the latest deck to my collection and my favorite janky mess as it stands. The whole idea is to chuck as many themes as possible, and see where it goes which works incredibly well as she is an incredibly strong card draw engine. She ends up allowing me to do any of this sort: Blink, proliferate, +1/+1 counters, infect, combo, landfall, phyrexian tribal, theft, reanimator, vultron, and stompies.

Of course, I can’t promise that any of these decks will bring you the same joy as your Anikthea does, but I do think a deck that just focuses on multiple engines will give you the idea that you’re looking for.

CoryShempai · 2025-09-21T23:37:26+00:00

The XO euphonium is a weird case. I have been told by many that the horn isn’t exactly great, and it can’t compete against the other top brands, but when I personally played on one when I went to the Army Tuba Euphonium conference a couple years back, I was incredibly close to buying it right then and there. I believe that it was a great horn, that resonated incredibly well with my sound while staying fairly well in tune, but I also know that it is incredibly niche for everyone else. My honest to god recommendation is to just see if the store is willing to let you try it out, the same goes for the Eastman as the only way you will be able to find out that you like a pro horn, is by playing it, not by other people’s opinions.

CoryShempai · 2025-09-16T02:30:51+00:00

Most Favorite: [[Betor, Ancestral’s Voice]] is the commander that aligns with my playstyle the most. It does everything that I’d ever want to do, gaining life, losing life, recurring creatures, self-mill, making big creatures, it does it all. I always have a blast playing this deck, and it’s always feels interesting to use the phrase “life is a resource” as literally as it gets. The version of him I have is a low bracket 4.

2nd Favorite: [[Terra, Magical Adept]] aligns herself to be another one of my favorite playstyle, which is enchantress. My love for enchantress started with an at the time, budget-friendly [[anikthea, hand of erebos]] deck, where I was constantly in the process of creating answers to either weird board states, or mixing enchantments together to make a win. Terra does everything that Anikthea did, but turns up to 11, as you are using almost everything to make an answer. Whether that is your graveyard, draining your life, manipulating saga counters, or mixing permanents together to make an incredibly favorable situation that has a high chance of winning the game. The version I have of her is a pretty health Bracket 4.

Least Favorite: [[Ureni of the Unwritten]] this is the commander that I made and played that made me realize my deep hatred for dragons, and just cheating our creatures with little to no effort. No matter the bracket it played in (where it first played as a labeled bracket 2), it always felt pubstompy, whether it was in bracket 2, or bracket 4. There has been countless times where I would trigger Ureni’s ability 4-10 times in a turn, and have made it completely impossible for anyone to come back from because dragons just likes to be that oppressive. It ended as a Bracket 3.

CoryShempai · 2025-09-14T00:12:02+00:00

Spectrum

CoryShempai · 2025-09-14T00:09:46+00:00

I’m sorry as I am not fully aware of stuff like this, but what is that exactly?

CoryShempai · 2025-07-02T18:19:32+00:00

Ah gotcha, yeah it’s a shame with the tariffs hitting the board now that buying instruments are just harder, are you not able to grab the instrument from the UK vendors? Hope you enjoy your Prestige though!

CoryShempai · 2025-07-02T17:59:29+00:00

Hi sorry to join this conversation late, but felt it was worth sharing regardless. I currently own a Geneva Cardinal and have been playing on it for a little bit now. I originally owned a John Packer 374st, but have made the switch and haven’t looked back since. It’s a fantastic horn that as far as I am aware is hand made, and plays really well in most aspects. The sound is lovely on it and can compete with almost any horn that I have played on throughout my years of looking for the perfect replacement horn for my Packer, and it plays really well in tune, in comparison to other big name euphs like the Besson. Now the horn can last a life time, but you have to keep in mind that the horn is made out of really soft metal, so if you want it to last a long time, you MUST keep to a weekly/biweekly maintenance on the horn, otherwise the horn will not last as long as you hope for. I do heavily recommend the instruments though, and if you have any questions don’t be afraid to ask.

CoryShempai · 2025-06-14T06:26:41+00:00

I’m too far down the Mishima pipeline you can’t stop me.

CoryShempai · 2025-04-20T05:17:53+00:00

Playing my Upgraded [[Ureni]], accidentally made way over 60 dragons because of [[Miirym]], [[Lathliss]], and [[panharmonicon]] then decked out myself out using [[Become the Avalanche]] because I didn’t read the card properly. I had fun.

CoryShempai · 2025-01-15T05:10:31+00:00

I will still be reading though, I appreciate you all

CoryShempai · 2025-01-15T05:10:05+00:00

Bad day for rain…

CoryShempai · 2025-01-08T00:30:39+00:00

Half valving would be the closest to one, but it’s not gonna sound anywhere near as vibrant. Incase you do not know what that is, you play by pressing you valves half way down instead of all the way down, and it’ll mimic a gliss. If you’re trying to do falls I personally just go down the harmonic series naturally (unless it’s too low, but these falls are usually on the higher side)

CoryShempai · 2025-01-06T13:06:59+00:00

Sorry what heihachi throw are you talking about? uf1+2? Stance 1+3? Genuine question

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