"The Melody Shop" is one of Karl King's most popular marches. The march is written in E♭, with its trio section changing keys to the

subdominant In music, the subdominant is the fourth tonal degree () of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance ''below'' the tonic as the dominant is ''above'' the tonicin other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdomina ...

A♭ as is typical for marches and polkas. Excerpts of the march are commonly used in auditions for euphoniums and baritone horns auditioning for a spot in a military band, a university band, brass bands, and city and state ensembles. King released this march in 1910. This was King's first year as a circus musician.

Euphonium part

This march is popular to many, especially towards

euphonium The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...

and

baritone horn The baritone horn, or sometimes just called baritone, is a low-pitched brass instrument in the saxhorn family.Robert Donington, "The Instruments of Music", (pp. 113ff ''The Family of Bugles'') 2nd ed., Methuen, London, 1962 It is a piston-val ...

players for its cut time 8th note (16th note) counter melody towards the end of the march. Many ensembles feature a euphonium player or the entire euphonium section at the end of this march; some just have the woodwinds and euphonium players play through it once. Some even repeat break strain and the final strain for euphonium to play the part the first time and both woodwinds and euphonium to play the part together the second time. A few ensembles have the euphonium play the first half and the woodwinds and euphoniums play the second half. Some ensemble directors, if the euphonium section is not ready to take on the part, will either have the woodwinds play the counter melody and have the euphoniums play the first trombone part or simply eliminate the euphonium's part at the end of the piece.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melody Shop March music 1910 compositions Compositions for brass band Compositions in E-flat major Concert band pieces