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Perhaps the most problematic group of brass instruments to define clearly are those which are pitched in the middle ranges of Bb, C and Eb instruments. Included in this category are: Saxhorns; Bb Baritones; Bb Tenor Horns and Eb (and F) Alto Horns - in upright, bell forward, helicon and over the shoulder configurations.   Other instruments essentially in the Middle Brass range, but which are addressed in separate categories include  French Horns, Mellophones and Trombones.

The Saxhorn family of instruments initially mimicked choral voices  i.e.: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass.  The Eb cornet was the soprano voice, the  Bb cornet the Alto,  the Eb Saxhorn the tenor and the Eb bass Saxhorn.  The British still call their Eb upright horn a tenor, while in the US, it is called an alto.  Suffice it to say, the instruments in this middle brass category are essentially small bore Saxhorns in various keys.  The bell of the modern Saxhorn also differs from the original, which more resembled a long, narrow cone ending in a small bell flare. The modern bell is wider, and the bell tubing narrower towards the end. In general appearance and size, the small bore baritone looks much like the Eb tenor horn. Tone wise, it has a crisp, brassy sound, somewhat reminiscent of a trombone.