Brass Notes

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

Trevor J Hedrick

Brass Notes

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

Page 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

French Horn _________________________________________________

Holding the French Horn/Hand Position _________________________________ 2

Posture/Lubrication/Embouchure/Tips___________________________________ 3

Sound/Desired Pitch __________________________________________________ 4

Thorax/Making a Note/Changing Pitch __________________________________ 4

Teaching in Classroom Setting/First Lesson _______________________________ 5

Common Problems/ Priorities for Beginning Lessons _______________________ 5

Articulation/ Range and Endurance ____________________________________ 5-6

Valves/Warm-up ____________________________________________________ 6-7

Maintenance _________________________________________________________ 7

Transposition/Mutes/Study Materials ____________________________________ 8

Repertoire _________________________________________________________ 8-9

Baritone/Tuba ________________________________________________

Baritone

Origins/Intonation/Compensating Baritone ______________________________ 10

Sound concepts/Transposition _________________________________________ 10

Study Materials/Repertoire ___________________________________________ 11

All Brass Warm-ups _________________________________________________ 11

Artists & VIPs ______________________________________________________ 12

Tuba

Valves/Tuba & Baritone Highlights _____________________________________ 12

Types of Tubas/Study Materials _____________________________________ 12-13

Repertoire/Faulty intonation issues _____________________________________ 13

Breathing for brass instruments _______________________________________ 14

Brass Notes

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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French Horn

Holding the French Horn/Hand Position

Basic Right hand position.

- Exact hand positions will vary, depending on the size of the bell flare of the horn, and the

size of the horn players hand, but a few basic characteristics will always be the same. In

order to do any good the right hand has to “get in the way” of the sound, but not so much

that it makes you sound stuffy. To do this, first hold your right hand like you’re about to

shake hands with someone, then put your thumb right up against your hand. (Another

way to think of this same position is to cup your hand, like you would to drink water out

of a fountain, but hold you fingers out flat.) Now put your hand into the bell, with

theback of your hand against the metal of the bell.1 Choose a position that allows you to

carry some of the weight of the horn on your thumb, or between your thumb and first

finger. The palm of your hand should be towards your body. Insert your hand far enough

into the bell that you can have a noticeable effect on the pitch with small movements of

the palm of your hand, but not so far that it covers your sound. If you feel like the sound

is rolling across the palm of your hand and up your arm when you play, then you

probably have a good position. Below are a few pictures that will make this description

more clear.

This is an example

of good right hand

position, except that

the forearm has been

moved out a little so

you can see the hand

more clearly.

This is the same picture

from the other side.

Notice how flat the wrist

is. That may vary for

some people, but I find

it makes holding the

horn much easier

This is an example of the

most common mistake I

see in young

students. There is no

musical situation in

which this is a good hand

position. There is no

possible way for you to

effect the sound and/or

pitch of the instrument

from this position.

Brass Notes

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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The different Horns

- Single F Horn

o For Beginners

o Darker Tone

o Partials are closer together

- Double Horn

o Has both F and Bb

o Different valves

o Darker tone of F horn

o High Range security on the Bb side

o Brighter sound on the Bb side

- Triple Horn

Assembly

- ¼ turn mouthpiece

- Tuning slides ¼” out

- Valve Lubrication

Posture

- Sit like you stand

- Feet flat on the floor

- Bring the horn to you not the other way around

- Right Hand position

- Bell off the Leg

Lubrication

- Valve oil used to lubricate slides

- Slide grease used for tuning slides (thicker)

o Align valves before seating

o Work oil or grease in

o Be careful!!! It’s not water soluble

Tips

- Watch for French Horn to go to the player; not the other way around

- Keep the bell out off of the thigh!

Brass Notes

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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Embouchure

- Flat Cheeks and chin

- Firm Corners (against teeth)

- Jaw forward so teeth align

- Teeth open slightly (aperture)

- Minimum mouthpiece pressure

Vowel shape of mouth: OH - - - UH - - - EED

Sound/Pitch desired: Low High

- Bring lower jaw forward so they are aligned

- Say “pu” (parsed lips)

- Don’t overstretch lips, keep corners firm and unmoving. DO NOT SMILE!

- Corners are against teeth, not puffed out, not too spread, not too narrow

o Narrow = unresponsive embouchure

o Wide = brittle, bad sound

Thorax (throat) – use it!

- Close lips, form letter “m”

- Tighten corners

- Blow through thinking syllable “pu”

- Air passing through should create a vibration

On brass instruments, sound is created by buzzing and the buzzing is amplified by the tubing of

the instrument.

Buzzing is wind moving past the lips to create vibration

Making a note:

- Form letter “m” (embouchure)

- Establish a tempo

- Inhale in time

- Exhale in time and buzz a note

Changing pitch:

- Change velocity of air (higher = faster, lower = slower)

- Change volume of air (higher = more, lower = less)

- Change pressure of instrument against embouchure

Brass Notes

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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Teaching in classroom setting:

Small class size is best; not always possible due to budgets

Private lessons are best and much preferable to class/group lessons in many ways through class

lessons can be helpful for sectional playing and in appropriate ways.

First Lesson:

- Keep it simple!

- Don’t get bogged down

- If there is a problem: find the root cause and explain problem to them so they know why

it’s happening.

Common Problems:

1. No sound: (If buzz doesn’t happen)

a. No sound – lips too far apart, nothing for air to vibrate

b. Show student how to make lips “supple” raspberry sounds

c. Move that sound to mouthpiece. Any sound produced is improvement!

2. Only high notes come out:

a. Lips are too tight

b. Have student reform embouchure

c. Relaxed middles

d. Think different vowel sound… ee vs. oh

3. Only low sounds:

a. Corners are too tight

b. Wrong vowel

c. Center is too loose

Priorities for beginning lessons:

1. Create a sound

2. Match pitch when provided

3. Change pitch when asked

Articulation:

- Time is the most important element in effective articulation

- Air not started by tongue, they are not related though they work together.

- Use syllables “ta – tu – to – da – do – du”

- Jaw should NOT move when articulating (put fingers on chin to verify movement)

Brass Notes

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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Breath attack can be used as an exercise or to isolate problems. “Poh” can help get buzz

started, “Hoh” very useful for tuba players. Refer to Page 14 for additional breathing

questions.

- Use only the tip of the tongue

- Strike at space where teeth and gums meet on upper row of the teeth

- Tongue doesn’t stop air, it just interrupts it.

- DO NOT TONGUE BETWEEN TEETH OR LIPS

Note Shapes: beginning, middle and end should all match (like a rectangle)

Range and Endurance:

1. High notes: faster vibration, higher air speed, more pressure, higher vowel sound

2. Expand register upward gradually with scales and slurs

3. “USE IT OR LOSE IT” on brass instruments, maintain your range.

4. Fatigue is okay but do not play through pain; DO NOT OVERUSE!

Harmonic series is based off of length of tubing/pipe used

1st, 2

nd, 4

th and 7

th partials are in tune

3rd

and 6th

are high

5th

is low

Sight singing and buzzing helps develop ear

- If you hear the pitch correctly, embouchure may compensate

- Use tuning slides for other bad valve combinations. Make it part of the fingering and

time it very quickly

Valves:

Three types – rotary, piston and vienna

3rd

valve rarely used alone because of intonation, 1-2 used instead

Warm-up:

Goals:

1. Get air moving

2. Embouchure easily responding

3. Clear tone throughout the register

Two approaches: flexible and set approach

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French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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Set approach:

1. Buzzing

2. Long tones

3. Lip slurs

4. Articulations on scales, patterns, etc.

Sound Concept:

Developed through listening:

“Great model leads to great sound concept”

Give students great examples, play along with them (kids are good at imitating or copying)

Play great recordings (gives kids something to aim for in terms of great sound)

Teach them to use mental imagery to “hear what they will play” before they play it

Vibrato – Used to color brass sound, not as a staple of it. This isn’t used really if ever in French

Horn performance.

Lip slur: changing notes from one partial to another without the tongue or valves

- Improves flexibility

- Increases endurance

- Increases accuracy and efficiency

Practice in a mirror to minimize movement

Maintenance:

- Maintain instrument or grime and dents distort the integrity of the harmonic series of the

horn

- Premature wear on valves and seals if neglected

Take Horn apart, use mouthpiece brush and flexible snake for leadpipe

1. Take valves and slides out and wipe with lint-free cloth or a cheese cloth

2. Use valve brush for valve casings

3. Put in tube of luke warm water, not hot, and scrub with brushes in the water with dish

soap

4. Grease slides to prevent air leaks or sluggish movement (1-2 times per week)

5. Oil valves (lubricated & seals) 1-3 days

Brass Notes

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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Transposition

- When one plays a F on the piano it is a written C on the French Horn

- From written to sounding pitch it’s a Perfect 5th

Lower

- From sounding pitch to written pitch it’s a Perfect 5th

Higher

Please see attached handout for more details.

Common Mute Directions for all instruments

- Sord/sordino/mute = straight mute

- Sord bol = cup mute

- Senza (sord) = take out/open

- Con sord/avec sord = put in

- Mit dampfer/ohne dampfer (with/without)

- Bouché, + = stopped

- Shalltr. Auf - lift bell into air

Study Materials:

- Pottag and Hovey: Pottag-Hovey Method,2 vols.

- Howe: Method (Elementary Level)

- Gallay: 22 Studies/24 Studies

- Kopprasch: 60 Selected Studies

- Maxime-Alphonse: Deux cents

- Miersch: Melodius Studies

Solo Repertoire:

- Mozart: Concerto No. 2 in Eb H.Baumann

- Mozart: Concerto No. 4 in Eb

- R. Strauss: Concerto No. 1B. Tuckwell

Orchestral Repertoire:

- Tchaikovsky 5th Symphony Horn solo

- Shostakovich 5th Symphony low tutti

- Wagner - Siegfried from the Ring Cycle call

- Till Eulenspeigel solo

Solo Artists:

- Barry Tuckwell - Strauss 1

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French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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o Born in 1931 in Melbourne, Australia

o Child prodigy - first orchestra job at 15

o 13 years in the London Symphony

o Most recorded Horn soloist

- Hermann Baumann - Gliere

o Born in 1934 in Hamburg, Germany

o Natural Horn

- Dennis Brain - Mozart 4

o 1921-1957 in London

o Recordings of Mozart Horn Concerti

o Died in a car accident at age 36 after a performance of Tchaik 6 with the London

Philharmonia

Brass Notes

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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Baritone/Tuba

Baritone

Where the Baritone came from

- 1820s German military band origin

- 1840s first Euphonium

- Still in original key of Bb (nontransposing)

- Review of differences

- German: Tenorhorn=Baritone, Baryton=Euphonium

- France: Baryton=Baritone, Basse=Euph

Baritone/Euphonium Intonation

- Wider the air column used, harder to bend pitch with embouchure – mechanical

correction

- 4th valve

- Compensating vs. non compensating

Compensating Euphonium

- Improving intonation

- Expanding low range

- Technical facility

Sound Concepts

- Conical Instruments: mellow, lyrical tone

- Vibrato:

o Tonal color and lyrical quality

o Historical tradition

- Orchestral vs. Solo… Artist-Steven Mead Bydlo

o Typical use of Euphonium

Transposition

- Music in treble and bass clef

- Start in bass clef unless it is a trumpet player switching over

- Bass clef as soon as possible: more music options transposing between the two

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French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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Methods:

- Bordogni (Rochut) - Melodious Etudes

- Arbans – Complete Method

- Clarke – Technical Studies

Orchestra excerpts:

- Mussorgsky – Bydlo from Pictures at an Exhibition

- Holst - The Planets

- Strauss – Ein Heldenleben

Solos:

- Barat - Andante et Allegro (Easier)

- Gordon Jacob - Fantasia - Difficult

- Joseph Horovitz - Concerto - Difficult

Recording Artists

- Steven Mead

- Adam Frey

- Brian Bowman

Brass Warm-ups

This is a sequence of events one can use to help warm-up on a daily basis:

- Breathing

- Buzzing

- Long Tones

- Slow Slurs

- Fast Slurs

- Articulation

- Faster Technique

Brass Notes

French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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Tuba

- Contrabass tubas

- C Tuba is preferred in American Orchestras

- Bb in German/Eastern European Orchestras

- Non-transposing: Different fundamentals and different fingerings

Additional Tuba Valves

- 4th

valve

o Necessary for any serious tubist

o Used like Euph 4th valve but an octave lower

- 5th

valve

o Like a flat first valve

o Instead of 2/3

- 1st Valve slide

o Start with slide slightly out

o Pull out further for notes that include 1st valve and 1/2

o Push all the way in for C in the staff

Tuba & Baritone Highlights

- Ancestors - Bass Serpent and Ophicleide

- 1828 - Tenor and Baritone valved horns used in German military bands

- 1835 - First tuba (5-valve in F)

- 1838 - Tenor Tuba in Bb

- 1843 - “Euphonium” premiered at World Fair

- 1845 - Contrabass tubas in Bb and C with rotary valves

- 1840-1880 - Berlioz and Wagner include tuba in compositions

- 1874 Compensating system invented

- 1880 Large bore tuba

Today: American tubists use C contrabass as primary instrument, F tuba for high passages,

Bb contrabass in some countries, both rotary and piston. Large bore Euphs in concert bands,

small bore baritones in brass bands

Different kinds of Tubas

Wagner Tuba

- Played by Horn Players

- Member of Tuba family

- Played for first complete performance of Wagnerʼs Ring Cycle in 1875.

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French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

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Eb and F Tubas

- Lighter sound

- High passages, solo lit, chamber music (brass quintet)

- Eb is instrument of choice for quintet

Tuba Solos

- Vaughn Williams - Concerto - Difficult

- Hindemith - Sonata - Difficult

- Bach (Bell) - Air and Bouree – Easy

Method Books

- Bordogni (Rochut) - Melodious Etudes

- Blazhevich – 70 Studies

- Kopprasch – 60 Studies

Orchestral Excerpts

- Wagner – Meistersinger

- Wagner - The Ride of the Valkyrie

- Prokofiev - 5th

Symphony

Recording Artists

- Patrick Sheridan

- Roger Bobo

- Oystein Baadsvik

Causes for faulty intonation in all brass instruments

- Not being able to hear and distinguish the right pitch

- Instrument tendencies

- Bad breath support

- Weak embouchure

- Temperature

- Dynamics

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French Horn & Baritone/Tuba

Page 14

Breathing for Brass Instruments

Sound is created by vibration.

Vibration is created by the lips.

Air causes the lips to vibrate.

THE INHALE: Place one hand on your stomach and another on your chest. The air starts

filling up low (stomach) and ends in the chest – you fill from the bottom up.

Body posture is important to allow for an open air way and minimal friction. Think of the

syllable “oh” and relax the throat like a yawn.

Tension is the brass player’s enemy.

Beginner alert: watch out for shallow chest breaths – this will cause an inadequate air volume

and body tension. Especially watch out for students who try to breathe through their nose.

Don’t allow this habit to start!

Exercise: Have the student visualize a quantity of air to be inhaled (like a ball, a balloon or a bag

– props always help)

When playing, inhale through the corners of the mouth

THE EXHALE: Air needs to have pressure and speed, like wind. It moves forward. Direct the

air to a point across the room or for beginners to a hand or paper held out in front of them.

Three components to expiration:

Volume – the quantity of air

Velocity – the speed (determines pitch)

Pressure – the force of the air

Low brass and lower pitches require more volume, less pressure and velocity. High brass and

higher pitches require more velocity and pressure.

Cold vs. warm air

Expiratory muscles act most efficiently when the lungs are full after the inhale. (What goes in,

must come out)

Diaphragm vs. Normal Breathing:

In normal breathing, the diaphragm muscle contracts on the inhale and relaxes on the exhale. In

brass playing, the diaphragm can be active on the exhale.