© Copyright 2007 Horn Notes Edition 674 East Maria Lane Tempe, AZ 85284 USAInternational Copyright Secured ISBN 978-0-9801030-1-4

Introducing the Horn

Essentials for New Hornists and Their Teachers

John Ericson

�Horn Notes Edition

CONTENTS

Preface iii

Welcometothehorn! 1

TypesofHorns 1

MouthpiecePlacement 4

RightHandPosition 5

Posture 7

TonguingaCleanFirstNote 11

DevelopingtheEar 11

Breathing 12

FingeringCharts 13

Where’sthewater? 15

Warm-UpandRangeDevelopment 15

KeystoTuningaDoubleHorn 17

Stillmoretolearn! 18

Appendix:SuggestionsforMusicEducators 19

Resources 21

Index 22

���Horn Notes Edition

Preface

Introducing the Horn �s �ntended to serve as a handbook and gu�de for new horn players.

One th�ng I have noted as a horn teacher �s that the students who have ach�eved the most were g�ven a good start on the horn. I was lucky; my h�gh school band d�rector was a horn player and gave me that good start (I sw�tched from the trumpet to the horn �n n�nth grade). Th�s was augmented about two years later by a read�ng of the class�c text by Ph�l�p Farkas, The Art of French Horn Playing (Summy B�rchard, 1956) and pr�vate lessons w�th a local un�vers�ty professor.

A good start �s �mperat�ve to good horn play�ng. A player w�th a good start has the potent�al to make great progress. Th�s does not always happen as the horn has a number of very spec�f�c, un�que techn�cal �ssues, unl�ke other brass �nstruments. My hope for th�s publ�cat�on �s to br�efly cover, �n one volume, the range of performance-related top�cs that are most essent�al for g�v�ng a new horn�st a good start so that we may see more and better horn players �n our schools and commun�t�es.

Introducing the Horn �s also meant to serve as a handy resource for mus�c educators who teach young horn�sts and may also very effect�vely serve as a supplemental text for a horn methods or techn�ques class for undergraduate mus�c educat�on students.

I have many people to thank, �nclud�ng my parents, students, and colleagues past and present, but �n part�cular, I would l�ke to s�ncerely thank all of my horn teachers, espec�ally the f�rst, my h�gh school band d�rector who gave me my good start on the horn, Dav�d Hodges, who greatly �mpacted both my teach�ng and performance.

John Er�cson

1Horn Notes Edition

Welcometothehorn!

As I often tell students, �n choos�ng the horn, you have made a w�se dec�s�on! The horn has some of the most �mportant parts �n band and orchestral l�terature (“the sound of the horn �s the soul of the orchestra”—Robert Schumann) and arguably the best qual�ty of solo works of all the brass �nstruments.

In my teach�ng, I have noted close to a 50/50 spl�t between players who actually started on the horn and players who came to the horn from other �nstruments. Some band d�rectors actually shy away from start�ng students on the horn. Wh�le the horn can be d�ff�cult to manage for young students, due mostly to the s�ze of the �nstrument, �f a student wants to start on the horn, I say by all means start on the horn. All a new horn player really requ�res �s a decent ear for mus�c and the des�re to play. Every band benef�ts from hav�ng more horn players.

Most frequently, those sw�tch�ng to the horn w�ll have come from e�ther the trumpet or from woodw�nd �nstruments, and often today, through the march�ng mellophone. The mellophone (“mello”) �s a bell front subst�tute for the horn used �n march�ng bands. P�tched �n the key of F, �t uses a somewhat d�fferent mouthp�ece than a horn (typ�cally very s�m�lar to a trumpet mouthp�ece--many players use, as an alternat�ve, a horn mouthp�ece w�th an adapter, wh�ch would be my recommendat�on) and the f�nger�ngs are the same as on the trumpet (and thus are somewhat d�fferent than horn f�nger�ngs). Also, art�culat�ons feel somewhat d�fferent because the the �nstrument �s half as long as the horn. In sp�te of these �ssues, �t can be an effect�ve br�dge to play�ng horn �n concert ensembles, as �t beg�ns to get the embouchure set for the range of the horn and accustoms the ear to hear�ng p�tches �n F.

TypesofHornsBy far and away, the most popular type of horn among amateurs and profess�onals

worldw�de �s the double horn. Th�s type of horn comb�nes the advantages of s�ngle F and Bb horns �nto one �nstrument. The lower range �s performed on the F horn for �ts super�or tone qual�ty, but the Bb horn �s super�or for performance �n the upper range of the horn. From the player’s perspect�ve, however, �t �s really not “two horns �n one,” as standard f�nger�ngs take you automat�cally between the F and Bb horns (“thumb up or thumb down”) as �s appropr�ate.

2 Introducing the Horn

Double Horn

The above �nstrument �s a full double horn. D�fferent models of th�s type of horn can look fa�rly d�fferent, but all have the same pa�r�ngs of long and short valve sl�des on the three ma�n valves and work on the same acoust�cal pr�nc�ples. It should be noted that wh�le most double horns are set up to “stand” �n F, some players (espec�ally �n Europe) prefer �nstruments that stand �n Bb. It makes no d�fference �n terms of tone �f the �nstrument stands �n F or Bb.

Horns are also made as s�ngle horns �n e�ther the key of F or �n Bb. Wh�le the s�ngle F horn �s currently only used by beg�nners �n school s�tuat�ons (the V�enna Ph�lharmon�c be�ng the lone except�on to th�s rule, where n�neteenth century style “V�enna horns” w�th crooks are st�ll used), the s�ngle Bb horn �s preferred over the double horn by a fa�r number of amateur and profess�onal players, part�cularly �n Europe.

Single F Horn and Single Bb Horn