Helpful Resources for Horn Playing and Teaching

The school is winding down. We have about two weeks to go here at Wright State. I couldn't be happier about choosing this school. I'm hoping that next year is even better.Hopefully summer will leave a little more time for blogging as well!

The following is a handout I'm working on for my brass methods course. I hope it's useful for them as they start to think like teachers. If any educators/horn players out there have anything I should I add please comment. If you found something you might use you should comment as well.

Helpful Resources for Horn Playing and Teaching

Compiled by Mr. Kyle Freesen

Wright State University Brass Methods

Method Books for Individual Study:

Skornicka  -  “Rubank Elementary Method”

Pottag/Hovey  - “Method for French Horn - Book 2”

Reynolds  -  “The Horn Handbook”

Kopprasch – “50 Etudes, opus 6” (HS/College)

Farkas  - “The Art of French Horn Playing”(not really a method book, but important reading)

Schuller – “Studies for Unaccompanied Horn” (Advanced players)

Ericson - Introducing the Horn: Essentials for New Hornists and Their Teachers

Websites:

www.hornsociety.org

- A website featuring a wealth of information. This includes an index of their journal, Horncall and tips of the month. You can find recordings, podcasts, and much more here.

http://hornplayer.net/index.asp

- There is a searchable message board here covering a wide range of topics.

www.hornplanet.com

- A site by hornist and professor, Thomas Bacon, there’s a lot here, but most importantly go to the “Study Guide” as it outlines goals for players of all abilities and recommends method books, supplementary materials, and appropriate solos/ensembles to reach those goals. There’s even horn trivia!!

http://hornmatters.com/

- A blog of sorts run by John Ericson and Bruce Hembd. New content is added daily. They even have a list of horn youtube channels.(A great way to get world class players into your classroom)

Resource Recordings:

“Mozart: Horn Concertos” - Dennis Brain, horn

“The London Horn Sound” - Horn ensemble music performed by 32 of London’s top players

“Perspectives” -Hermann Baumann, horn

“Next Mode”  - Vincent Chancey, jazz horn(they do exist!)

“Brahms and Beethoven: Music for Horn” - Lowell Greer, natural horn

“20th Century Settings” Gail Williams, horn

Equipment:

Good Brands:

Conn(8D), Holton, and Yamaha(667)

Mouthpieces: Remember, this is just a starting point, result may vary.

Yamaha 30C4(Beginner)

Schillke 30(Beginner)

Holton-Farkas MC or MDC (Intermediate)

Laskey 75G(Advanced)

Laskey 80J(Advanced, larger lips)

Mutes:

Humes and Berg Straight Mute(basic)

Trumcor 45T Tuneable Straight Mute(advanced)

I'm hoping Dr. Randall Faust would be proud...CORdially...

IMEA Conference: Day 2 Clinic 1

After a long afternoon in the 408, dubbed the "tech" room. I heard the Libertyville Wind Ensemble last night it was amazing. More on all that later...

"Help for Your Young Horn Players" Clinicians: Rachel Maxwell and Meghan Fulton
It's 8AM and I'm very excited to be in my first clinic of day 2, this one is "Help for your Horn Players" by clinicians Rachel Maxwell and Meghan Fulton from Oswego. They brought their JH 6-8 horns(there's at least 16 of them) They sounded great during their warm up. This will be a good one!

Talking about right hand position, put masking tape in the bell to help them fix hand position. Great way to help them get good intonation from the start. I like that one. I have a handout on this so I won't type it word for word, but the tricks will go right here. No need to type needlessly right?

I didn't know this tip either, when playing stopped horn always play on the F side, no trigger. Want the kids to have better accuracy? Stay on them breathing through the corners. Get them mirrors and "free buzz" to make sure both lips are buzzing.  Good for all Brass players put the shank of the mouthpiece to teach the openness needed to play with a more beautiful tone. I'll be using this. To set before we play try this: Play pitch, off face, play pitch...do this ten times to create that sense of attack. "Slow motion" playing I wonder how my kids would adapt to that...is subdivision an issue with this? They also use the B.E.R.P. a lot I remember having one as trumpet player, but I didn't care for it. Might worth checking out. Another way to do that is leadpipe buzzing, I had heard of that one.

When teaching tonguing put your tongue on top teeth and try blow, you have to move it. Help them understand tonguing in that way. "Toh" to "Doh" syllables for horns. This seems to me to promote that open throat. She also uses the older kids as teachers, I mean 8th graders helping 6th graders! I love having my students work that way. When empyting spit turn to the right...

Starting kids on double horn makes sense, but if they start on a single F that's ok. Switch them to double as soon as they overblowing it and have an octave range. Note to self: Check out the packet on tuning individual slides. Where to place horn in the ensemble, that I can use! I'm always moving my horn section around. I've been validated, by this teacher(she says horns in front of saxes!!) Help them both: saxes learn to blend, horns get help hearing their pitches. You know I'd forgotten about Fansler's "Horn Shields" maybe I'll construct some for my bands.

I'm glad these ladies have their email addresses listed. Maybe I can recruit for the tech side. They must be cool they wore t-shirts to the clinic that says "French Horn Hero" with flames and such. Time to shut my computer and find out where I'm off to next!