Any French Horn Players?

[Zadillo]

I saw there was even a Euphonium thread, but no French Horn thread. Just curious if anyone here plays. I used to play the Horn when I was in school, but I unfortunately sold my horn and haven't played in the last 5 years or so. At some point I definitely want to save some money up to get a nice horn again (my previous horn was a Holton H179).... I'd really like something in a Geyer wrap (my teacher had a Yamaha 667 which I really liked).

[sunburstbasser]

I've played a few notes on a Yamaha French Horn.

That raspy sound that a good hornist gets is one of the best in the brass section of an orchestra.

[shasty]

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/174/359234208955tr.jpg

[Zadillo]

Umm, ok.....:)

Anyway, I think I'm stuck right now because I know I want to buy a new horn, but I also want to get a high quality horn, and it seems like that means in the $2500-3000 range (for the Yamaha 667 or 668II, or something like the Conn 8D).

I guess I just need to start setting some money aside for one.

-Zadillo

[soundministries]

Originally posted by Zadillo
Umm, ok.....:)

Anyway, I think I'm stuck right now because I know I want to buy a new horn, but I also want to get a high quality horn, and it seems like that means in the $2500-3000 range (for the Yamaha 667 or 668II, or something like the Conn 8D).

I guess I just need to start setting some money aside for one.

-Zadillo

Not that I would suggest this for everybody, but if you have the means to do so you can get a horn from Woodwind Brasswind (http://www.wwbw.com/Double-Horns-Professional-Double-Horns-d2700.music) for 12 months no interest and get a good deal sometimes. Also check out their outlet. I bought my tuba from them last year and just got it paid off and am getting ready to order either a euphonium or a bass trombone probably this week on the same plan. Now the bad side to this is if you don't get it paid off on time then they add all the back interest on to your balance.

[sunburstbasser]

Yamaha's French Horns are quite nice, that was the one I played.

Holton also makes some very nice horns. Check 'em out.

[Zadillo]

Originally posted by soundministries


Not that I would suggest this for everybody, but if you have the means to do so you can get a horn from Woodwind Brasswind (http://www.wwbw.com/Double-Horns-Professional-Double-Horns-d2700.music) for 12 months no interest and get a good deal sometimes. Also check out their outlet. I bought my tuba from them last year and just got it paid off and am getting ready to order either a euphonium or a bass trombone probably this week on the same plan. Now the bad side to this is if you don't get it paid off on time then they add all the back interest on to your balance.

Hrmm, I'll have to think about that. Knowing my own financial history though, I have had sort of a bad history of buying something expensive because it was offered with 12 or 18 months no interest, and then not managing to pay it off. Technically I'm probably better off trying to save up the money and buying it outright.

But it's definitely worth considering. A $3000 horn would work out to around $250/month for 12 months, which I certainly could swing, and at least that would mean getting a horn rather than waiting til I have something saved up. As long as I made a point to stick with it, I'd be ok.

-Zadillo

[Zadillo]

Originally posted by sunburstbasser
Yamaha's French Horns are quite nice, that was the one I played.

Holton also makes some very nice horns. Check 'em out.

Yeah, I did actually like my Holton H179. I think whatever I do, I will definitely try out a number of different horns, including the Yamahas and the Conns. I will definitely look at the Holtons too (I saw Holton did have some horns in a Geyer wrap even).

-Zadillo

[777Brad]

My 9 y.o. son wants to play horn, so we'll probably be in the market for one soon.

I'm a trumpet player, but did take horn for some time while I was working on my music ed. degree.

Did you ever notice how trumpet players can play much higher notes on horn than real horn players can? I wonder why that is, but it's a universal truth.

Brad

[DemiFrost]

I didn't know students started on horn. o_O

Most of the ones I know switched from trumpet or other instruments (even non brass) when they were like 13+.

[Zadillo]

Originally posted by 777Brad
My 9 y.o. son wants to play horn, so we'll probably be in the market for one soon.

I'm a trumpet player, but did take horn for some time while I was working on my music ed. degree.

Did you ever notice how trumpet players can play much higher notes on horn than real horn players can? I wonder why that is, but it's a universal truth.

Brad

I really think it's just that the trumpet and horn are two pretty different instruments, with completely different upper and lower registers.

You are right though; I did try playing my friend's trumpet, and I was amazed at how much easier it was to hit notes in the upper range. I think the differences in embouchure and pressure required probably have something to do with it......... as it is, I find I need a very tight embouchure to hit the upper register of the horn, but didn't need anything nearly as much to hit a similar range of notes on a trumpet.

I imagine even the mouthpiece itself has something to do with it. Then again, there's also the length of tubing you are working with.

You could probably just as soon ask why a trumpet can so easily hit high notes that a trombone or tuba can't hit.

One interesting related note; my friend was also pretty surprised at how I could handle the low register on the trumpet. He said that he had a lot more trouble playing in the lower register, but I found it to be pretty comfortable.

-Zadillo

[Uma Floresta]

I used to switch off between French horn and trumpet in high school. It's been a long time since I played either.

[Zadillo]

Originally posted by Uma Floresta
I used to switch off between French horn and trumpet in high school. It's been a long time since I played either.

I've always kind of wondered how feasible it is to do that; how difficult is it to play multiple brass instruments well? I know a lot of woodwind players who seem to be able to able to switch from clarinet to oboe to sax to flute and that kind of thing, but I haven't seen much in the way of people switching between, say, trumpet, french horn and trombone.

My horn teacher at least had told me it was probably not a great idea to try and play both the horn and the trumpet, since I wouldn't really be doing myself any favors with either instrument, and that it was best to focus on developing an embouchure for one instrument.

-Zadillo

[sunburstbasser]

Originally posted by Zadillo


I've always kind of wondered how feasible it is to do that; how difficult is it to play multiple brass instruments well? I know a lot of woodwind players who seem to be able to able to switch from clarinet to oboe to sax to flute and that kind of thing, but I haven't seen much in the way of people switching between, say, trumpet, french horn and trombone.

My horn teacher at least had told me it was probably not a great idea to try and play both the horn and the trumpet, since I wouldn't really be doing myself any favors with either instrument, and that it was best to focus on developing an embouchure for one instrument.

-Zadillo

Tower of Power's second trumpeter has to switch to trombone every few songs. That takes some adjustment!

From my experience, learn on one. When you are comfortable with one, you can try out a few others but make sure you warm up AND down properly so that you don't screw up your embouchure switching between such different mouthpieces.

[Zadillo]

Originally posted by sunburstbasser


Tower of Power's second trumpeter has to switch to trombone every few songs. That takes some adjustment!

From my experience, learn on one. When you are comfortable with one, you can try out a few others but make sure you warm up AND down properly so that you don't screw up your embouchure switching between such different mouthpieces.

Very interesting.

How different are trombone and trumpet embouchures, for example? I haven't actually seen a trombone mouthpiece, but I recall it being sort of similar in shape (except bigger). It sort of seems like the French horn mouthpiece is sort of the "freak" of the brass family.

[soundministries]

Tpt & tbn mp's are very similar except for the size. In my classroom I go from tbn to tpt to tbn to tpt to tuba on a daily basis. I'm actually getting quite good on the trumpet and my range is increasing regularly. It has also helped my high end on the t-bone though I don't hav much call to go high playing bass bone parts. It was difficult at first to go back and forth but isn't too much of a problem for me now. Horn on the other hand is a different beast. I can play it no problem as far as the embouchure goes, but I have a difficult time finding the partials since it has such a large rang as compared to the other brass instruments. I'll be teaching at a new school this Fall where the old band director was a horn player so there are a lot of students playing the horn. Guess I'll have to start practicing on one and get better at hearing the partials.

Right now I need to pick up my tuba and practice it as I'll be playing with a brass band all next week. Haven't touched my tuba in a little over a month:eek:

[sunburstbasser]

French Horn mouthpieces are pretty different. They are narrow, without the extra rim of a trumpet piece. And they have no real cup-just a hollow cone, pretty much.

A Flugel horn mouthpiece is something between a trumpet and French horn, not much rim but pretty deep. Some cornet mouthpieces are designed like this too; I have an incredibly deep Conn 6C for cornet.

Parduba actually makes trumpet mouthpieces that are truly bastard offspring of trumpet and horn pieces. They have a shallow outer rim, and a cone-shaped inner rim like a French horn piece. Very neat pieces; I'd like to try one sometime.

I don't like switching to different widths of trumpet mouthpiece, it really makes it hard to play and kills my endurance. Thankfully, it doesn't take mad skillz to be a moderator!:D

[Zadillo]

Originally posted by sunburstbasser
French Horn mouthpieces are pretty different. They are narrow, without the extra rim of a trumpet piece. And they have no real cup-just a hollow cone, pretty much.

A Flugel horn mouthpiece is something between a trumpet and French horn, not much rim but pretty deep. Some cornet mouthpieces are designed like this too; I have an incredibly deep Conn 6C for cornet.

Parduba actually makes trumpet mouthpieces that are truly bastard offspring of trumpet and horn pieces. They have a shallow outer rim, and a cone-shaped inner rim like a French horn piece. Very neat pieces; I'd like to try one sometime.

I don't like switching to different widths of trumpet mouthpiece, it really makes it hard to play and kills my endurance. Thankfully, it doesn't take mad skillz to be a moderator!:D

Hrmm, very interesting:

http://www.parduba.com/pardubadesign.html

Definitely sounds like an interesting idea.

I really actually wish I knew more about mouthpieces, frankly. I've only ever played one type of French Horn mouthpiece, a Holton MDC Medium Deep Cup mouthpiece. It's worked fine for me, but I've read about the wide variety of other mouthpieces available, but I'm really not sure what to make of them and what benefits I would possibly get out of a different mouthpiece. In particular, I find that I have a very easy time with my low register, but a much more difficult time with the upper register - I'm curious if a different mouthpiece would help with that.

Is it common for brass players to actually maintain a collection of different mouthpieces for different purposes (i.e. they might use a certain mouthpiece if they're going to play a piece that stays in the upper register most of the time)?

-Zadillo

[sunburstbasser]

It depends on the player, but many brass guys seem to have at least a few mouthpieces depending on what they are doing. What I recommend for trumpet players if they intend to switch a lot, is to find a mouthpiece width that they really like, and then keep that the same but alter the depth, say shallow for jazz/deep for wind ensemble.

Because of the design of the French Horn mouthpiece, I don't know how they affect range. I use a shallower piece to play high consistently, for instance, on trumpet. On French Horn, its just a tube! I think your best bet would be to either find a shop and demo a bunch of mouthpieces, or go the Ebay route and buy a bunch of cheap used ones and see which ones feel best to you.