Archived under: Pet Peeves
Pet Peeve: Missing Easy Notes
Here is a pet peeve that all horn players have; missing easy notes. It is one thing to miss something that is actually difficult. It is another to miss easy notes in a simple melody.
For me personally an example of a melody that really bugged me at one point was the theme of the Franz Strauss Fantasie, Op. 2. It is not hard. I was working on it when I was playing in Nashville and it really got annoying, it was a struggle to consistently play it clean.
The solution that helped the most at the time was buzzing it on the mouthpiece alone. It was obvious when buzzing where and why I was chipping things.
I am not perfect but this particular melody is normally good for me now. If you don’t know the work, it is a very nice one, check it out on my Les Adieux CD.
Related to this article
- Pet Peeve: Teachers who don’t Teach Technique
In my continuing series of posts on pet peeves we have arrived at the topic of teachers who don’t teach technique. First, this post is not meant to be one that points fingers at any specific horn teacher. There are many reasons why some students progress... - Pet Peeve: Know Your Tempo
Horn teacher pet peeve no. 3: students who don’t know their tempo. By this I mean know what metronome mark you are shooting for in any work you are serious about learning. Because if you don’t know your metronome mark it basically says to your teacher... - Pet Peeve: Don’t Attend Concerts
One thing I recall hearing said about my major professor at Indiana University, Michael Hatfield, was that he was a great example of a teacher that really made an effort to support his students by being at concerts. He hardly ever missed anything at IU or...
Where are the Horn Artists?
From the Mailbag: Single B-flat, F Extension -- Why?
Ask Dave: "Why Do Valves Clank?"
NHR: What Happened to Horndog?
