Is the Real Horn the F Horn?

Many visit the Horn Notes Blog every day for information on various types of horns, what they are, how to play the various models. One type of horn that is widely used but not our favorite is the single F horn. I have spent a great deal of time working with historic instruments, and have publicly performed several times the Franz Strauss Fantasie on a period single F horn. But for modern performing situations the F horn is not well suited. There is a category of teacher that however feels that the F horn is the one and true horn and the ideal beginner instrument. To present this side of the argument, for the purpose of fairness and balance, we feature in this post Professor Ichabod F. van Horn IV, acclaimed Professor of F horn in the preparatory division of the East Coast Institute for Highly Advanced Horn Studies and Assistant Principal Utility Horn of the Freeway Philharmonic Symphonic Society Orchestra and Chorus.

Professor van Horn IV: I am increasingly shocked at the foolish tendency of younger horn teachers to instruct their tender minded students that any acceptable alternate exists to the F horn. It is so serious now that so-called post-modern horn teachers are leading astray even some “progressive” junior high band directors, who have long been our best ally.

Professor Ericson: I would counter that most junior high band directors have figured out that the horn is the instrument that students are most likely to quit. Why put the hardest type of horn to play in their hands? As a player I know that a good argument can be made that the single B-flat is a superior beginner instrument.

Pish posh. The natural horn of Mozart and Beethoven was perfected with the addition of valves. While a good argument could be made to start beginners on the natural horn, it is only the first step and not the important step.

Umm, start beginners on the natural horn? That was in fact done as recently as a hundred years ago but that is pretty severe. As to the perfecting of the natural horn of Mozart and Beethoven with the addition of valves, the Vienna single F horn with Vienna valves and the crook is close, yes, but single F horns like beginners actually play today are not close relatives of the natural horn at all, the bore and bell is much larger, and they are all bottom of the line in terms of quality. Again, do you really want to put an instrument that is hard to play in the hands of a young student?

The important step is to play on a valved horn in F and only on this instrument as long as possible. The handsome simplicity of the F horn is indisputable. Twelve feet of tubing, three valves, and a glorious sound! In my studio there is nothing but single F horn. It is the true horn, to coin a phrase.

Is this true F horn is more difficult to play? HA! If you think this thought it just proves that you are pathetic. Nobody said horn playing is easy. You need a mouthpiece big enough to drop a pencil through and you need to WORK. Don’t be a pansy. Any shortcuts and you are simply a wimp and weakling, undeserving of playing horn in any ensemble or even of listening to a horn in any group. There are no shortcuts. All true horn players must play the true F horn only. It is all you need. While a few weak, imprudent players chose the single B-flat horn as an alternate (even Dennis Brain if you can believe that!!), the most horrible date in the history of the horn was October 5, 1897, the date that the double horn was patented. What a befuddled abomination of muddled design! B-flat fingerings and F fingerings are not intended to combine in any way. If you want a B-flat instrument take the Euphonium. Please. Horn is in F. Have you ever seen any music in F and B-flat?

There is a lot to unpack in what you just said. It sounds like Professor van Horn IV might be off his medications. At least he did not type it all caps.

The last point I would like to expand upon first. All horn players think “in F” no matter what instrument is in their hands. If they are playing double horn they just think double horn fingerings. If they are playing a single B-flat they think the same fingerings that a double horn player would think with their thumb down. If single F the fingerings are the same as thumb off on a double horn. I have a very clear fingering chart posted here.

Myself, I started on trumpet and switched to horn, a double horn, in 9th grade. This is another tactic and one that must be also taken by many band directors if we are to have horn players in bands and orchestras.

As to mouthpieces, again, a beginner will do better on something small. Really, the Yamaha 30C4, which I would say on the record is too small for any advanced horn student, is an excellent beginner mouthpiece if the goal is something easy to play. Again, I don’t want beginners to quit, do you? Even for more advanced players I see little reason to play a mouthpiece much bigger than a no. 10 bore. Even if they feel it makes for a big sound, most players begin to lose articulations around that size or bigger.

If I use a double horn ever it is only for B-flat horn notes above C-sharp on the third space written! Below that is a sin, breaking great, long-standing rules of horn playing.

Sin? No. But it might be a sin to present to students one and only one set of very fixed fingerings with no regard to figuring out what actually gives the best result for people listening in an audience. Modern conductors also will not be able to tell if you use F or B -flat horn fingerings except to the extent that you will miss more notes with less solid articulations on the F horn.

No, this is not the way a real hornist approaches things. I still hear the words of my late father Ichabod F. van Horn III, recalling his days playing horn in silent movies. Only the strong survive on the horn. WORK for the big sound. If you are not willing to work, switch to mellophone.

Well, that is kind of what a lot of leading players have done, as the high F side on a triple or descant horn is the same length as the mellophone. Marching band directors love them too; players are less likely to miss notes.

This is not change I can believe in. Thinking back to my father, he was a staunch supporter of starting students on the natural horn. But that is the past; all of the most important Eastern horn teachers are today in concurrence with my evaluation of this state of affairs, that horn players must start on the F horn from now until the end of time.

There is a point where we have to step back and say that books written in the 1950s that advocate starting beginners on the F horn are in fact out of date; it is time to move on out there.

In all seriousness, opinions vary but practical reality is you want a beginner to play equipment that is easy to manage for them so that they get a good start and don’t quit. Lord knows there are not too many horn players in our schools. Those few that start often struggle on terrible combinations of brand X single F horns with over large brand Z mouthpieces. Do what you can to make the situation better, with the goal of more horn players sticking with the instrument. In many areas of the country it is very rare to find schools with even one full section of horn players. It is time to get practical on equipment choices that will make playing easier.