Hornmasters: Tuckwell and Bushhouse on Horns

In this series I have titled “Hornmasters” we have focused on quotations from books on the horn published originally 25 or more years ago, books that may or may not be well known at the present day. Today we have quotes from two publications on the topic of horns for beginners.

After his thirteen year tenure as Principal Horn of the London Symphony Barry Tuckwell turned to a career as an international horn soloist. Besides the publication of Playing the Horn (1978) and Horn (1983) Tuckwell made fifty solo horn recordings and remains active as a conductor and chamber musician. In Horn Tuckwell turns to the topic of horns for beginners. He is in favor of the traditional single F.

The beginner should start to learn on the F horn, since it has a good basic tone and provides a greater number of harmonics within the player’s range; as a result the student will develop a more conscious awareness of embouchure control than if he starts on a Bb horn…. When a reasonable standard of proficiency is achieved a move should be made to the double horn in F and Bb.

David Bushouse was at the writing of Practical Hints on Playing the French Horn (1983) Professor of Horn at the University of Kansas, having previously served on the faculty of Morehead State University in Kentucky. In Practical Hints on Playing the French Horn David Bushouse also addresses the topic of horns for beginners. He notes that the single F is the preference of “most experts” for beginning players, but he also notes that “Band literature for advanced junior high and high school bands demands facility in the high range,” and that “above D or E [written] the F horn is difficult to play accurately with a full tone.” The single Bb horn has some advantages but “encourages a bright, uncharacteristic sound” among younger players. His horn of choice is the double horn, even for young players.

The extra expense prevents a wide use of the double horn by schools and beginners. However, a used double horn can often be purchased for about the same price as a new single horn. The appearance of a used instrument tends to determine the price, but the playing condition is dependent on the tubing and valve condition, not the lacquer.

I have some thoughts of my own on this topic as well in my article Getting Started on the Horn. In short, it is a topic that can to this day generate some surprisingly heated opinions. I am open however to the single B-flat for young students and also hope that the idea of the 3/4 size double horn might catch on as another alternate. Certainly all agree however that a student should be moved to the double horn as soon as practical if they start on a single.