Hornmasters: Farkas on Holding the Horn and the Left Hand

Continuing in our series of quotes from classic publications on the the horn, now that we have our horn selected and in working order we turn to the topic of holding the horn and the left hand.

As an orchestral player Philip Farkas in The Art of French Horn Playing was a strong advocate of playing the horn seated. He wrote that

Most brass players sit while playing; therefore they should practice in a sitting position. Some players advocate standing during practice as it seems to make deep breathing a little easier, since the body is less cramped. However, when these players perform in public—sitting—there is a new element of restricted breathing and unfamiliar position to add to their many other problems. … I go so far in trying to duplicate concert conditions that my practice chair at home is the same height as my orchestra chair.

In French horn playing there is another very good reason for sitting while practicing. The modern horn is held quite differently in standing position than when seated.

He goes on to explain that due to the weight of the double horn it is normally played on the leg. “It is very fatiguing, if not impossible, for the average player to hold the horn ‘free’ for a long day’s work.”

He advocates for a method of holding the horn while seated that does not place the weight of the horn directly on top of the leg but rather somewhat on the side of the leg. He wrote,

The new method of holding the horn while sitting, which the bottom edge of the bell resting on the outside of the thigh, at once solves the above problems. Almost the entire weight of the horn is taken away from the hands and arms, giving them and the whole body a more relaxed attitude. The tone automatically becomes slightly darker…. Do not by any means allow the blocking of the bell, even partially, by the body. The bell’s proximity to the body seems to be sufficient for producing the desired tone…. Some may dispute this method, but from my own observation I would say that eighty percent of our best professional players find this position to be the most practical.

The large issue not touched upon in any depth by Farkas is that of height variations among horn players. For him this method worked. Myself, at six feet tall, I envy players that can play on the leg in the manner described easily. It took me years to figure out that to play on the leg required me at my height to slouch to one side and that off the leg was the better method.

Farkas does also offer some advice on playing standing, offering the note to “make certain that the right hand does most of the work of supporting the horn, so that the left hand can feel approximately the same relaxation that it does when you play seated.”