- - Please visit: Legacy Horn Experience - -
At least a half dozen or so times I have seen horn students use a strap-on type hand strap but position it incorrectly. This type of strap (the Fhrap is one example) is a very handy thing but used incorrectly it can’t help much.
In our first photo the strap is positioned correctly. Note that the strap is across the back of the hand, below the knuckles. This gives the best support of the horn and allows freedom of movement of the fingers. This position may require you to twist the strap a bit but is the place you want to hit. If you had a strap that was mounted on a button on the horn (such as a Clebsch Strap) you would want it to be in this same general position as well.
In our second photo we see the incorrect position. Note that the strap is over the fingers. This limits the motion of the fingers and just can’t be really comfortable either. I think people use this mostly because the strap sort of falls into this place if it is the strap on type. But, again, this is not the correct position and if you have a strap-on type strap you need to experiment with the correct position.
I personally prefer a strap that is mounted on the horn, it is more supportive and hits a better angle, but the strap-on type is handy and requires no special installation of a button. Just be sure you have it twisted back far enough to be around the hand below the knuckles!
