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Articles by John Ericson

Indexed in reverse chronological order.

Hornmasters on Double and Triple Tonguing. Part I: Schuller and Farkas

PUBLISHED: December 14, 2011, John Ericson

While long considered an essential skill for the trumpet player, double and triple tonguing has traditionally been considered optional for horn players. Gunther Schuller in Horn Technique introduces the topic of double and triple tonguing as follows. Some players are gifted with extremely fast-moving and agile tongue muscles. Others are more sluggish in this respect…. [...]

An Inside Look at Double and Triple Tonguing

PUBLISHED: December 12, 2011, John Ericson

Over a year ago the focus of an article on breaking the embouchure was an X-ray video of a horn player which showed the jaw motion clearly. But a lot more can be gleaned from this same video, which was filmed as a part of Joseph A. Meidt’s 1967 dissertation, “A Cinefluorographic Investigation of Oral [...]

Categories: Sub-categories:
Articulation

Horn Event Promotion 101: Two Approaches to Horn Concertos

PUBLISHED: December 11, 2011, John Ericson

Following up on the October article on horn event promotion, two of the upcoming regional horn workshops have angles on the topic of horn concertos that are also well worth highlighting. At the Southwest Horn Conference here in Arizona in January host Rose French has made a prominent element of promotion the world premier of [...]

Hornmasters on Staccato, Part II: Fox, Berv, and Hill

PUBLISHED: December 8, 2011, John Ericson

Staccato tonguing is a problem for many horn students. In part I of this article Farkas and Schuller laid out their approaches to teaching this, approaches that sound right on paper but in reality are confusing to many readers. The problem being that they ignore a a physiological reality of staccato on the horn that [...]

Hornmasters on Staccato, Part I: Farkas and Schuller

PUBLISHED: December 6, 2011, John Ericson

Continuing on the topic of tonguing, we finally turn officially to staccato tonguing. There are speaking broadly two approaches to staccato presented in horn methods. One of those approaches I strongly agree with and the other I can see their point but … well, more on what I think later. First up are two big [...]

Brief Review: The GigBag Horn Mute Bag

PUBLISHED: December 4, 2011, John Ericson

A new product I was sent recently for review is the GigBag horn mute bag. As the website states, “The GigBag is a carrying case for multiple horn mutes and music accessories, designed specifically for horn players’ needs.” In short the product is very nicely made and comfortably has room for two horn mutes and [...]

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Mutes & muting

Make Your Own Custom Horn

PUBLISHED: December 1, 2011, John Ericson

Interested in owning a custom horn but hesitant about the cost? There is a resource out there worth checking into. I have mentioned a couple times in this site that I made a natural horn as a Doctoral student with the help of Richard Seraphinoff, and that also I cut my first bell with his [...]

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Custom horns, Geyer, Kruspe horns
John Ericson & Bruce Hembd
on the French horn, brass related topics, and the field of classical music.