What is a Compensating Double?
Over the years a number of times the topic of what is a compensating horn has come up for me a number of times....
Knopf or Geyer?
One of the perennial favorite articles in Horn Matters is on the topic of Kruspe or Geyer. Both terms reference the names of classic horn...
Horn 101: Does My Horn have a Bb Tuning Slide?
This topic has come up for me at this point in many horn lessons over the years. The short answer is that your horn...
The Stopping Valve: The Best Invention Ever
In the United States horns with a stopping valve are not common. The most recent recital I gave is probably the first that I...
F or Bb — What Horn Best Suits Beginners?
The standard line for many teachers is single F horn is the best for beginners, traditional tone, etc. Is this pedagogical approach stuck in...
Who Plays What Brand of Horn?
A question a lot of people wonder is who plays what horn and also the related, larger question of what is a professional quality...
In search of the $7,000 French horn
One question raised fairly often is on the topic of what new horns can be purchased for roughly $7,000? Underlying the question is the...
From the Mailbag: Not Kruspe, Not Geyer …
The topic of Kruspe or Geyer was a prior “From the Mailbag” question, but what if a horn is not a Kruspe or a...
From the Mailbag: Bore Sizes and French Horns
Another recent question that came in had to do with bore of horns, as in what is actually meant when people say a horn...
More on “clicks” — and the best horns
Last year a topic touched upon in an article was that of “clicks” and valve changes. In that time frame, I started taking some...