A Complete Reference for French Horn Transposition (2012)
In a few weeks John will be covering the topic of transposition in Week 12 of the University of Horn Matters pedagogy course.
In the...
The Secret to the High Range: Teeth
One topic I mention to people in conversation periodically is that of trumpet players and dental modifications. I know to a horn player that...
Double Horn Fingerings Above High C
The topic of fingerings above high C for standard double horn came up for me last week in one of the master classes in...
Fingerings and Notations for the Single B-flat Horn
Exactly how to think of fingerings and notations for the single B-flat horn is a point of confusion for many music educators. I believe...
Review: Recent Innovations in Stop Mutes, and Notes on Stopping on...
New products are always of interest at Horn Matters. Recently I heard of a new type of stop mute made of wood, the Woodstop,...
Poulenc Thinks Horn Players Might Drag
This coming weekend I am performing the Poulenc Sextet on a faculty recital at Arizona State, the recital of oboe colleague Martin Schuring. This...
Stopped Horn: Up or Down? Does it Matter?
In a past tongue-in-cheek article -- "How to Provoke a Horn Geek" -- I poked a little fun a some hot button issues in...
Lip Trills
The Mozart horn concertos absolutely require elegant, controlled trills. The most tasteful and elegant musicianship cannot make up for a clumsy or coarse sounding...
Getting a Solid ‘Leg Up’ on Bell Support: Introducing the SockBlock
When playing within a section, I typically default to an on-leg position; I rest the bell of the horn on my right leg. The...
Transposition Tricks: Alto Clef
Sight-reading viola music.
At some gigs, you never know what will be put in front of you. Some contractors are either ignorant or care less...