From the Files: Mouthpiece Pressure in Horn Playing

Following up on the article last week on the passing of Mark Veneklasen, Walter Hecht had two things too add that fill in a few more details on the V1 and V2 prototype horns. Two things have occurred to me that you may want to know: 1. Here is a better picture of V1 taken [...]

Continuing forward in horn history, some of our best, most characteristic horn literature (especially orchestral) dates to the second half of the nineteenth century. The main reading this week looks at the big picture of those years. The Valved Horn in the Later 19th Century The ways composers treated the horn varied wildly in this [...]

As regular readers might know, I am an avid follower of internet culture, especially meme humor. What I find most fascinating is how some meme-based concepts evolve and take root into the broader, popular culture. Internet trolling (or just trolling) is one such phenomena. While there is nothing new or novel about playing pranks, trolling has evolved into [...]

In 2012 Mountain Peak Music released a new book for horn players. While outwardly an etude book, I am hesitant to put Rangsongs in that category as, while usable as an etude book in lessons, it also would work well to guide “self help” study to improve range. I have found this book to be [...]

Ryan asks: I am in the market for a new horn and I’ve noticed intermediate horns seem to have the same specs, but are typically $1000 less than professional horns. Seeing as I am an amateur player, mostly for fun and the community band, would an intermediate horn be a good choice for me or [...]

This week the following article was received from Walter Hecht. The name Mark S. Veneklasen (8/21/1944-1/22/2013) should be familiar to many Horn Matters readers as there has been an article by Walter Hecht online for many years on “The Veneklasen Horn,” originally in Hornplayer.net and currently online here in The IHS Online. Mark Veneklasen passed [...]