Horn Pedagogy Week 13: Lip Trills, and Muting and Stopping the Horn

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“Extended techniques” is a general term that can include many things. Horn chords, already discussed in week 9, are actually an extended technique.

Some very essential extended techniques

This week our focus is on the important topics of trills, muting, and stopping the horn, all being extended techniques that are seen very often in the horn literature. Our first readings are from the Hornmasters series.

• Trills, Part I: Farkas
• Trills, Part II: Various Tips
• Trills, Part III: Berv and Brophy
• Trills, Part IV: Tuckwell
• Trills, Part V: Wekre and Hill
• Mutes
• Stopped Horn, Part I: Introduction and Farkas
• Stopped Horn, Part II: Schuller and Berv
• Stopped Horn, Part III: Various Tips
• Stopped Horn, Part IV: Hill

An optional reading if interested to learn more about the history of horn mutes would be:

• Developments in Horn Mute Design in the 20th Century

Stopped horn is the topic most likely to confuse readers but is one that it is essential to understand well. If you are still feeling confused at this point, step back and read this article in Horn Articles Online which is my valiant attempt to try to lay things out in a simple and practical manner.

• Understanding Stopped and Muted Horn and Right-Hand Position

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not link this article, but as there are so many readings this week consider it to be another optional, bonus reading:

• The Stopping Valve, the Best Invention Ever

The end is near

Whew! A lot to read, but the end is near and we really have covered a lot of ground this semester. Next week is the final, shorter week of readings, looking primarily at the important topic of performance anxiety.

Continue to Week 14 of Pedagogy Course

This is week 13 of a fourteen week course in horn pedagogy. The introductory article is here, and the series is presented for the educational purposes of our readers.