Epstein on the Horn and Summer Vacation
Eli Epstein, besides publishing a new book on horn playing, also has started answering reader questions on his Facebook page. His first post was...
Looking closer at the topic of breath support with Eli Epstein
Those familiar with my teaching know that I almost never use the term “support,” and when I do I add disclaimers about...
When “more air” is too much air — and causes problems
Standard issue brass playing advice – for practically any problem! – is to use “more air.” For some brass teachers (especially low brass), breathing...
Keeping the Chops Going amid Heavy Playing Weeks
I have had so many conversations with people about chops lately, but, thinking back, clearly many people get their chops into a...
Best Invention Ever: Pencil Clips
One of my younger students was fascinated by my pencil clip. This is really a must have item for the horn player. It is...
How to Hold a Stop Mute, and a Mute Comparison
One topic I had literally never, ever, given any thought to until very recently was how to hold a stop mute. My method of...
A Horn Right Hand Position Survey
A great new resource has been posted in The IHS Online, “Two Surveys of European Horn Playing Styles.” What you will find there are...
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...
Lessons in Vienna, part VII: The Long Call
This series of articles expands on notes taken by Nicholas Smith in lessons with Roland Berger in 1977.
Then he asked if I had ever...
123’s, just like ABC’s
On just about every valved brass instrument, the combination fingerings of first and third valves or all three valves together are horrifically out-of-tune.
Trumpet players...