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Louis Stout on Choosing an Artist French Horn

John Ericson
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A small publication that has been on a shelf in my office for years and years is Choosing an Artist French Horn by Louis Stout. The text of this publication was very recently posted online in Keynotes by Conn-Selmer [see UPDATE]. Stout began,

It is more difficult to choose a fine French horn than any other instrument in the brass family. There is a twofold reason for this. First, the French horn plays the most important role of any instrument in the brass family so far as the symphonic repertoire is concerned. As a member of the brass family the French horn must have, at least by American standards of performance, a large, full-bodied timbre and sonority. Second, many composers utilize the French horn as a member of the woodwind family and expect its timbres and sonorities to blend with individual instruments in this family as well as with the sonority produced by the family as a whole.

The most important things to consider when choosing an artist French horn are these:

1.) The instrument must have an evenly balanced tone quality on every note in an extended four octave range.
2.) It must have matched timbres throughout on both F and Bb sides.
3.) It must have a matched pattern of intonation throughout on both F and Bb sides.

When choosing a French horn I use the following test patterns and play each
musical example three or four times in order to arrive at a considered, unbiased judgment of an instrument’s responsiveness to my demands upon it.

The examples that follow are all good but the text perhaps just a little biased to a certain brand of horn? For example,

5.) The horn call in the Handel oratorio, “Judas Maccabeus,” is written in a high, narrow tessitura. I use this example to check the ease of response when playing high notes only. If the player must do something with the hands or the lips to play this call in tune, it will sound very stuffy. The truth is that many horns are very flat on these high notes. I can play this passage in tune very easily on my Holton French horn.

And

9.) The 1st horn part in the slow movement of the Beethoven Second Symphony can be used to test the ease of slurring upward from one high register note to another. This solo passage strikes terror into the hearts of performers who are forced to play on an inadequate instrument. My Holton French horn’s great flexibility, accurate intonation and consummate ease of response makes it a great joy to play this solo.

And his conclusion,

Playing these musical examples on a Holton (Farkas model) Double French horn will convince even the most unreasonable skeptic about the superb response, intonation and timbre of this instrument, the finest French horn ever made.

Well there you go! In spite of the bias there are some good tips, and it is great to see this classic Leblanc publication now online.

UPDATE: The section of articles linked seems to now be dead, but the quotes from the online version of the Stout publication above are identical to the print version.

Before Farkas: Preparatory Instructor for French Horn (1937) on the Single B-Flat

John Ericson
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I am not sure what the exact background was of authors E. C. Moore and A. O. Sieg but they certainly were practical band directors from the reasons they cite for having horn players use the single B-flat.

The authors recommend strongly the Single Bb Horn as the horn best adapted to the usage of school bands. This statement is made after several years of experimentation and use of this instrument. The reasons for its superiority are:

1st Its shorter tubing enables an amateur to get cleaner attacks.
2nd Its slightly more brilliant quality of tone is better suited to band work.
3rd It can be played with more confidence and certainty, especially in the upper register.

Preparatory Instructor for French Horn by Moore and SiegThis advice from Preparatory Instructor for French Horn (1937), of course, is quite different than the advice offered by Farkas in The Art of French Horn Playing. It is interesting to see this context and that some certainly were using the single B-flat in this time frame.

If band directors better understood the single B-flat it would get more use, it is in fact a great beginner instrument. For a variety of reasons, they don’t, but Moore and Sieg being practical band directors had tried the option and found it worked well.

E. C. Moore had other publications, including a publication from Leblanc Educational Publications titled The Band Book, including the following tips for band directors that any horn player would do well to put into practice.

Do you teach good posture?
Breath is the soul of tone — as well as its support. Correct posture and good breathing habits go hand in hand. Insist upon good standing and sitting posture, for these are basic to good breathing and breath control.

Do you insist on good instrument position?
Instruments are designed to be held in a certain way. When they are not held in this standard position, tone quality, intonation and technique are adversely affected. Insist on good posture and correct position of the instrument in the hands, and of the hands on the instrument. Correct finger position is a basic requirement for rapid, comfortable technique.

Do you watch embouchure formations?
Watch the facial and embouchure formations of your students. When a malfunction becomes apparent, correct it at once. Proper facial and lip control is essential to correct playing.

Do you teach students to listen?
All great wind instrument teachers agree that a beautiful tone is the first requisite of an artistic performance. A beautiful tone is the result of mental alertness and concentration. Never allow students to play “a blur of notes.” Insist that they listen intelligently, critically and constructively, first to themselves and then to the band as a whole.

Do you teach the mechanical and acoustical resources of each instrument?
Many difficult passages are made easy when students understand the full mechanical and acoustical resources of their instruments. Be sure to teach the use of all legitimate alternate fingerings and slide positions.

Do you insist on proper attacks and releases?
The correct use of breath and tongue is basic to a good technique. Students should not only be taught the basic styles of attack and release, but the director must insist that they be used according to the demands made by the music.

Do you require a uniform and precise articulation?
There are about twelve basic articulations, and every member of the band must understand each of them. The effect of a light staccato can be ruined if one player uses the legato attack and release. Teach the basic patterns, and insist upon precise articulation.

There are more tips of this type in the article, including this last one I will cite:

Does your band play afterbeats clearly, precisely and in tune?
The playing of afterbeats is a neglected phase of ensemble performance. Ensemble tone can be seriously distorted when bass players puff their cheeks and “scoop” into every note. Inside parts are often similarly played as players gasp for breath between each note. Afterbeat accompanying passages should be played phrase-wise, with the players breathing only at phrase cadences. The tonguing should be light and clean.

This is probably a big part of why he favored the single B-flat, it is much easier to perform the type of afterbeats found in classic band literature on a single B-flat than on a single F.

One final note related to the single B-flat. Eighteen months ago I helped start the three beginners. The two that I started on single B-flat are still playing and the one on Single F has quit. I feel sure the percentages sticking with the horn would be better if we did not start beginners on the single F. If you are a horn teacher and have not lately tried a single F, take the horn dare and see how you feel about it now.

Horn is Tough for Band Directors to Teach

John Ericson
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…especially if they did not have a decent methods class.

One of the projects I have had students do in the horn pedagogy class in recent years is as an assignment where they interview a band director about the horn and learn what concerns they have about the horn as a band director. Those papers are always among the most interesting things I read each year. It is clear that many band directors are actually very uncertain about many things about the horn.

Many of their problems and concerns come down to their not having had good methods class exposure to the horn. It really depends where and when they went to school. I know there are major universities with large music education programs where literally only a few days are spent on the horn in the methods sequence and the brass methods classes may in fact be taught by a non brass player! Yikes! And the materials used to teach the class can be confusing or dated or both which does not help matters, plus the class may have been taken before the student really understood how important it was to really give this class extra effort as it will really pay off if they understand the materials well.

People who have had poor methods class experiences will come away with literally no understanding of what a single F horn is compared to a double horn compared to a single B-flat (I explain this topic pretty fully here), how the notations relate to concert pitch, etc. It is a bit frightening but the result is if a horn player starts under this type of band director the result is a poor start and there is a good chance they will quit.

What underlies the structure of my publication Introducing the Horn is the idea that it be a book geared to cover the most essential elements needed by a band director to understand the horn. As I say over at Horn Notes Edition, Introducing the Horn

Covers in one volume the range of performance-related topics that are the most essential in giving a new hornist a good start. While primarily directed toward current and future instrumental music educators (the materials originally were compiled for use in methods classes for music education students), this publication is also a great resource book for beginners and for those converting to the horn.

As we approach the new year, if you are a horn player try to get to know a band director or two and figure out what they know and don’t know about the horn. It will be eye opening.

Optimism/Realism/Pessimism and the Horn Player

John Ericson
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Right now I have over thirty posts in various stages of underway. This post when still in progress I initially titled “Abused by the Horn.”It has been one that has been hard to pull together as it touches on a topic that we don’t much like to face, the topic of our relationship to the horn, which is at times a bit abusive of our psyche.

My son loves to visit Sea World and to see the Shamu show. In that show there is a theme put forth along the lines of “if you can dream it, you can do it!”

As horn players we have learned that this is not factual reality, if it was something we ever once believed. Reality is there are things you can dream but still can’t do. Specifically, you can dream 100% accuracy all you want, you can work hard all you are able on every aspect of technique, you can practice like a maniac and study with the best teachers ever, you can visualize the perfect performance, and you still won’t be perfectly accurate.

Some try to stay optimistic by focusing on positive statements such as “Be the Music,” “I can play in all registers with ease and security,” etc. If it works for you, great. But for me this tactic has always rung very hollow.

The dream of playing perfectly is something that began to be squashed as a reality we could ever achieve from a pretty young age. This is actually one of the sources of the “twa-twa” or “wa-wa” problem many hornists have. We on some unconscious level sneak in on attacks so that we don’t make the giant clam. We are in fact afraid of the horn.

But then again, that dream of perfection is what kept us going! We were challenged by it, this personal Everest to climb, and we good hooked by the challenge. So on that side of things it is good. To make it you need to be pretty driven and optimistic that you can be one of the ones that have the best chance to make it, because there are many easier things to do than play the horn.

Writing this I know I would rather be an optimist on the topic of accuracy but there is a point where we have to face a choice between being a realist and a pessimist while trying to remain optimistic.

Other musicians are not always the most supportive on this topic either. At times you can pick up a vibe something like “that was good playing for a horn player.” The sad fact is it is easier to play accurately on almost any other instrument.

Back to the initial title I had for the post, are we victims, abused by our instrument? Elements of our psychology are beat down a bit for sure by the horn being the way it is. We hate to admit it but that collective psychological abuse from our instrument is something that in a way defines the horn culture.

Stories of Nutcrackers Past

John Ericson
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Sunday afternoon I heard an excellent performance of an extended suite of selections from The Nutcracker performed by the ASU Symphony Orchestra on their annual Holiday Concert. Hearing them brought back a few good memories of Nutcrackers past.

I performed The Nutcracker every year I was in Nashville with the exception of the year my son was born. I never really minded playing the run, it was not overly long and the music is actually very good music if you step back from it a bit—colorfully orchestrated and pretty amazing actually for being premiered way back in 1892.

The first time I performed it the Nashville Ballet used a conductor who was basically a show conductor at the now defunct Opryland theme park. He was OK but not a favorite of the orchestra. Anyway, those that have played The Nutcracker know there is a final section of the ballet, a “coda,” that starts with the horns playing off beats. We were seated off to a side and right before that section of the last performance put on Santa hats. The conductor gave us our cue and we got the most incredible double take you can imagine. And yes Bob if you are out there reading this, I still have my hat! I wear it every year on Christmas day opening presents.

There is a part for a girl’s chorus at the end of Act I. One year, the chorus was just not cutting it and got “fired” in the middle of the run. After that, we were just told we could sing along if we wanted to (but no doubling pay!), which a lot of us did, including me, just for fun.

Another horn section tradition from long before I was in the orchestra was the fourth horn would time the section at the end of the Chinese dance when the second horn has those bass line notes. There were many years of records of the timing of that dance recorded in the fourth horn part. It was always around 30 seconds somewhere, plus or minus a bit. If you are playing a run, time how quick your group does it for entertainment.

Finally, one year the orchestra was split for a project with Amy Grant and I played first horn on the run (with overscale!) without an assistant. The Nutcracker is a piece of cake to play with a good assistant, but without one it becomes a bit of a test of endurance. I was very careful with the chops and also found a number of spots to switch octaves with the second horn which helped.

Best wishes to all of you out there playing runs of this ballet! It is a holiday tradition to be sure that I think we all agree sounds best with live music.

Before Farkas: Preparatory Instructor for French Horn (1937) on Tonguing

John Ericson
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In working on a project this past year related to Philip Farkas I have had a nagging feeling that there has to be some back story, some reason why he said some of the things he said in The Art of French Horn Playing the way he did. Reading any book you know the author must have read some other books first on the topic.

I was aware of a couple possible sources he should have known by Birchard Coar and Anton Horner, which I have posted about before. For more clarity on this topic, I have with this post started a series on sources before Farkas; at the creation of this post this will be part 3 of the series.

Preparatory Instructor for French Horn by Moore and SiegLate this semester one of the students in the horn pedagogy class found a small book in the library to review that I don’t recall ever looking at, the Preparatory Instructor for French Hornby E. C. Moore and A. O. Sieg, published in 1937.

There are several interesting topics in this publication, and first among them I would touch on is tonguing. Before getting to the first quotes, the thing I want to note up front is that while we may initially read this description through our Farkas oriented lens and think it sounds a bit strange, the reality is I know this description is actually closer to how I tongue than the description in the Farkas book.

Their description of tonguing is initially tied up with their description of how to make a tone. Their starting point is free buzzing, a topic not at all part of the pedagogy of Farkas. For them the first three steps to “Making a Tone” are

1st The best and quickest way to learn this is to learn to “buzz” the lips without the instrument or mouthpiece…. Bring the LOWER JAW in line with the upper so that both lips will vibrate in the center.

2nd Now push the tip of the tongue slightly between the lips.

3rd Next jerk the tongue back quickly as if spitting something off its tip. At the same time blow and the lips should “buzz” against each other.

From this the authors move on to buzzing with the fingers defining the corners of the embouchure better and then mouthpiece buzzing and then finally to playing the horn.

This description of tone production sets the stage for the section on “Tongue Action.” The authors describe two methods of tonguing, with both having a place in their pedagogy; Farkas also describes both of them but one of them is labeled clearly as being “wrong” in his pedagogy.

There are two common methods of “tonguing” the brass instruments.

1st The method outlined above, namely, that of the tip of the tongue protruding slightly between the lips in the attacks.

2nd The second method consists of tonguing entirely back of the teeth as in saying “too.”

Years of experimentation and use of both methods have led the authors to the following conclusions:

1st Method number 1 is by far the best and quickest way for a young player to START because it gets both lips vibrating correctly and easily at once.

2nd Both methods are correct, and both should be learned and used.

3rd Each method produces a somewhat different type of tone

4th Method number 1 produces a somewhat more brilliant tone and enables one to produce sharp, clean attacks. This method should be used for trumpeting effects and accented or emphasized notes.

5th Method number 2 (back of the teeth) produces a more mellow, sweeter, “singing” tone and therefore should be used in legato passages, in sustained organ-like passages, and in song passages.

6th The idea that either method should be used exclusively is a great mistake. A few minutes experimentation with the brass section of an advanced band using the above suggestions will quickly demonstrate the points mentioned. Only by knowing and using the method that the type of music indicates can the full rich beauty of a brass section be utilized.

7th The proper time to teach this is as soon as the student has progressed far enough to begin to have some command of the embouchure. This usually occurs very early.

So there you have it. Reading it all these years later, Moore and Sieg were actually on the cutting edge. Both approaches to tonguing are in fact valid, but it is extremely rare to find a source that describes both. If you still are taken aback by the way they describe tonguing, it lines up pretty well with the method described by Anton Horner as well. I will have more from this book soon.

A New Version of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante

John Ericson
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James Bash of Oregon Music News reports that

There’s a big mystery behind Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major. Since the original manuscript has never been found, did Mozart really write this piece? Mozart scholar and pianist Robert Levin did so much research about this topic that he wrote a 492-page book entitled “Who Wrote the Mozart Four-Wind Concertante” and has “reconstructed” the piece to make it sound more like what Mozart would’ve written.

Musicians of The Oregon Symphony recently performed this version and sat down for an interview on the topic for Oregon Music News. This photo of the wind principal players involved in the performance is linked from their article.

As to brief background on the work, this new version uses flute instead of clarinet. As explained by Principal Flute David Buck,

It’s a very long story as to why those two pieces are different. The short version of the story is something like this. The original Mozart Sinfonia concertante is lost. What we have handed down is an arrangement of just the solo parts with orchestral accompaniment written in the 1830s with different instrumentation. That’s the version with solos for oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon.

For us on horn, this portion of the interview with comments from Buck and Principal Horn John Cox is the key part.

[JB:] So, what are some of the differences between the versions – the one with clarinet and the one that Levin wrote for the flute?

JC: You can see many differences, for example in the horn parts. In the traditional version the horn part was done in the style that Mozart wrote for Joseph Leutgeb, a famous horn player and a friend of Mozart. Mozart wrote concertos and the quintet for horn and string quartet for Leutgeb, and the traditional Sinfonia concertante has a horn part in that style. But the horn player that Mozart actually wrote the Sinfonia concertante for was another famous virtuoso, Giovanni Punto. Punto wasn’t even a member of the orchestra in Paris. He was a very popular, traveling horn player. Beethoven wrote his Sonata for horn and piano for Punto. Over 4,000 people attended Punto’s funeral.

[JB:]That many at a funeral for a horn player of all things!

JC: [Laughing] Yes! It can happen! Anyway, Punto played in a different style than Leutgeb. So Levin in his scholarship reconstructed this piece, the Sinfonia concertante, in the style that Punto did. I think that Levin succeeded for the most part though some things seem kind of dubious.

DB: What Levin tried to do is difficult. He thinks that the version that was handed down to us for clarinet was written to highlight a clarinetist who was very excellent. For example, the clarinet part is much more extensive than the other three parts – which are much easier. Mozart would have written a much more balanced style for all of the soloists.

So, Levin doled out the clarinet parts in a way that would make sense. That’s a really difficult thing to do.

There is much more in the interview, including some discussion of the intrigue as to why this work appears to never have been performed in Paris as originally intended. Check out the full interview for more. And check out their site; Oregon Music News is a web concept that should be exploered in other states.

Pondering the Warm-Up, and Learning Double Tonguing of Scales and Arpeggios

John Ericson
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The following post is a combination of two posts from the original HTML Horn Notes Blog dating to 11/23/04 and 11/30/04.

Recently on the horn list someone posted an item that was sort of critical of some unnamed teacher who required all their students to do the __________ (fill in the blank) horn warm-up. The writer felt this was too regimented I guess and while I don’t have students do one specific warm up I do want to feel sure that they in fact have something like a regular routine going. My observation is that students who don’t have a regular warm-up routine won’t make it on the horn (want to make it?).

Working out the Farkas warm-up as an undergraduate was certainly a key to my success on the horn and, stated simply, I feel that warming up is critical to any success on the horn. Each player is wired a bit differently as to what works but for me certainly I need to warm-up 15-20 minutes at the beginning of a practice session and for roughly the same amount before any rehearsal or concert. In fact, when I described my warm-up to Farkas in a lesson he told me I was warming up too much (!) but I believe he was more set with the idea of the big warm-up being in the morning and the rest of the day you were basically warmed-up already (which works for many players, but not for me).

I have had a series of basically set warm-up routines over the years which I give copies to my students to help in formulating their routine. Compared to many other warm-ups I have found mine tends to start a little slower (longer in the mid-range) and mine is more focused on getting the lips feeling flexible. But as I am currently between major performances I have been working on different warm-up materials than normal, especially the Doug Hill warm-ups, to focus in on my technique. They go beyond Farkas in a number of ways, especially at the tempos he requests, and in the longest version of the warm-up it really covers just about every technical aspect of the horn at a very high level. These warm-ups are published by Really Good Music [see update at end of post for the link] and are well worth checking out (follow the links to Doug Hill–his new trill book looks pretty interesting as well).

There are many classic and many new warm-up related publications out there. The main thing is to not only work out a routine that works to get you to the point that you feel very warmed-up but also to push yourself into new technical areas and master them. Even a old classic like the Farkas warm-up is one that if you have it totally worked out technically you will be very well equipped to play almost any work that comes your way. Work your warm-up.

——–

This is a follow up to the previous item on the warm-up. I long have only been able to double tongue repeated notes, not scales and arpeggios, relying instead on a very fast single tongue (faster than almost any player I know of) to perform passages of this type. Verne Reynolds, my teacher at Eastman, said to me once that I “tongued like a one-eyed blacksnake” and in short, for him, a fast single tongue was and is the horn players best friend. I would tend to agree with this actually still, but you can’t play everything you need to be able to play without double and triple tonguing. I learned to double tongue, believe it or not, after finishing my Masters degree and Performers Certificate at Eastman, when I was taking orchestral auditions. In terms of orchestral horn passages you can certainly get by with a good double tongue on repeated notes such as I worked out but there are times when it is really useful to break out into scales and arpeggios when double tonguing. (If you are wondering, yes, I can single tongue the 3rd horn excerpt in Mendelssohn 3 at 126 to the quarter note, a passage that many would double tongue).

In short, over the long weekend I was doing all the versions of the Doug Hill warm-up and learned to double tongue scales and arpeggios! His double tonguing exercise is worth the price of the book. It is actually a very simple exercise; if you can double tongue at all within days you probably can expand your technique quickly if working on a well focused exercise such as his.

I am also working on his triple tonguing exercises as well. I had only been comfortable “double tonguing with accents” (TKT KTK patterns alternating–this works well in Don Juan), was never comfortable with the TTK TTK pattern, and could not triple tongue scales or arpeggios either. The TKT TKT pattern looks to be the way to go for me.

The 2009 update would be I actually have opted to just stick with my double tonguing with accents method instead of true triple tonguing, I feel like too much of an old dog to learn that new trick. If you are a young player and can’t multiple tongue, learn to double and triple tongue now! 

Onstage Relaxation Techniques

Bruce Hembd
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belly007I have been rehearsing and performing Richard Strauss’ opera Salome over the past few weeks. While it is relatively short compared to most operas, the horn parts are very taxing – both physically and mentally.

In an orchestra pit, the musicians are out-of-sight and so it is possible to do large stretches here and there in the rests and not disturb the performance for the audience. Even in performance onstage however, it is possible to do little things that can help relieve physical tension and mental stress.

During this run of Salome I was reminded of these movements. They can fall into one of three general categories – tension and release, collapsed relaxation and breathing.

Tension and release

Sometimes my hands get achy and a finger might go a bit numb after holding up the horn for a very long time.

With the horn at rest, clench one or both hands into tight fists and hold them for a few seconds. Release the clenched fists and open the hands, spreading the fingers out completely, to the point of opposing tension.

Hold this position for a few seconds, then relax. Repeat this cycle a few times.

A similar cycle of tension and release can be done with the legs and toes (and rear end), discretely and out of sight to even an audience member with the most high powered binoculars.

Collapsed relaxation

  • With the horn secured under one arm, let one or both arms droop to the side and hang loosely.
  • Drop the chin to the chest and let the back of the neck relax and collapse. Avoid a head/neck roll as this is a bit too obvious and can be seen by the audience.

Breathing

Sometimes in anticipation of a important passage, I will unconsciously hold my breath or shallow breathe.  A deliberate series of slow, rhythmic breathing cycles sets this straight.

Sometimes too during a big break and in tandem with these physical exercises, breathing can be enormously helpful.

These small things can be very refreshing and energizing. Done discretely, no one but yourself – and maybe your immediate colleagues – will even notice. Just be sure to keep counting your measures rest so that you do not get lost!

Who Plays What Brand of Horn?

John Ericson
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A question a lot of people wonder is who plays what horn and also the related, larger question of what is a professional quality horn? My standard answer is a professional quality horn is a horn that a professional would seriously consider playing. In other words, it is not something determined by marketing but by the market.

When you purchase a horn you want to buy a horn a professional would seriously consider playing. Jeffrey Agrell of the University of Iowa has put together a great resource on the topic of professional players and the horns they play [UPDATE: no longer online]. You could get lost in this list for ages pondering the many makes and models. He also offers this quote from Paul Navarro which puts elements of the list into context.

As you look at who plays what in whatever section, it is important to consider that the instrument chosen by a particular player just might not be the instrument that the player likes the best out of all of the instruments available.

Some of the considerations that may influence what instrument is chosen to use may include: (not in order of importance)
+the principal’s preference
+the conductor’s preference
+what works best within their section
+what works best with the acoustics of the hall
+repertoire considerations- especially for chamber orchestras

Above all a pro wants a horn that produces a professional sound that fits with the work situation where you are at. In particular note that a horn that fits in well in Europe may not fit in well in the USA and also the horn that is very American in character won’t fit in well overseas.

In terms of me, for over ten years my personal, go to horn was the big Paxman 25A in the photo above (similar to a Kruspe but with the Paxman wrap) but UPDATE: I have switched recently over to a Geyer style custom horn.

Finally, for another post with information on horns that people actually play also check out these notes on what horns they play in London.

UPDATE: Also check this article on the topic Kruspe or Geyer for more background.

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