I have a Yamaha 667 that I have had considerable work done to. I love the horn and am ready for the last step. I need to have the valves rebuilt, but don’t know how to narrow down the list of prospective repair shops who can do a good valve job. How do I choose someone to do this?
Dave replies:
I’ve touched on this subject before (HERE), but let’s get specific about valve rebuilds. The short answer is, go to a shop with a good reputation and where they’ve done a lot of rotary valve plate and fit rebuilds.
Gather your information by first getting a short list of shops that do it. The list is, by definition, pretty short, actually. Once you get the list down to a manageable number, contact the technician (not necessarily the owner) who does the rebuilds and ask how many he or she has done. You don’t need an exact number, but there is a quantitative difference between “a few”, “dozens”, and “hundreds”. The more rebuilds one has personally done, the more experienced one is.
Next ask for two or three references and follow those up. Try to get references who’ve had the work done at least a year ago. You want to know how this work has held up over time. This is the most critical factor in your decision making.
Some technicians promote the equipment they have as a selling point, including plating tanks, high end lathes, and so forth. Just having the equipment doesn’t necessarily mean they do great work. But, having all the equipment ready to hand does mean that they can control the process more efficiently.
There will be other factors, such as price and location of the repair shop, but your choice should be decided primarily on the quality of the work. A good valve job can last dozens of years, and you want it to be of that caliber given the high cost.
A few weeks ago I caught wind of a breathing device that looked very interesting.
It has been around since 1999 and a number of studies and white papers support its efficacy in improving breath control. Its users and advocates include musicians, doctors, athletes of all kinds, scuba divers and swimmers, and lung patients.
So, I decided to buy one on a fluke and check it out.
Called the PowerLung, it is a nifty device that gives measured resistance throughout the respiration cycle. It does this through what the company calls threshold resistance. It provides for a more consistent exercise experience.
When you breathe in and out through PowerLung, you are working against a threshold of resistance that is the same for every breath. You are not breathing through a restricted orifice where the load can be reduced just by changing the way you breathe.
The device has two large control dials for adjusting the inhalation and exhalation resistance levels independently. Inside each control dial lies the secret to the PowerLung – some type of control-flow valve that helps to keep the resistance consistent.
Fortunately, the company provides an 8-part video series on YouTubethat gives very comprehensive instructions. One of the best – and I think the most important – video tips, advises you to not let pride get in the way of using the device and trick you into setting the levels too high.
This sample video from that series gives an overview of the product and its purpose.
Where and how do I buy one? Which model do I buy?
The most disappointing aspect of the PowerLung experience has nothing to do with the product itself, buy rather has to do with their web site.
Choosing which model that will work for you is not particularly easy. Sorting through the company web site and understanding the purchasing process is also a bit confusing.
First and most hard to image, their web site is not geared for e-commerce, online purchases.
In my own quest to buy a PowerLung, I was first channeled into a U.S. regional site, then after deciding on which model I wanted, I was forwarded to a local distributor’s web site where it could be ultimately purchased.
To compound the confusion there are seven different models to choose from. In addition to the four base models:
Each model comes with fairly detailed description and so I was able to create a short list of three potential models to buy.
However, during the purchasing process the decision was made for me. I discovered that only one model was available for me to buy through the distributor and this is how I ultimately ended up with the yellow-colored BreatheAir model.
Fortunately for me, dumb luck was on my side and this model seems to be the right fit.
O fortuna?
Training with PowerLung is very simple – it involves a 3-set routine, done twice daily.
Inhale and exhale through the PowerLung (a repetition)
Perform these repetitions 9 more times
Take a short break
Repeat these steps two more times for a total of 30 repetitions
That’s it. A two-minute routine, done twice every day.
Now the question that I am sure you are asking right now is, yeah but does it work?
After two weeks of owning and working with mine I would have to say that yes, it does work. However that being said, I could not tell you with any certainty what those changes and improvements are – at least not yet.
Within the first few days for example, my embouchure aperture felt strange – as if it were twice its normal size.
I chose to ignore that sensation, and after a week it felt normal again; I started to feel that indeed my breathing was smoother and more relaxed. I felt less fatigued over the long haul – especially at the very ends of the breath or at the very ends of phrases.
To me, this sensation – as well as other, less-tangible positives – was worth the high price and the hassle of how to select and buy one. The PowerLung ain’t cheap, but it sure is handy. Most important for me personally is that having it around has helped to keep on track for doing breathing exercises on a daily basis.
If you decide yourself to buy one, you will need to weigh out these options; namely, the high price and purchase hassle, against the device’s potential benefits.
Fine musical phrasing sets apart the good from the great hornists. While the topic of musical phrasing is one certainly of concern to all good horn teachers and performers, in terms of publications on the horn it was a topic that particularly interested Philip Farkas.
Toward the end of his discussion of a variety of musical issues in The Art of French Horn Playing he offers this practical advice.
Bach and his contemporaries wrote almost no dynamic or shading marks, depending entirely on the player’s musicianship and ability to interpret the music properly. This has led to many heated discussions among present day musicians as to the proper interpretation of these early works. Unfortunately, we will never know exactly what the early composers intended, as their very “pure” form of writing lends itself to many interpretations….
The composer of today can indicate the slightest inflection with a symbol, written instructions, or metronome mark. Today, as always, we have good musicians and bad; but we have almost no excuse for straying far afield in the interpretation of a modern composer’s works. The good player will take these written symbols, not only literally, but also as a clue to the sprit behind the composition, and thus gain more insight into the exact thought that the composer hopes he will re-create. What a pity that a composer goes to great trouble to think and then write out the little shading marks (mf > p – sf ^); the engraver engraves them, the printer prints them out, the proof-reader checks them, and then the one person for whom they were intended – the player – ignores them! Yet they are as much a part of the music as the notes themselves.
The topic of musical phrasing is but one of the topics Farkas returned to in greater depth in The Art of Musicianship. His general introductory remarks set the tone.
Through the ages music teachers and directors have been imploring or demanding instrumentalists and singers to apply more and better musicianship to their art. Because definition of the term “musicianship” is abstract or even nebulous, many synonyms or explanatory phrases are used in urging musicians to employ good musicianship. Commonly heard are these exhortations: “sing”, “phrase”, “expressive”, “project”, “communicate”, “with feeling”, “say something,” etc. Unfortunately, these terms are almost as nebulous as the parent word, “musicianship”, which they are meant to elucidate.
One of the goals of this book will be to give specific instructions and suggestions which will help the performer to put usable and audible musicianship into performance. The trouble with the vague and nebulous words listed above is that they do not tell us what to do physically with the music. While these words may convey beautiful images and thoughts to the player, these thoughts will not be audible to the listener unless the player converts them into concrete and definite physical action on his instrument or voice.
Here is an aside which might illustrate this point. I have been aware, during many years of orchestra playing with the world’s great conductors, that there are two basic types of rehearsal techniques used. There is the technique use by the conductor who describes what the wants with flowery phrases or those nebulous words listed above…. In my observation, the conductors who get the musical results they desire quickly and efficiently are those who employ the second technique, that of using short, definite words. They may be accused of being brusk, even rude, but the meaning of their instructions is never in doubt. Instead of asking the orchestra to “do something” or to “visualize a garden in the moonlight” (a request one conductor actually made of me), these terse, efficient conductors will bark, “shorter”, “louder”, “more legato”, “bigger diminuendo”, etc. This is the entire objective of instruction. Give the performer concise technique instructions and he in turn will produce the desired musical effect.
On musicianship, and a Szell story
So then, what is musicianship? Farkas defines it as “good taste as applied to music.” Farkas also asks,
Can musicianship be improved or developed through study? The answer must be, “yes”!
At length Farkas discusses the specific topic of phrasing. Of particular interest to hornists is the fact that the vast majority of the musical examples in The Art of Musicianship are from horn parts. One central point of his discussion is that of breathing in relation to phrasing. He relates this anecdote.
At a time when the famous conductor, George Szell, was head of the Cleveland Orchestra and I was its first-horn player, I asked him, in a friendly discussion, if he felt that he was a great conductor as a result of being the magnificent piano virtuoso which he certainly was. He answer was quite surprising. The piano was a great help in studying scores, but his study of the horn in his youth was the factor to which he gave the most credit for his success as a conductor. Any of the wind instruments, he said, would have accomplished the same thing. It was the necessity of studying phrasing in order to breathe at musically correct moments which developed his understanding to such a high degree.
Dynamics and musicianship
There is a lengthy discussion of dynamics. Dynamics must be practiced in an absolute sense but played in relation to actual musical situations, and they will impact tone color. Farkas offered these two general aspects to dynamics.
1. As it relates to our personal performance, unrelated to other performers. How do we relate each dynamic mark to the other dynamic marks found in any one passage or composition?
2. We must consider how to relate our dynamic of the moment to that of our colleagues who are performing with us in ensembles.
Tempo and musicianship
Tempo is another aspect of phrasing. Tempo is not always in our control.
How frustrating it is to rehearse with a conductor (sometimes a world-famous one) who fusses about the slightest detail: “a little longer on this note,” “a touch less accent,” “a tiny ritardando here,” until these details are perfect, only to have him conduct a two-hour concert—all at the wrong tempos!…
Absolutely the most important duty of the conductor is to establish the right tempo.
In terms of situations where we can decide our tempo, Farkas felt that “musical instinct is, and always must be, an irreplaceable element in making tempo decisions.”
An important note on how to find the correct tempo
To close this brief survey of his thoughts on musicianship, the following is a quotation Farkas cites from a 1965 interview with George Szell that was published in The New Yorker magazine, and relates as to how to apply musical instinct to arrive at a correct tempo.
Frequently, a movement of a classical symphony begins with a theme that would be plausible at various tempos if it were detached from the movement and played by itself. However, the tempo of the whole movement will be firmly dictated by what Szell calls ‘a critical bar or a group of critical bars’ somewhere in the middle of the movement. ‘Think of the allegro section of the first movement of Mozart’s E-Flat Major Symphony, where the tendency to drag out the first subject in a sentimental way must be resisted,’ he said. ‘The difficulty consists in giving this lovely theme its singing, lyrical character while at the same time keeping the main tempo so that there will be no need for any modification—certainly not for a jerky speeding up—at the first forte tutti.’
This principal can be applied to so much music; key phrases do tend to dictate the tempo. Too fast and it sounds hectic, too slow and it is boring. As you practice, keep this principal in mind and the music will tell you what tempo it wants to go.
When playing with any classical music ensemble – whether it be large or small – it is really not enough to be technically accomplished and to have practiced your part.
The best players have extra abilities above and beyond this. They can adapt and synchronize themselves to just about any kind of group, much like how a chameleon can change colors and patterns in order to match its surrounding environment.
At its core, this X-factor – of how to be a better ensemble player – is not such a huge mystery. I would categorize it into two, very general areas:
knowing yourself, and
attenuating yourself.
1.) Know yourself
Music-making that transcends the notes on the page can be like a meeting of the minds. To prepare for this, it is a good idea to be armed with intimate knowledge of your own strengths and weaknesses.
A few basic tips to think about:
Know your part.
Know the unique quirks of your instrument.
Know the intonation tendencies of the harmonic series, especially in relation to fingerings and keys.
Know your own limitations, biases and prejudices in relation to the instrument and the music on the stand.
On the general topic of weaknesses, be prepared to discuss them openly in a chamber environment (i.e. “Can we play a little louder here? I cannot play softer than a clarinet“).
However in a larger group – such as a symphony orchestra – be prepared to compromise, mask or minimize them as best you can.
It is very similar to being a member of a team-based sport. It involves a certain amount of flexibility and the ability to surrender to what is going on and adapt to it.
That being said it can sometimes be easier said than done. When a sports team is having a meltdown it might be attributed one thing or another – a bad game plan, someone is hogging the ball, an important player is out-of-sync, or that the entire team is in a funk.
For musicians, personal emotions and drama can be one of the biggest stumbling blocks. We can be a temperamental lot to deal with at times and occasionally, our peccadilloes can get the best of us.
Being able to separate our personal biases from the task at hand then, is tantamount towards staying attuned and being synchronized to the ensemble at-large. There can be a real joy to experience in being able to do this, especially when the group is made up of people that you enjoy playing with.
That being said, here are a few more tips to ponder:
Know the general tendencies of the instruments and players you are working with.
Accept and cooperate with the tendencies of the players you are working with.
Know and accept the tendencies of the group leader – both strengths and weaknesses.
Know and accept your own limitations, biases and prejudices – especially in relation to your own personal attitude and current state of mind.
Recently received from a reader were a series of questions on single horns and triple horns.
1. What is the status of single horns in the modern horn world in terms of manufacturing and market value?
They are not a big player in the market, really. The largest number of the type made today are single F horns, made to hit the lowest price point possible.
2. Are they still a good value for the very young?
They are cheap! It is a topic that actually can bring up some strong arguments among teachers and educators. What is the best model among the options? Single horns are a good value but at the same time single F horns especially are not easy to play and that does not necessarily translate into a student staying with the horn. Personally, I like the concept of the 3/4 size double horn a lot but it does not seem to have caught much market share.
3. Are professionals performing on single Bb anymore?
Not much. I own one actually that I like playing on personally, a vintage Alexander. I used it on a session at the most recent IHS workshop, but otherwise have only used it in recital and church settings. It feels like a sports car in ways and is fun to play (horn playing can be fun), but would not work for me to my mind for general orchestral playing in a USA context. But that said they can be useful in certain situations, a good single B-flat can do a lot of what a descant can do in certain works, and I know there are professionals that play a lot of single B-flat in Europe for general playing.
4. Any real market for single F horns in the states anymore?
Just the student market; low end, cheap.
5. I have heard that triple horns are fast becoming the new standard. Do you see that to be true? Are we there now?
Yes, they are popular among professional high horn players, but not universal by any means. It is a big topic! In an older article that was in Horn Articles Online my article there concluded,
There is a time coming soon when every serious, advanced horn student owns a descant or triple horn, much as every serious trumpet, trombone, or tuba student owns several instruments at different pitch lengths that they use in different works. The days have passed when a professional horn player, especially a professional high horn player, can own just one horn.
UPDATE: I have publications out related to both of the topics of this article, updated for 2018 new editions available in print or Kindle versions through Horn Notes Edition:
Thinking outside the box is an expression that I take to heart when striving for improvement on the French horn.
While this pursuit does have its limitations, there is no harm in trying out new things that look interesting and seem logical in their intent and purpose.
Under the guise to make horn-playing sound and feel easier, I will give most things a try – at least once. Over the years then, I have acquired a small collection of gadgets and widgets; some are fairly conventional and have been around a while, while others are relatively new and unheard of.
Here is a list of all the gadgets and products pictured above; some of them have already been reviewed here at Horn Matters – those items are linked to reviews.
Most of these items have conventional uses, but within context some are used for less conventional purposes.
The missing links
So now, the items and gadgets that do not have Horn Matters reviews are pictured and listed below.
These items are:
B.E.R.P.
Breathing tube
Cleaning brushes
Foam earplugs
Incentive spirometer
Marvel Lubricating Oil
PowerLung
Silent Brass mute
Notes on the missing links
While the main purpose of this article was to give only a broad overview of the horn gadgets I own, here are a few thoughts on some of the “missing link” items that do not currently have Horn Matters reviews to point to.
B.E.R.P. When these devices first came out some 25 years ago, the sentiment in my personal circle was that it was an interesting gimmick, but not something that would be of regular use. Since that time, B.E.R.P.s have stood the test of time and have become fairly commonplace.
Breathing tube About ten years ago I became addicted to breathing exercises and especially those spelled out in the Breathing Gymbooks. From the local hardware store, a short length of PVC tubing helps as a funnel of sorts, to channel inhalations in a way that gives the feeling of a rush of air into the lungs.
Extra cleaning brushes Recently I picked up a nice set of cleaning brushes at my local auto parts store. They were packaged as a Spray Gun Cleaning Kit. The long brushes are perfect for cleaning long horn tubes. This set was priced at around $5.
Foam earplugs For regular hearing protection I swear by my custom earplugs but in some situations I still use the old foam earplugs – for another purpose entirely. While warming before rehearsals in very loud environments – such as an orchestra pit – I will use foam earplugs in order to hear myself.
Rather than trying to compete with the surrounding din of activity and playing loudly, I will slip in foam earplugs (and also sometimes a mute) and calmly listen to the horn sounds that resonate inside my head.
Incentive spirometer The incentive spirometer is a breath measurement device. I purchased mine many years while working and studying in Chicago.
These devices come in several shapes and flavors but they are all intended to help with improving the function of the user’s lungs. The basic feature for horn players to pay attention to is the small white ball inside its plastic housing.
This ball acts as a great visual cue for steady and smooth air flow. I use mine mostly for gauging air flow during mouthpiece practice – holding it upside down and inserting the mouthpiece directly into the breathing tube.
The incentive spirometer is a great visual tool for monitoring a steady buzz, one that flows evenly between-the-notes. The general trick is to sustain that little white ball as you buzz (or blow), without letting it drop between notes.
I have decorated mine with horizontal lines, drawn with magic marker on the main tube. These lines act as registration marks that represent different air speeds and intensities. Progress is measured by successfully sustaining the ball at those measured height levels.
Marvel Lubricating Oil While on a cross-country trip a few years back I found this random brand of oil at a truck stop. It is a lubricant that works perfectly for areas needing heavy oil.
Worth mentioning too is that this large container will most likely last until I pass onto the grave. And, it is priced at a fraction of the cost of specialty lubricants marketed specifically for the French horn.
PowerLung The PowerLung is the newest addition to the gadget collection. In a nutshell, it creates measured and adjustable resistance for both the inhalation and exhalation cycles when doing breathing exercises. After several days of trial I am already seeing its benefits.
So far, I am liking this device a lot and am very excited about it. Look for a more complete Horn Matters review in the near future.
Silent Brass mute Besides for its obvious purpose – silent practicing – I use my Silent Brass mute for warming up in performance for entrances that have been preceded by a long period of rest.
In my current gig as acting principal in a production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice for example, there are very long periods of rest between entrances. The Silent Brass allows for a few warm-up notes to be played without being detected.
And, with the addition of the foam earplugs as mentioned earlier, I can actually hear those notes in my head without disturbing the concert or my colleagues.
This is the time of year that music professors get a lot of questions from prospective students.
…The question is, “Do you think I can get an undergraduate degree in performance and get a job, thereby avoiding graduate school?”
I imagine the main driver of this question is that most music schools, CIM included, are becoming more and more expensive and parents are (rightfully so) becoming more and more debt-averse. Families are looking for ways to get a quality education for their talented musician without incurring a crushing load of debt.
One solution might be going to a top school like CIM and hoping the student will, in four years, come out ready for the job market. Does this regularly occur?
The answer is almost always, “No”.
It is rare that a 21 or 22 year old wins an audition for a full time orchestra job. Most positions are won by people in their mid-20s or older.
[Updated from a “Random Monday” post by JE, 2021. The link above to the source article is still good! It is by Bassoonist Barry Stees and is titled “10,000 hours to expertise,” an article well worth a read.]
Since last Wednesday I have been having some fun creating a number of horn-related memes. As mentioned previously, an Internet meme can contain multiple cultural references. A few of the memes below can be taken in a number of ways, depending on the cultural references contained within and the reader’s knowledge of the hidden jokes.
Theme and variation
A major element of memes is repetition and variations on a theme. An example below is the “contrary to popular belief” expression – it gets repeated and played out in a number of different settings.
People familiar with meme culture will recognize several motifs running throughout. But enough said about how memes work – just dive in below and take a look!
If you like one please feel free to share it elsewhere on your favorite social platform. All that I ask is that you please leave our Horn Matters credit intact.
For those that may not be aware, Photoshop is image editing software, and I use it every day at work, and it is also something that I like to play around with at night.
While the majority of Internet memes are transmitted by young people under the age of 30, there are a handful of some older folks like myself that are hooked on memes and meme humor.
Anatomy of a meme
Memes – not to be confused with mimes – are typically layered with multiple references to several social issues and catch phrases of the day. The LOL cat craze is pretty big, so let’s start with a little kitty in building a new meme.
He is a frisky little critter – looking so cute and reaching up into the air.
That background is a little stark. It’s all white and kind of boring.
How about we add some color?
* * *
Well, now the little kitty seems to be floating in space. Let’s give him a platform to stand on.
* * *
Wait…
Something is still missing and the little bugger still does not look right enough. And we also need to make this related to the French horn.
Luckily, with some Photoshop skills that is not too hard…
* * *
Now we just add some text. The standard font for memes as seen on the Internet is Impact. (I have no idea why that is so.)
Typically, the top row is the setup and the bottom row is the punch-line. LOL cats have their own vernacular called LOLSpeak. It is ingrained into its humor and appeal.
There. Now it is done and we have a bona fide meme!
Meme flood!
Now that you know the secret, here are a few more to enjoy. As always, click on any image for a larger view.
* * *
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Rage comics
Poking a little fun at myself, a few rage comic characters are added into this final image.
* * *
Bonus round
Here are a few horn-related memes – not created by yours truly – that have been floating around the Internet for a while.
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A few weeks ago I caught wind of a breathing device that looked very interesting.
Expanding on a point made elsewhere in this website, I would note also that Bruce and I both feel there is a good case to be made for using the single B-flat horn with young beginners. 
