Brass Class Handouts #3

Trumpet Fingering Chart (3 octave)

Horn Fingering Chart (3 % ocfave).

Adolph Herseth Lesson Notes ........

Care of Your Valve Instrument.......

Educator's Viewpoint: Do Not Underestimate Your Students, As TheyDeserve Your Very Best..........

Philip Farkas:

Tuning the Holton Farkas Double Horn

Care and Maintenance of the Horn.......

Removing Water from the Holton French Horn...

Cleaning the Horn

Repairing Cord-Action Valves .....

Special Instructions .......................

1

2

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8

11

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t4

18

I9

20

F erin s and Alternate Fin erinFingerings are listed in the approximate order of intonation. The first fingering given is the normaifingering. Some fingerings affect the pitch slightly, and others affect it severeþ.- An¡ime the 7th, I ith,l3th, or l4th partials are used there will be intonation problems.

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uPartial: I lth partial is flat; I lth partial is sharp; l3th parrial is flat; l4th partiai is sharp

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THE HORN 63

Single F, Single Bb & Double Horn

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BbF 13 123 ¿J¿J 0 2

Note the usually accepted change from F to B-flat hornindicated by the asterisk. Most teachers will give the inex-perienced student on the double horn only one set of finger-ings. They indicate only F fingerings below the indicatedchange point and only B-flat fingerings above. Because eachhorn may respond better on one key than the other, the ul-timate goal is to develop a fingering chart for the individualinstrument being played. This, however, remains for the stu-dent as he or she progresses from an inexperienced performerto one with more skill.

The instrument used by professional hornists and ad-vanced students is almost without exception the double hornin F and B-flat. However, many have extolled the advantagesin the upper register which the single horn in B-flat affords.The B-flat horn provides greater security in attack in theupper register, since, for equivalent sounds, the harmonics donot lie so close together as on the single horn in F,

Many single horns in B-flat come equipped with a fourthvalve that is operated by the thumb, It is often called a

tó t¿ó

"muting" valve, and this leads to misconceptions about itsuse. The fourth valve does not mute the horn; it simpiy lowersthe pitch enough so that the piayer can stop the instrumentby hand without transposing. The length of the valve isslightly more than one half-step and must be adjusted formuting, according to the distance the performer extends hishand into the bell. This valve simply adds tubing to the in-strument, lowering it more than one half-step. The fourthvalve may also be used in conjunction with the other threevalves to obtain good intonation.

TRANSPOSITION

The horn family has its ancestry in the natural horn. Be-cause the natural horn is now obsolete, many writings of theearly composers need to be transposed. Examples in variouskeys of written and sounding notes are shown on the fol-lowing chart.

&

[Fwd: bud herseth notes]

Subject: [Fwd: bud herseth notes]I)ate: Thu, 04 lul2002 16:1417 -0500

From : Jim Buckner <bucknej@hsu.edu>

To: bucknej <bucknej@hsu.edu>

Subj ect:Date:From:

To:

Original Messagebud herseth notesMon/ l Jul 2OO2 2L:,42:21 -0500"Bi1I Ritter" <8i11 RitterGmsn.com><bucknej Ghsu. edu>

Dr. Buckner, I came upon these on the internet, I thought Lhat youcould possibly use some in your lessons. I don' t know who t.he guy isthat took these notes, but there are some great Bud Herseth one liners.It was good to see you lasL week, I hope Lo see you againsoon...Bi]l Herseth lesson noLes.Notes taken by fim Kent during lessonshe took with the master, Adolph Herseth'

The Practice Session and AI1 Playing.

* Practice long tones in atl registers and volumes.* overlap single tonguing speed with double and triple speeds.* Solfege--sight sing--buzz excerpts and studies.* There are appropriate times for beauty and crudeness - use both.* Sound is criterion for how you do this or that.* Melodic playi-ng is very, very important. Know the importance of

TONE, even in technj-ca1 passages.* Play tunes in high range, also pick off high notes for pracLice.* Remember-shaky high range can be due to l-etting up before hitting

the note--rather take the lump and blow, that is the only way to begreat. ff you let up on all the notes, endurance is lost, and theoverall sound is sickening.

* Be conSiSTCNI , ANd NEVER PRACTTCE BUT AL.I¡IAYS PERFORM.* Never have any tension in the body when playing, iust learn to

always relax.* Donrt favor sl-urs, and in fact, DON"T FAVOR "ANY NOTES.* onty pracLice in 45 minute sessions, that is what Bud does.* There is nothing virong with your chops, your mind is messing them

up. High register is no more physical than low, it should be aseasy and sound just as good. Don't make such an íssue of it. Thishabit must be worked ouL and wil-l- eventually go away/ however thereis only one way to get rid of this bad habit' and that is to applyconcepts every day j-n your playing.

* PIay arpeggios to get all ranges to sound good by being in tune andlistening to the sound.

* PIay Bud's exercises; Iike singers do.* Don't think mechanics at aff on the high range, just play and

l-ist.en.* llhen a noLe sounds beautiful, it is in tune(and vice versa)* Approach on the lines of good sound and intonation wilf come there

too. The ear wil-l do aII the work if you Iet ít.* Say "tay" on the lower register to get away from the tubby sound.* Increase air on the lower register. D and B are good exampl-es of

good low range sound.* D, E, and E fl-at - l-et them fLoat up to where they belong.* Don't thi-nk, just play beautifully. Your ear will tell you, and do

all the work for you if you allow it to. Donrt try to place notes,but let them go where theY want.

* After working on the mouthpiece, do the same on the horn. Playeverything from excerpts to to pop tunes on it to do thingsmusicatly. Remember you are performing these pieces' and notpracticing them.

3I of 5 8/26/2002 4:19 PM

[Fwd: bud herseth notes]

* NEVER PRACTTCE/ ALVIAYS PERFORM.* Vühen encountering problems, technical-J-y or musícally, sing them and

play them on the mouthpiece. Then transfer this sJ-nging through thehorn. AIso, add words for added expressj-veness, and sing thesewords through the horn. Tühen a person sings, he does it in anaturally musical- way.

* Always take l-0 minutes or so off after the first 15-20 minutes ofplaying (Lhe warmup).* Rest, l-ike Bud. FEEL FRESH ALL THE TIME.* Project a message when you pfay, never impress with mere mechanics.* Put words to everything.

* THINK ONLY I\IHAT lT SOUNDS LIKE, NOT V'IIIAT IT FEELS L]KE!* Practice sol-os much more than drills or exercises for tonguing.Every time Bud learns a new solo (or rehearses one) it adds a newspark to his playing. Vocalize through the horn. Get a messageacross to Lhe people - teIl them a story, an interesting one.REMEMBER THTNGS THAT YOU DO NOVü VüIT,L BECOME CONSTSTANT I,ATER AS YOUAPPLY CONCEPTS.

* Pul-se the primary poínt - it keeps the music moving, and makes theoverall- sound more musical-.

* Practice all three forms of tonguing; only use legato for extremedouble and triple tonguing, to make this tonguing move very fast.* SIur all technical passages first so you get the tones in mind.

* Do same as above for staccato passages also.* In all- technical and lyrical passages, remember that first and

foremost isTONE QUALITY and MUSICALITY.

* llhen playing sJ-owly, remember that tongue and fingers have to moveas f ast as usual-.

* Everybody comes in l-ate after rests, do something about it.* Keep dynamics through phrase, and keep dynamics consistent.* Keep slurs smooth, don't jolt them - they are easy.* High range is not a seperate part of trumpet playing, yet mosL

pJ-ayers make such a big deal of it. It is not any more physicalthan any other aspects of trumpet playing. rather it should be justas musical-. Just move the air more and keep a good sound, and itwill always be Lhere.

* High C is not sharp, it's high C. No noLes are naturally sharp.,fust play and listen for the best sound and you wi-ll be in tune. Itis very important that you think sound and not intonation. Theintonation will be there if the sound is.

* It is important to hear the note played before playing it. If youdo, it will be there.

* High range - don't just think "high" before you play and expect tobe abl-e to play it.

* On rel-eases - know how J-ong you want to hold the note, and thenstop it. Don't just hold it until it stops.

* on soft playing - play soft as if you are playing loud. Flow airthe same as a forte.

* Picture the whole phrase before you start to p1ay. Do thj-s aII thetime.

* Every noLe musL have direction - always must be going somewhere.* For hígh range, just use good ai-r flow, with ease of middle and Iow

registers.* PracLice a tune in all registers. Do this often, it will tel-I

whether you are using the right concepLs.* Balance exercises with solos (music)* Practj-ce a session on just the mouthpiece.* Tonguing has to be 58 consonant and 95å vowel. To much tongue

inhibits the air fl-ow. Use no more tongue than in normal speech,and release air immediately.

* Think SOUND always - l-oud and soft.* Never practice- aÌways perform.* Practice various ways of articulating everything. (excerpts, solos,

etc. i.e. sl-ur Petroushka so1o, Longue Schl-ossberg #18, etc.)

2 of5 t4 8/26/2002 4:19 PM

[Fwd: bud herseth notos]

* Get the sound you \^/ant in your head firsL, then play it. Li-sten asmuch as possi-ble.

* Send a message when you play.* USE ONLY MECFIANTCS TO THINK OF PLAYTNG AS A VIHOLE, AND BREATHING,

AND ALL THE REST ÏS MUSIC.* Play by sound, not by feel.* Never work harder than necessary for a desired result.* Do ínterval- exercises (al-1 articulations).* Accent is not more tongue, but more air.* For etude practice, get them clean slowly, then speed them up.* Melodic playing is very import.ant. Knovü importance of tone (even in

technical- passages) .* Vühen you get high horns, play tune on them, then take low horn and

play same pitches the same way. You will forget which horn iswhich.

* Rel-aLe l-itt1e horns to the big ones. The same concept.s apply.* I/üHEN YOU MAKE A MTSTAKE, BE PROUD OF IT. PUT YOUR HORN DOIüN ANDSTARE AT THE CONDUCTOR. UNLESS HIS EAR IS GREAT, HE üiONrT KNOI^I . fFHE DOES, FINE!* NEVER PRACTICE/ PERFORM.* Don't just listen Lo yourself on ensemble playing - l-et. theensemble help you on your enLrances so you can be part of it andnot playing along wíth it. AII accompaniments wiJ-J- help you topÌay. Have them in your head so you just donrt play out of context.* Listen to good artists, and know what you r^rant.* A trumpeter's l-ife i-s risky, and you have to be able to take thoserisks. No great playing i-s accomplished if a person is afraid ofplaying. To be timid or favor notes or ranges is runnj-ng away fromthat risk.

* DON|T THINK YOU HAVE PROBLEMS TO I/,IORRY ABOUT IN YOUR PLAYING, JUSTCERTATN ASPECTS OF YOUR PI,AYTNG AREN'T PERFECTED YET. DONIT trüORRYABOUT ANYTHTNG IN YOUR PLAYING/ ,IUST ENJOY IT !* Practice on the mouthpiece every day before your regular session.T¡Ial-k around and play anything musical (no dril-l-s) from excerpts topop Lunes. Concentrate on being very musj-cal on these pieces, andmost important, on a very LARGE SOUND on the mouthpiece.* The mouthpi-ece, because of the l-ack of dj-visions, it i-s possÍb1e togo over al-l ranges, and ít forces you to use your ear. Also inemergency situations, it can be used as a substitute for regularpractice on the horn.

* Play a complete session on the mouthpiece once in a while. Thiskeeps you from gett.ing hangups on the horn, and improves everythingfrom sound to articualtion.

* Whenever you are having problems on any piece, play j-t on themouthpiece.

* Play no drill-s on the mouthpiece, only music.* REMEMBER - BTG SOUND ALL THE TIME.* Tühen taking a breath, pronounce the word "ho" yet inhaling at thesame time.

* ïühen using this method for pracLice. put hand on st.omach and chesL- it should move out on iLs own due to lungs filling up.* For getting the feeling of an absolutely open airway and flow, putone end of a toilet paper roll in mouth and j-nhal-e - note the equal_ease of inhaling and exhaling.

* Breathe from low in the lungs rather than from the chest. If donecorrectly, the stomach will go out on its own.* To get a bíg sound, it is imperative that the air flow (ormovement) is greater. The pressure of air flow is not what createsthe big sound, it is much the same as violin, which creates abj-gger sound when the bow is moved fasLer across the strj-ngs thenfrom pressure on the stri-ngs.

* Release air immediately - don't hol-d it.* Differences between cornet and trumpet - there is none due t.o

modern methods of construction. Most of sound difference is due tobends in tubing, rather than conical- vs. cylindrical bores.

3 of 5 f 8/26/2002 4:19 PM

[Fwd: bud herseth notes]

* stravinsky pieces - in wortd premieres of many of his ürorks,Stravj-nsky saia that cornets need not be used because of littledifference between them and trumpets.

* Keep your horn free from ANY dirt inside. clean it weekly ifn."ètã.ty. Cl-ean mouthpiece daily. Clean horns and mouthpieces sonothing is ever in the horn-

* To have good aI1 around range you have to have good pedal tones.This is due to more and better vibrations producíng more harmonicsand a richer sound.

* SLur pedal Lone from octave, finger according to chart below:c - open, B - open' Bb - 2' A - 2t Ab - I' G - 12, Y# - 23, F - 13/Eb - 723

* Play pedal tones on both Bb and C horns (harder on Bb)* SIur and tongue down from normal notes an octave to pedal/ so you

have an in tune note Lo relate it to.* Don't overblow, just blow to get the best sound'* Do carnival- of Venice starting on pedal c* T woufd rather jump right in and make mistakes than be Limid.* Essence of Bud's l_essons is that he builds ego, attitude, and

musicianship. He lets the technical- things work themselves out.* Have the attitude of "I can play anything". This is necessary for

great trumpet PlaYing.* Ãlways/ after hearing someone play something, say "I can do itbetter, or if not better, different."

* Whenever you have difficulty technicalJ-y. think of the passage moremusically, that's what is wrong.

* The reason Herseth is better than you are, is not that he triesharder, but he thinks musically. It j-s amazing what the chops cando when you geL the head out of the way!

* Dontt over-warmup for a performance; afways go in a little underwarmed up. .fust warmup as low and high as the piece wilJ- go' thatrsaII, then quit.

* on any orchestral excerpt, study the scores and listen torecordings. Remember that BUd real-ly believes in listening as a

teaching guide to good playing. Never play any isolated noLes inorchestra. A1ways be aware of the color that you add and know yourrole. Know what is important. Remember that there are differentinterpretatíons ( that is important). Don't just go by onerecording.

* Always be heard - no matter the dynamics.* Tlhen studying the score, know how it is to sound/ and donrt change

unl-ess the conductor forces you to. Don't wait to be told. if heisn't Laking your tempo/ change it.

* For your o\^rn personaf saLisfaction' DO THE BEST.IOB THAT CAN BE

DONE !

* TT IS NOT A MATTER OF BETNG BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE/ HO![ CAN YOU

LOVE TRYING TO BE BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. PLAY FOR YOUR O!üN

SATISFACTTON/ AND FOR OTHERS ENJOYMENT.* TF I COULDN'T PLAY THIS THING AS VIELL AS TT COULD BE PI,AYED/ T

TüOULDNIT P],AY IT! ! ! !

* Don't think of auditioning for a job, or againsL someone' justoffer i^/hat music you have to offer. If they like it, fine. If not,that's fine too, go somewhere else. Just make music and enjoyyourself. If you do get excited, apply it to the music and not tothe situation. your goal shou1d be to play as r^Iell as Bud' not tohave a particular job! ! !

* Be anxious to PIaY, not afraid to play.* Sound is crit.erion for how you pÌay and whether you are doing

thÍngs right.* Say it,r" *ith the tongue for fast and nice sounding tonguing. This

keãps it out of the way, or it will hinder the sound. It al-so keepsmultipte tonguing faster and more even. Do lip trills daily forstrong and more dependable high range.

* you never realJ-y know how much Doc and Bud hurt when they areptayíng, just play beautiful-ly and forget how it feels'

64 of 58/26/2002 4:19 PM

[Fwd: bud herseth notes]

* Don'L only try for musicality and precision in performance, try allthe time as in performance. REMEMBER - NEVER PRACTÏCE, ALüIAYSPERFORM.

* LIVE ! ! ! ! ! Play and show you are alive, and have something to say tothe audience.

* The horn is just a megaphone of yourself, show them how you feel!* Don't overblow. Take it easy. You will- play better if you don't

actually blow so hard, and concentrate on the actual- volume of airfor a BIG SOUND

5 of 5 8/26/20024:l9PM

6

Do not underestimateUour students, as thegdeserae Uour aerA bestby Donald DeRoclæ, Ph.D.DePaul U níuersíty, Chícago

Dr. Donqld DeRoche is director of bandsand chair of the Performance Studíes Dí-uísíon at DePctuI Uniwersity ín Chicago.Among hís many actívitíes, he hos giuen

þremiere performetnces of some doTenpíeces for winds with the DePewl WindEnsemble, which he directs. Dr. DeRocheis a regular contributor to this column.

((1h.l th" dignity of a child. Do not

feel superior to him, .:rfiir:ï fi:li,

From the first moment I started teach-ing, the part I enjoyed most was gettingto know the students. I passed throughseveral clevelopmental phases in myteaching, from wanting a well-disci-plined, competition-winning band, tobelieving that my most important workwas helping young people find confidence and perspective as they startedtheir life journeys. Throughout my ca-

reer, I have learned much from andabout young people, not the least ofwhich is that it is easy to underestimatetheir intelligence, sensitivity, and abil-ity to understand the world. Many ofour students are smarter than we are.

They certainly have not yet developedthose adulthood protection mechanismsthat shield us from the intense feelingsof love, complete and open joy, anddeeply hurt feelings. They are still will-ing to give themselves completely intheir romantic relationships and to be atrue friend in the purest sense. Like thechild who saw that the emperor waswearing no clothes, they can often see

us and our teaching without the bur.den of self-deception we sometimesbring to our work.

Children are not a separate class ofhumans from adults. Rather, we are allpeople, and children are in an earlierstage of development. It is true that oc.casional sillir-ress or moodiness can bepart of these early stages. It is also truethat young people don't always under.

stand the implications of their actions.Nevertheless, the only real differencebetween young people and adults is thatyoung people have less life experience.It is in the area of affecting their lifeexperiences that the real importanceof our work lies.

We music teachers have an advan.tage over other teachers in that we havebetter opportunities to communicatewith our students. We have the luxurvthat several years of contact offers aswe lay out long-term plans for theireducation. We work with them insocial situations, we work with rhemindividually and in a "team," and weoften develop relationships with theirfamilies.

In addition, we set specific standardsfor our students, help them developwork habits, and help them to under-stand the idea that sometimes you haveto do a lot of work before you see thereward. These advantages force uponus the responsibility to provide a sig.

continued on þage 19

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Volume XXVI Number 7Publisher Vito Pascucci

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Submission of articles and letters is welcome. Hono-raria are awarded for accepted articles. All publishedmaterial is subject to edit¡ng for length, style or clarit/.Submissions should be directed to the Manag¡ng Editor.

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* ****** *** *******JluTo**5_ÐIGlE ? lg ggJAMES BUCKNER 05 1017MUSIC DEPTHENÐERSON STATE UNTVERSITY11OO ITENDERSON ST.ê.RKå,ÐEtPHIA, ÀR 71999-0001l l,,,lu,, ll !, i,,1,1,n [,1,,1 1,,, fi,,,1 1,,,,', l ll l,,, ll,,,, l,, l l

WORLD.CLASS INSTRUMENTS FROM THE WORLD OF LEBLANC

I.EBLANC N NOBTET tr COURTOIs ! ì/IiO tr HOLIOl'|YAllAGISAWA N SANl(YO N HARTIl{ tr WOODWII,ID

ffi THE LEBLANC BELL AIJTUI'IN 2OO2

EDUCATOR'5 1/IEWPOINT

continued from þage 20nificant education so as not to wastethem,

Whu, ."., we do in the service of theyoung people we teach?

First, don't treat students like chil.dren. Young people are great manipula-tors. If they think you believe theyare irresponsible or silly, they will actaccordingly. It is not your job to be-come ,younger; it is your job to helpthem become older. If they think youbelieve they cannot achieve a high per-forma,nce standard, most will girr" yot,a mediocre effort. Students who reallywant to do well will resent you for notasking more of them, but will seldomconfront you by asking you to be moredemanding.

Give your students the respect of ask-ing them to be responsible people andto do good work in a timely way, Givethem the further respecr of doing yourjob well and they will be more lilieiy torespond.

_ I have always been surprised by stu-dents who will move from one class-room, where they are focused andresponsible, to another, where they areoff-task and silly. Their attitude is al.rnost always a reflection of what theteacher demands and how engaged thatteacher is in his or her teaching.

S".ond, do not underestimate your stu.dents' abilities to understand and re-spond to fine music. Don't forget howstrong your reactions were to musicwhcn you were young. Most of us wereseduced into a career in music duringour_ adolescence, when we were hope.lessly taken by the porver of music toaffect us emotionally. Face it, we couldall be making more money in other ca.reers, but we love making music andworking with people.

Our students are having those samefeelings in their lives now. They arelikely to be afraid ro show those feel-ings, especially to their teachers, butthe feelings are there.

Once in a rehearsal of a particularlyemotional piece, I myself became veryinvolved and emotional. Several of myteenaged boys were clearly feeling someemotion as wel[, but they were havingtrouble admitting their emotional in-volvement. Without thinking I said, "Iknow it might be uncomfõrtable forsome of you to admit that you are hav-ing deep feelings for this music. Youknow you have them. Just play themusic in a way that is true to those

feelings, and I won't tell."Be willing to help your students to a

better understanding of the emotionalcontent of the music they are perform-ing. If that content is happy, sad, deeplytroubling, patriotic, proud or philo-sophical, empower them to .*peii".rc"their own feelings as rhey interact withthe music. Rather than telling themwhich specific emotional r."ciion tohave to a piece of music, just encouragethem to play the music as well áspossible and let them have their ownreactions. We all respond differently tomusic, each in our own way.

The only crime is to play music sopoorly that there is no reaction. Stu-dents a¡e capable of performing andresponding to more sophisticated inter-pretations than we believe. Provide well.thought-out interpretations that allowstudents to interact with music at some.thing other than a basic level. Don't beafraid to get involved in the emotionalaspects of the music yourself. Show itin your teaching and conducting.

Thr.d, o,.k excellent music that is "real

Band Iuilds Gna]aGtetleilanc builds [ands.

World-closs inslruments from the wold of LebloncLeblonc Noblet Courtots . Vito HolionYonogisqwo . Sonkyo . Mortin Woodwlnd

{ø TllE IEBLAIIC BEIL AUTUMN 2OO2 ffi

music," not "school music." It is notpossible for people in any stage ofdevelopment to have a significañt re-sponse to insignificant music. If, as Isuggest, our students are not children,but rather people in an early stage ofdevelopment, we do them a terriblã dis.service by bringing them insignificantmusic. We risk sending them intoadulthood with a diminiJhed sense ofthe art.

Tèaching young people to value poormusic is currently the biggest crime inmusic education.

Now, before you submit to the temp.tation to write to tell me about mv lifein the ivory tower and how all Áusiccan't be serious, let me explain my po.sition on "good" music. There are twokinds of music-good and not good.Notice I didn't say "serious and notserious." What matters is the oualitvof the music, not of the gcnre.

Music is a reflection of the humanspirit in all its guises. Music can runthe gamut from-happy and joyous tosad and serious. Good music-exists inall genres. Choose to teach and per-form good concert music, good j'azz,good musical theater and gooã folk andethnic music. , Make the iranscriptionsyou play good ones. Avoid the reams ofpoor formula pieces that lack basic hu-man content, I don't have to namenames; you know the kind of mediocremusic that abounds in our business.

Täke time to develop a reperroire ofworthwhile music, of ãll types, that iswglthy to presenr ro young people whowill grow up to be thoughtful aduhs,Remember that the music you choosefor them to learn is also the music youchoose to interact with as you teách.Give yourself the respect of choosingmusic that will keep you emotionallyfresh.

As t""chers, we have the genuine honorand awesome responsibilily of influenc.ing the lives of young people. Musicteachers work with students for a longerperiod of time and in more envirón.ments that any other teacher in theschool, In that regard we have moreopportunities for significant influence-and more responsibility-than our col-leagues in the other disciplines.

_It_ is important that we don't lose sight

of the fact that our students are brig-ht,sensitive, curious and vulnerable. Weplay an important parr in the job ofhelping them grow into thoughtful, re.sponsible adults. Don't underestimatethe young people you work with, Civethem the best you have. E

Tuning the l-lolton Farkas Double French Horn - by Philip Farkas

There are two phases to tuning the Holton Double French horn: first totune the general pitch to that of the organization or to the instruments withwhich it will be played; and second, to tune the various intervals of thehorn so that the instrument is "in tune with itself."

1. Begin bytuning the open notes of the F horn to a well-tuned piano, a

tuning bar or f ork, or a strobe tuner. The ideal note would be the F justabove middle C on the piano. (This is the note written as the C in the thirdspace to those of us who play "Horn in F.") When the pitch of this noteagrees perfectly with the concert F of the band, orchestra or otherinstrument with which you will play, you have made the first importantstep. Of course while adjusting this intonation you will keep in mind thatpulling the main tuning slide flattens the horn and pushing the slide in willsharpen the horn. All these adjustments must be checked with the righthand in the bell of the horn exactly as it will be held while playing.

2. Next tune the Bb open horn to the now-in-tune open F horn bymatching the same F concert (played as a C third space by the hornplayer) by slurring from the open F horn to the open Bb horn, simplyputting the thumb valve up and down and comparing the pitch of the samenote as played on both the F and Bb horns. Leave the main tuning slidealone and adjust the Bb horn to the F horn by pulling the main Bb tuningslide if the Bb horn is sharp.lf the Bb horn isf/af push in the main tuningslide slightly but pull the main F tuning slide out an equal distance to bringthe F horn bac? to where it was in pitch. The F horn and Bb horn shouldnow be in tune together as well as in tune with the other musicians. Butnotice that we have only tuned the open notes.

3. Now comes the painstaking job of tuning the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd valveslides on both the F and Bb horns so that our scales and intervals are intune with our now well-adjusted open notes. This too, can be ac-complished by tuning to a good piano or strobe, but tuning by ear whilecritically listening during the operation is the best way. After all, we aregoing to have to play in tune always by critical listening and adjusting.What better way to start than in tuning your own horn to itself! Theinstruction given here for tuning the 1st valve of the F horn should serve as

an example and once you have grasped the principle involved you cansimply apply that principle to all six valve slides.

4. You could tune the first valve by playing the open middle C on yourhorn (sounding F concert below middle C on the piano) and then playingthe D one step higher, which is played on the 1st valve. But this interval of amajor second is hard to hear, so instead we use the same principle as thatused by the piano tuner - we compare bigger intervals - such as fourthsand fifths. So after playing your middle C, which we must assume is inperfect pitch, play the F in the first space - a fourth above your middle C,

but also played on the 1st valve. Now you can readily heai'whether the

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slide is too long or too short because that interval of a perfect fourth ismuch easier to judge critically than is the interval of a major second. Thesame principle can be applied to the 2nd valve. You could tune it byjudging if your 2nd valve B natural is exactly a half-step below the open C.But this interval is very difficult to judge correctly. The better way would beto play your middle E (first line) on the open F horn, which again we mustassume to be perfectly in tune, since the first thing we did was to tune theopen notes. Next play the B natural (third line) which is a perfect fifthabove the E. Now we can hear if the second valve needs shortening orlengthening, because that interval of a fifth is a very good one to judgecritically.

And so we proceed, through all the various slides, always comparing theintonation of the valve slides to the well-adjusted open notes on both the Fand the Bb horns. But we compare them by playing large intervals, fifths,fourths and even octaves, and not by small intervals, half-steps, seconds,etc.

Slide

Main i'ftt Jur¡i¡g '1 :

Main Tun¡ng Sl¡de

Auxiliary "F"

There are three things well worth remembering in tuning your horn: First,the horn was designed so that ideally it is in tune when all the slides arepulled out a slight distance. This is ideal since we then have the flexibilityto shorten or lengthen the slides. Were the slides designed to be pushed allthe way in under perfect conditions the player would then be limited toonly f lattening the pitch and would have no way of sharpening the horn. Sodo not be dismayed if all the tuning slides are pulled out slighily when thehorn is in tune. This result was intentionally designed into the horn.

Second, remember that tuning an instrument is a matter of compromise. lfan interval is out of tune perhaps one of the notes should be sharpenedslightly and the other note flattened slightly. This compromise is often

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much more successful than tuning one note drastically and leaving theother note "as-is." The compromise should be aimed at having all notesquite well in tune as opposed to having one note perfect and another verymuch out-of-tune. lf all the notes are close to being in tune, our carefulplaying plus the great flexibility of the horn are going to permit us to playvery well in tune.

Third, please remember that great thought, experimentation and expensehas gone into the production of a Holton horn, which has superbintonation. Therefore, if you find that your four main tuning slides arepulled out to an extreme degree you must assume that you are not usingenough "cover" with your right hand. More covering of the bell with thehand will definitely flatten the pitch. And since dozens of the world's f inestprofessional horn players have agreed that the horn is well-in-tune withtheir particular use of the right hand you must assume that you are notconforming to this hand usage if your intonation differs widely from theirs.Conversely, if you seem to be too flat, even with the slides allthe way in,you must assume that you are putting your right hand too far into the hornbell.

Care and MaintenanceMaintenance of Rotary Valves

Ground in with very few thousandths of an inch tolerance, the valves of theHolton Double French horn are the tightest valves on any horn producedtoday. This tightness of valves gives this French horn some of its greatestcharacteristics. Because there is almost no air leakage around the rotorsall the air goes into producing the very purest horn tone. Also because ofthis tightness, the intonation of the double French horn is the most perfectof any horn, with a uniformity of tone quality and intonation throughout itswhole range.

Uncared for, these tight valves could cause problems, but when followingthese three simple steps in the care of the valves, they will work easily allthe time.

Collection of moisture will cause the valves to become a problem if notproperly lubricated. The broken valve string, which is the most commonrepair problem, is usually caused because the valve has become stuck, dueto condensation. The player usually attempts to f orce it f ree by depressingthe lever. DO NOT DEPRESS LEVER.

The f ingers should grasp the valve by the swivel arm or stop arm head, androtate.

The area of friction on a rotary valve is not, as with a piston valve, on thesides but rather at each end on the area called the bearing shaft or"bearing surface." Some players attempt to lubricate their valves by pullingout the slides and squirting valve oil down the tubing with the assumptionthat this will free a slow or sticky valve or provide proper lubrication. All itreally does is coat the sides of the valve and allow very little if any oil to getto the surface where it is vitally required, on the bearing surfaces.

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The proper method of oiling is:

1. Squirt "Key oil" into the space between theswivel arm and the rotor shaft. See illustra_tion. Note: Do not use "Valve oil,'in this area.

2. Remove the valve cap and place key oil in thesmall hole located in the center of the ex_posed shaft. Rotate valve again. Coat thethreads of the casing as well. Replace valvecap.

3. A small amount of valve oil can then beplaced down each of the valve slides and inthe mouthpipe. This will place a thin film of oilon the inside surface to retard oxidation.

4. Depress the levers rapidly while turning thehorn in all directions simultaneously. Thiscauses oil to flow to all surfaces.

SI^¡IVEL ÊRNSCREt.J

SHIVEL RRM

ÊPPLYKEY OIL

RPPLYVALVE OIL

ÊPPLYKEY OfL

\ VÊI-VE CÊp

Note: Although it may be necessary to oil the valves of your double French hornevery day, when you do this, you will be rewarded by having one of the finest-sounding, best-performing French horns in the world.

It must be kept in mind that any undue clicking in a valve-movement denoteswear takíng place, and this should be corrected without delay. Occasionally aplayer will seek to improve the action of a valve by dispenåing with the topbearing-plate altogether; on no account should the valve be used in this way-it will be very quickly ruined. Valve work on horns is made to precise tolerancesand must be treated with the utmost care; in the event of any trouble it isimperative that expert advice be sought.

Slides

Always keep tuning slides and valve slides lightly greased to ensure easymovement; all slides and valve caps should be lubricated with Leblanc ,'Slide-eze".

Do not use too much grease on a slide, as this is liable to be carried into the valve-cylinders during the application of valve oil for treatment of sluggish valvemovement, and thus worsen that condition.

Slide grease should only be used sufficiently to ensure free movement and notas a means of making a slide airtight; in the latter difficulty, consult a goodrepairperson.

Removing water from the Holton French hornThe Holton horn is equipped with a convenient water key. Use it often. A smallhole designed into the water key ailows a siring to be connected to

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this key so that the water key can be used during playing withoutinterrupting hand positions. Frequent use of this water key will preventmuch of the water from going farther into the interior of the horn. lf oneplays "stopped horn" with the right hand held tight in the bell of the hornjust as the water is blown out through the open water key, the water will beejected more forcefully and completely and, surprisingly, more quietly.

Technique for Water Removal - by Philip Farkas

One of the problems to which I gave serious consideration in the design ofthe Holton Farkas model French horns was the one of removing water fromthe complex maze of tubing quickly and efficiently. This problem has beenvery well solved through the addition of the separate Bb tuning slide,which besides being a most valuable tuning aid, makes possible this fastremoval of water f rom the entire horn.

The principle involved in removing this water lies in the fact that wateralways runs down-hill. Bearing this in mind, logic will show you that ittakes only a few deft twists of the horn to run the water out of all six valveslides (valves 1, 2 and 3 of both the F and Bb horns) and into two of themain tuning slides. Here it can be eliminated quickly and easily along withthe additional water which has accumulated in these two main tuningslides normally. Thus, instead of laboriously removing all ten slidesindividually, only four slides need be removed, and these are the big, easilyadjusted ones.

1. Hold the horn on your lap, inthe same manner you wouldhold it in repose, that is, withthe circle of tubing in a verticalplane and the mouthpipe point-ing toward the ceiling. Onemight say to hold the horn withthe left hand as though thehorn were the steering wheel ofa car.

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Slowly turn lhe horn

Until valve slides are point¡ng up

2. Turn this "steering wheel" lairlyslowly to the right (clockwiseas seen by the player) three-quarters of a turn, until thevalve slides are pointing to theceiling and the mouthpipe isalmost horizontal and pointingto the player's left. The objectof this turn is to "untwist" thewater from the six valve slides,particularly the 3rd valve slides,and allow it to drain into the1st, 2nd and 3rd valves. Bear inmind, however, that the waterwill not drain into these valvesyet, since the keys are notdepressed and the valvestherefore are in "open" positionbut actually closed to the valveslides. Now depress all threevalves several times - "ripple"them, still, of course, holdingthe horn with the slides point-ing upward. This is to turn thevalve openings into the valveslides and allow the water toenter the valves.

3. Then, with the valves "operì"(the keys not depressed) turnthe "steering wheel" of the hornback again to the left (counter-clockwise) a little more thanhalf a turn, so that themouthpipe is pointing over theright shoulder.

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With fingers off the keys, turn the horn back

Take the water out of small Bb tuning slide

4. Now remove the water f rom thesmall Bb tuning slide whichcomes out of the thumb valve.Then, while holding the horn inthe same position, remove thewater from the main F hornslide on the underside of thehorn. You have now removedthe water from all six valveslides. A little practice willenable you to make these twotwists quickly and defily.However, don't make themovements too fast don't"rush" the water; it takes a litiletime even for water to flow. Theentire operation should takeabout ten seconds.

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5. To complete the job, removethe water in the normal wayfrom the main tuning slide andthe little F tuning slide whichcomes out of the thumb valve,and you will have completelycleared the horn of water. Oncein a while it is also a good ideato twist the horn to the right forseveral complete revolutions,which will remove any waterwhich might have gathered inthe bell branch.

and out of main F tuning slide

Cleaning (lnternal)

The inside of your instrument is most important and should be cleanedevery week or so depending on how much daily playing you do. Also, itwould not hurt to apply a few drops of valve oil down the mouthpiecereceiver. This will prevent corrosion. Remember, any debris that changesthe inside diameter, changes the blowing qualities. Cleaning themouthpipe with Leblanc flexible brushes pr"u"nis a build-up of dãpositwhich when left unattended, could be blown into less easily accessibleparts of the horn.

lf this has already occurred, run warm (not hot) water with a lit¡e ivorysoap or baking soda added into the bell of the instrument, working thevalves so that it will pass through the valves and slides. Afterwards rinsewell with cold water. After drying out the valves relubricate theinstrument immediately. occasionally, perhaps once a month, yourinstrument should be completely disassembled, except for the rotaryvalves, and scrubbed out using Leblanc flexible brushes for the mouth-piece, bell, mouthpipe section, valve slides, and tuning slides. only anexpert repairman should work on rotary valves. The close tolerancenecessary for proper f it requires that re-assembly be absolutely correct.After all parts are clean they should be thoroughly dried, being carefulnot to get any dirt on the parts. valve slides, tuning slides, and valve capsshould be lubricated with Leblanc ,,Slide-eze."

Gleaning (External)

ln order to keep the finish on your instrument looking bright and new wipe

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carefully with a Leblanc "Ke-Glaze" polishing cloth which is designedespecially for lacquered finishes. On putting the instrument away in itscase, it is always advisable to wipe off any trace of perspiration, as ¡t ismainly this that corrodes both metal and lacquer. Leblanc "sh¡ne-N-Seal"polish is recommended for all metal finishes including lacquer forinstruments which are tarnished and unsighily in appearance.

Care of the Mouthpiece

It is most essential that the mouthpiece be kept clean. Always set themouthpiece into the mouthpipe with a slight twist. Remove it by twisting inreverse. One must never set the mouthpiece into the mouthpipe with ablow of the hand. lf your mouthpiece becomes stuck, DON'T try to twist itout with pliers or by hammering on it, because in doing so you maydamage your instrument creating costly repairs. Take the instrument toyour music store or a competent repairman and it can be safely removedwith a mouthpiece-puller.

Repairing Cord-Action Valves

A broken valve string is the most common repair problem, usually causedbecause the valve is stuck, due to condensation. Collection of moisturewill cause problems with the valves if not properly lubricated. whenaffixing string to valves, it is recommended that the middle valve be set upfirst; the other levers may then be clipped into a level position with this as aguide, so as to minimize f inal adjustment. Step-by-step instructions follow:

1. Form a double knot at one end of a length ofNylon Valve-Cord; fuse the other end in aflame, to facilitate threading. Pass throughhole as shown.

2. Work free end around the valve collar,counter-clockwise, then up and around theloosened spigot screw.

3. With cord around the swivel screw headadjust position of lever to approximate leveldesired for the finger plate. Tighten swivelscrew temporarily.

4. Wrap cord counter-clockwise around collarand feed through end hole of bar.

5. Hold collar swivel against stop and windcord clockwise around end screw when taut.Tighten end screw.

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Level of finger plates may be finally adjusted by loosening collar spigotscrew and then retightening. Screw at end of bar may then need a slightadjustment to take up slack. Cut off cord leaving about 1 % inches spare atend for ease in subsequent re-threading.

Special lnstructions

Watch the water keys and corks. Have the cork on the water keys replacedas often as necessary. A leaky water key makes your instrument hard toplay and ruins both tone and tuning. Keep the water key spring lubricatedwith a drop or two of Leblanc "Valv-Kwik."

The brass used in manufacturing musical instruments is relatively soft. lt isalloyed, not for rigidity and strength, but to produce the best tone. Allbrass instruments can be easily dented. A dented instrument alters thetone and when a dent is removed it changes the metal effecting the quality.This is particularly true of french horns. Any major dents where a tube isaltered more than 2 or 3o/o of its diameter will effect the horns qualities.

When using mutes, be careful to set the mutes carefully without dentingthe bell of the instrument.

Avoid the use of abrasive cleaning agents because they will mar thelacquered or plated finishes of your fine instrument and damage the metalinside.

Keep your instrument in its case when not in use. The case should be keptneat and clean because accumulated dust can damage valves and slides.

Many players prefer to use a palm-guard for the left hand to protect thehorn finish from being injured by the acid present in perspiration. Theideal palm-guard is the Leblanc French horn guard, which is made of softpliable naugahyde or leather. This will not only protect the finishperfectly, but will also afford a comfortable, ,,non-skid" grip.

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