John,

Thanks a lot for all the time you've spent trying to help me. I do value it.

I think you're right when you advise me to do as my teacher tells me. Understand me, I'm not undervaluing my teacher. Far from it, after having studied two years under a trombone player, I noticed a great difference when I changed to a horn player. Anyway, all your explanations have already helped me to understand what I'm doing and how it all works. It's something I cannot discuss in depth with my teacher, because our half-hour lessons are always too short for what we'd like to do.

This leads me to something I was beginning to suspect, and that the last paragraph in your posting kind of confirms. It's that music teaching and learning must be very different there in the US. I understand from what I've read that people study music while at university, over there; I don't know whether they devote themselves exclusively to it, or it's sort of an optional subject in an otherwise unrelated syllabus. And every school, faculty, parish or whatever seem to have their own bands and orchestras! It's not like that over here. Children start to learn music at seven as an out-of-school activity, and by the time they're seventeen, if they haven't decided in favour of making a living from music, they drop out and just play occasionally (ones more than others, but in any case, not professionally). In my case, all I can have access to is private lessons, and at least at my place they're usually given by people of the type that studied in the conservatory until they were seventeen, and who use these lessons to earn some extra money while they're at university studying whatever else (my horn teacher studies economics, for example). I'm attending a council school, and they won't accept one for longer than six years (and I'm on my fifth one!). After that, I hope that the teacher I've got right now will consent to give me private lessons (the professional teachers don't usually give lessons outside the conservatory). The good side of it is that, since I'll pay for them (the price of the council school lessons is almost symbolic), I'll be able to ask for longer lessons (now I cannot have more than thirty minutes a week). If that fails, then I don't know what I'll do.

Thanks a lot for your explanation on the reasons behind the choice of one or the other side of the horn, on how to use the right hand and why do it so and not with the lips. As I said before, I think it's good to know all that, even if it's only to know what's going on when I read about it. And thank you also for that set of fingerings; I'm going to try all of them and see which one suits me best. Even if I finally stick to playing it all with what has become my standard fingering, that'll allow me to know alternative options. I can even learn that which is easiest for me for those times I must play under pressure (before an audience), but work hard on the "standard" one, if only to gain finger agility.

Anyway, I'm going to write down one of your sentences and keep it in my music stand:

"You should learn to play each note where it sounds the best and has the best tone and color."

And this includes both fingering and lip tension. Great piece of advice.

Lots of information to think about. Thanks!

You're welcome.

I wanted to assume you were in the UK - but since you mentioned your English wasn't so good I now wonder where you are. (and by the way, your English is better than most Americans I know). If you want to go further in Horn studies there are people who teach outside the conservatory almost everywhere. Take what you can get from who you are with now. Personally I am against most college age people teaching Horn (or double reeds). The reason is their exposure is very limited and they haven't done enough critical thinking or scientific studies about the instrument. As a result they really don't know enough to teach properly. The other issue I have with college age teachers is the reason. They are doing something to make money for something else. Teaching Horn to make money for an Economic degree? They aren't eaching horn because they like teaching horn, or because they want to teach horn.

Let me know what country you're in and the general area and I'll see if I can find you some teachers for when you're done with your 6 years.

Colombo wrote:

<<At the moment I tried consciosly to relax all that area, I got the impression that air flowed more freely and that the horn sound was fuller. The bad part of it is that I immediately shrugged my shoulders again, unconsciously.>>

It takes time to develop the habit of relaxing. Relaxing is something you must practice during every activity of the day. Often we don't notice it or feel it during our activities, but when tension starts adversely affecting your music, your ear will hear it before you are otherwise aware of it.

You can train yourself to automatically react to it. Whenever you hear your tone getting pinched or your fingers get out of sync with your fingers, train yourself to focus on your neck & relax it. The relaxing in your neck will spread throughout the rest of your body. The more you work at it, the more skilled you will become in sustaining this feeling.

I can remember when I first started working with this idea. I was elated to be able to play with a smooth relaxed tone for just a few minutes...then 15 minutes, then 20, etc. It just takes time & patience to extend the time.

The best thing you can do is practice very slow & easy music... long tones, simple scale patterns, etc. Avoid technically challenging fast passages until you learn to stay more relaxed.

Valerie Wells
http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/

I've been off the internet for several days (something common with me).

John, I live in Spain, and since I know for sure that my town has nothing to offer horn-wise, I think that the best idea would be to look for some good teacher in the Madrid area, because I definitely want to keep on learning to play the horn. If you could suggest someone, I'd very glad, because I don't even know how to start searching.

For now I'll stick to the instructor I've got; just last Monday he told me that according to the present rules (they changed in October), I would be allowed to repeat one year out of the six I've theoretically got a right to. So if this year, or the next one, he says I've failed (even if I've been progressing all right), I'd be able to stay one year longer. Neither of us really like the idea of cheating this way, but my teacher says I'm the only one of his students (he's got only four) who really takes it seriously and studies every week (even if it's not as much as we'd like). Besides, the other three are students at the conservatory, and this music school is only a support (even if it's not intended to be that way). I'm the only one for whom it's that or nothing.


Valerie,

These days I've been paying attention to the neck tension issue. I cannot say I'm playing completely relaxed, far from it, but at the moment I remember it, I'm able to relax, although my shoulders and neck imperceptibly start to tense again. But I've already caught myself relaxed a couple of times! The most important thing, I think, is being aware of the problem, since that's the first step towards its solution.

I'm feeling very optimistic about the horn lately. Thanks everyone!

Ah Madrid.
I sent you a PM with a few teachers names. I also sent you a separate PM for keeping your airway open and free, and a nifty breathing technique.

Glad you're liking the horn.

JOhn,

Thanks a lot for all your help.