I haven't seriously practiced for maybe 3 years. I was in an ensemble this spring though.
I was a horn performance major, but I got really burnt out and realized my senior year that the life of a professional musician wasn't for me.
So I've taken some time off and I would like to start playing again.
Can anyone advise me on a good routine to get my chops back?
To an extent I'd also like to start from the basics because I always had a problem with too much pressure when playing high. I would wear out my face pretty fast and I would have a ring on my upper lip. When I was in college there was always too much pressure to perform in recitals and ensembles and so on so I never felt like I really had the time to start from scratch.
So... help, please?

A good routine. I would suggest you start with Walter Moecks Warm-ups for French Horn. It costs $2.50 you can find it online easily or most music stores should have it or be able to get it for you. Then do your major scales (start at the top of the scale, come down an octave and go back up) move down in half step increments continuing until you reach your low end of your range.

Do the Moeck warmups every day. Then spend some time on some etudes. I would suggest any of your etude books from college. pick one page and read it through straight without stopping, if you make a mistake just keep going your brain will fix it later. After you run through go back and work out a small section you can make better. By now you have spent a good 45 minutes to 1 hour practicing. Go do something nice, or clean the dishes.

Pressure:
Play long tones, one note for one minute in as few breaths as possible and try to determine how much pressure you think you are using by assigning it a number between one and ten (pick 8). Then while you are doing your long tones try to redcue your pressure to 7 for a weeks worth of practice. The next two weeks try to use only 6 units of pressure. The next three weeks try to use only 5 units of pressure.After 6 weeks you should have a good feeling of whether you need to go further. With my students I make them play with their rim unscrewed if they can play a high C above teh staff without a rim and don't cut themselves or leave a severe indent then they have the correct pressure.

A good way to reduce the pressure is to almost meditate while you are doing the long tones. Start at your hips and relax, but straighten your back by elongating it. Be sure your shoulders are relaxed but a slight tension outwards and back.

Goooooo sloooooooow! Beeeeeeeee patient!

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