Hornplayers were used to have no key signature in front, o.k. and they have remained so. The picture is clean then compared you would have written all in F, o.k. That´s the reason why composers as Brahms & even R.Strauss used such methods. Can you imagine all the A transpositions in e.g. Arabella or Schweigsame Frau written in F. A nightmare of accidentals. I repeat, we horn players are quite lousy (I said WE hornplayers & it does include myself as well) readers of accidentals & special if we use the Bb-side most of the time (so I advocate the use of the F-side, where ever one can be responsible for the result).
Studying transposition in all keys is an essential tool, one must acquire as early as possible so this skill works spontaneously. Working on it starts with learning scales. If one understands, how the scales work, there would be no necessity to memorize them. I said: "how the scales work !" And this is your all main problem. You dont go to the roots. You follow the footpath of the medicineman (modern name: physician), working on the symptoms but not working on the source (of the illness), which is the roots or system. If one has really understood, how transposition works, he or she does not need to memorize the parts. But the story would be too long & still not be understood by the majority of readers. The lack of basic music training is far too big. The beginning has to be lead with scales, Kopprasch & Kopprasch & Schantl & Kopprasch & Schantl again. Well, admitted, the progress is not seen quickly, but from a certain point onwards, the students advances so quickly, that the different educated will not be able to follow up. That is similar with the traditional classic old language gymnasium (school type) here in Europe. It does not teach special knowledge, but ist curriculum is laid out in a way, to provide a general wide knowledge & understanding to prepare for the different sciences taught at the university. This broader basic knowledge enables the student to much faster progress special if interdiscipline understanding is required. So is it in Music. One must not see just the one favourite instrument or special interest. One must cover all from baroque to contemporanean, natural horn up to tripel, descant & wagnertuba, composition & instrumentation, general acoustics & instrumentmaking, etc. etc. And repeated, the broader theoretical knowledge will help for a faster improvement of ones skill. So is it with transposition. Anything different advice is just obsolete blah-blah, even it seems to work, but how in critical situations, jumping in to save a performance at short notice, with unknown music ???? You will be lost without this special skill & the fundamental knowledge. ============================================================ ================================================== -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Corenut Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 7:12 PM To: horn@music.memphis.edu Subject: [Hornlist] Brahms 2 and Valve oil Brahms 2. >From what I remember, there wouldn't have been a problem writing that >movement in F - H wasn't done to avoid leger lines. If there is a historical reason (crooks etc.) then I'll get me coat but otherwise WHY make it SO difficult for the reader? I know one can learn it, practice it and so forth but it is a little unusual to read an augmented 4th. Valve Oil. As a (proud) Alex 1104 owner I oil up 'sometimes' - usually if I haven't played it for a while. I then find the valves stick even more than they did before and a good bit of playing helps this. It leads me to believe that the condensation from playing is a better lubricant than the special oils one is instructed to place on the 3 major points (3 types of oil supplied - all un-drinkable at the airport so they will have to go in the suitcase). My old trusty Weltklang never suffered in the way that the Alex does - is that because the Alex is better engineered? Tolerances finer etc? I have already had my engineer repairer dismantle and clean (?) the rotors once and it's only 3 years old. I'm almost wary of oiling it now - not the linkages, but oil down the tubes - since it's the rotors which aren't performing and yes I'm careful it goes directly onto the rotor and not via the slide sides. Big week of (wind only) playing coming up in S. France, no playing for about 5 weeks in advance (not a tip, just circumstances!) so we'll see what happens.. rotors/lip/oils et al. Foxy UK _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/hans%40pizka. de _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
