> -----Original Message----- > From: Borje Lofblad [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > I am new to this list and am trying to learn as much as > possible regarding horn playing. This is with the ambition to > assist my grand son. > > For the moment I have to questions, one is the recommendation > for fingering on the Bb and F side of a double horn. He has > an Alexander 103 double horn. > > And the second question is on the tuning of the horn. It > seems to me that there are several opinions on this issue.
In my humble opinion, both these are things best left to your grandson's teacher. Different teachers have different opinions about when to use the Bb side of the horn, and the most important thing is that your son trust his teacher and follow his teacher's recommendations. Whatever rules or policy he learns regarding this, he will undoubtedly broaden his horizons as his time playing the horn lengthens. My opinion, as a music teacher, is that most beginners benefit from a fairly clear set of guidelines about using the Bb side of the horn, e.g., switch starting at <insert your note of choice here>. With time, alternate fingers can and should be learned and used when there is a good musical and/or technical reason. I am currently playing a Bb single horn with a C valve, and even without having a double horn, there are still a myriad of fingering choices available. As my teacher (and, no doubt, countless others) once observed, the French Horn is one of the few instruments on which you can play the right notes with the wrong fingerings and also play the wrong notes with the right fingerings. Bringing some order to the potential chaos is a good thing. Just my opinion. -S- _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
