From: "Tim Kecherson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have an intersting (although probably common) problem. My high school band just played an arrangement of Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" with a stopped horn entrance. My hand is large enough so that I cannot properly do stopped horn, I need to transpose one whole step down instead of one half step. Is there a way to get my bell throat enlarged so I can do this properly, or are there any models of horn with a larger throat than a Conn 8D?
What you really need is a teacher -- one who really plays horn -- who can work with you on stopped horn. No one has a hand so large or so small that stopped intonation would not be approximately a semitone. And if your hand were so large, the horn would be flat rather than sharp. You are probably not closing the bell sufficiently or otherwise not correctly managing the technique. The horn must be closed so tightly that there is significant back pressure when you blow. If you have access to a brass stopping mute, practice first with that and then make you hand do the same thing the stopping mute does. If you're really dedicated you could buy one on the net -- a stopping mute is not very expensive and is something you can use for years. Also, I seem to be allergic to silver, as when I play I get green residue on the outside of my right hand. What can I do for this? Why do you think this is an allergy? And why do you think there is any silver in your bell? If you stick your hand in mud and it gets muddy, does that mean you are allergic to mud? Green is a typical color of brass (actually copper) oxides. See http://chemistry.about.com/cs/demonstrations/a/aa022204a.htm Your bell is simply tarnished. Some people have wetter and more acidic sweat that will enhance tarnishing of the metal. It is generally harmless to you, and not quickly harmful to the horn (unless a historical or extremely valuable instrument). If you can obtain a chamois (a soft leather wiping cloth) and wipe the bell frequently, at least each time you put the horn away, that may help. Other than that, the only guaranteed is an expensive (re)laquering of the bell. If the bell already has a buildup of visible tarnish and crud from a previous user, a one-time gentle treatment with brass polish will probably reduce the problem, although the bell may slowly tarnish again. But probably this isn't something you need to worry about at all. _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
