Re: [Hornlist] Neil Sanders Mouthpiece and Braces
I once heard Sanders lecture about his wide rim mouthpiece. He designed it for his own use as he got older and felt that his embouchure was changing. He said he felt this in his playing it was as if he was walking along a narrow catwalk or climbing a dangerous stairway and he needed a "handrail" to hang on to. He tried lots of different forms, but the wide rim turned out to give him the security that he felt he needed while playing. It wasn't invented for converted trumpet players or for kids with braces, either, so far as I know. That was just serendipity, in my opinion. I tried one for a while, and found no security for me. I kept trying to put the edge of the rim on my lip putting the other side up my nose! The darn thing just slipped around and I never knew where it would be in regard to the business part of my lip vibration. The cup shape and backbore are conventional horn mouthpiece; only the rim is very wide and some people like it and play well on it. CORdially, Paul Mansur > I have been teaching students for over 40 years. Years ago, when Neil Sanders > came out with his mouthpiece, my recollection is that one of the benefits of > the > wide rim with the concave design was that it would help to relieve some of > the > discomfort of wearing braces. Over the years I let only a few students use > it, > all of them of which had to play their French horns in marching bands. These > were the days before the marching mellophones. After marching band season I > would have them return to their regular mouthpieces. > > > > I currently have an 8th grade student who came to me with multiple embouchure > problems, including puffing the cheeks (he looked like Louis Armstrong) and > excessive movement of the embouchure with each note. These issues have been > difficult enough to deal with, but now recently he got braces. And it could > not > have come at a worse time, since he was preparing for the State Solo > Festival, > playing the second movement of Mozart #1 (grade 4 on the Maryland list). He > was > having a difficult adjustment to the braces, so I let him try the Neil > Sanders > mouthpiece. He said that it was more comfortable than his regular mouthpiece > and > that he could play better with it. So I decided to let him use it for awhile, > to > get over this hump. > > > > The judge at the solo festival had a fit over the Sanders mouthpiece. He told > the student that he should get a teacher (I don't know who he thought I was) > and > to get a "real" mouthpiece. Notwithstanding all this, the student played well > and received a Superior rating. > > > > My question is this, by having the student use the Sanders mouthpiece, have I > really done such a terrible thing as the judge intimated? Am I really that > bad? > > > > Phil Hooks > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Re: Holton Farkas Models
Phil had gone to Indiana and ended his tenure with the CSO when the Farkas line of horns began coming forth. I saw Phil at a large number of the IHS symposia and on a number of other occasions over a period of about 20 years. He always was carrying one or two of the Holton horns with him and played on one every time he performed. He spoke highly of his Geyer horns but after the CSO years I never saw or heard him play on anything other than one of the Holton horns. CORdially, Paul Mansur > Over the years, my experience with Holton has never been as an owner, but I > have played a lot of them. The first I remember playing was the original > brass > model 77, and It compared favorably with Kruspes and Alexanders prevalent in > Boston at the time. Since then, there have been a string a Farkas model > horns. The big NS ones are decent, but never memorable. The smaller ones > always > sound like a horn with a mute in. My daughter got a 178 from her school, and > I > spent hours trying to find what had to be stuck in it. Yet, I still come > across the occassional model 77, usually still owned by the original owner, > never > to be parted with, and it makes me wonder who makes these assanine decisions? > Was Farkas really as 'commercial' minded as his tenure with Holton seems to > suggest? Did Farkas actually play a Holton, or just shill them? > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Beginning Methods
An interesting observation. When I first started my college attendance, full tuition for all credits taken was $50. per semester. In a couple of years or so the GI bill was instrumental in the change for state schools to start charging for each credit hour taken as private schools were getting more from Uncle Sam than the state schools. The practice hung on and the state schools marched steadily onward and upward with their fees and credit hour charges. Even so, the GI Bill only provided $500. a year to those greedy institutions who got the maximum. When I started school on GI Bill I got a whole $65. per month out of which I had to pay $20 for a room and $30. for meals at a boarding house. That left me the awesome sum of $15. a month for catting around, dating, clothes, toothpaste and other essentials. CORdially, Paul Mansur > > Pete Exline's description of the 'olden days' was fun. > > Maybe the olden days really were the 'good old days.' > I was teaching at a little private college in Kentucky during > the late 70s until 1984. Our band was very small, only one > horn, no trombones, a couple of clarinets, etc. No orchestra > existed. Yet one day while rummaging in some file cabinets > I ran across a school program from the early 50s. The 55 piece > orchestra in the cover photo had played Scheherezade on > the evening's program. > > What had happened over the intervening years?!! I'm not sure. > I did learn, however, that all those students were on FULL > SCHOLARSHIP. A full scholarship was $350.00, which just > happened to exactly equal the 'activity grant' that the students > are still getting today. The aid amount never went any higher > during those years, while tuitions, however, had gone up > to about $14,000 a year. > > Go figure. > > Bob Dickow > Lionel Hampton School of Music > -- > > From: Wendell L Exline <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: horn@music.memphis.edu > > Subject: Re: [Hornlist] Beginning Methods > > Date: Thursday, April 21, 2005 5:31 PM > > > > Hi Paul, > > > > Your message about the "olden days" was fun. How familiar it all > > sounded. My 7th grade band had eight "horns" in the section. > > > > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Remove slides for a while
Is this a question? In case you are asking, the answer is NO. Why would you want to dry it out? The moisture inside is partially the lubricant as it emulsifies a bit. I dry the inner slides when I clean the horn and regrease them and insert back in the horn. Paul Mansur > Good, bad, or makes no difference: Remove all slides for a while (a few > hours, overnight) to let them dry out completely. > > Thanks. > > -S- > > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] "Speak-easy" high range.
Shanna, some thoughts for you. One, you apparently switched from tpt to horn. It could be that you haven't finished changing from one instrument to the other yet; in other words, you are not yet comfortable with horn. Second, your horn mouthpiece might be inadequate. You well may not have found a good rim and cup with an appropriate backbore for you. Third, you may have a nice trumpet and a not-so-nice horn that doesn't fit you or your mouthpiece. There are real differences in the way horns respond to what you put into it. And fourth, that you are still playing both instruments may well be keeping you from settling the techniques that are peculiar to horn and not really applicable to trumpet technique. I suggest you give up tpt, at least for a while, and devote that time to the horn to see if results improve. If you are not studying with a good horn teacher, get started with one who can guide you well. Try some other horns and mouthpieces. I advocate narrow rims and conical cups for horns. That is 'way different from the way a tpt mpce feels. A Giardinelli S-14 is inexpensive and a very good all-around mpce for many horn players. I've had very good luck with them with a number of students. Lastly, spend a lot of time on Kopprasch studies; long tone studies, extensive scales, arpeggios, and work on the extreme low range of the horn toward pedal C and that vicinity. Results might surprise you. Mind you, all this is based on what you said and not on any observation of your playing. These are sort of blind shots in the dark as I've not seen you or heard you; but they are things I would do with and for my students who complained as you did. CORdially, Paul Mansur > So for the past three weeks or so I've been playing > trumpet in the pit band for the musical Hair. It's > been an, er, interesting experience, to say the least. > > My question is thus... every now and then when I'm > playing the trumpet, I can find a "sweet spot" of > sorts where the upper range just speaks so easily, and > it seems almost effortless. I can tell when I'm a > little off because I don't get the free and easy > feeling in the high range or the bright, clear trumpet > sound - the sound feels forced in a way and I feel a > sense of resistance. But then I readjust the > embouchure a little, check my support, and bam - all > of the sudden, those high notes are a lot easier and > sounding a lot better. > > After thinking for a little while today, though, I > realized that I can't remember ever having this > feeling on the horn. (Perhaps I have and it is just > my memory that is poor.) Now I've noticed that, in > general, I feel a greater sense of "resistance" (of > sorts) when playing the horn than when playing just > about anything else, and part of that may just be due > to the nature of the instrument, but I suspect that > most of it has to do with me. I know there have been > endless discussions on how to condition an upper > range, and that's not really what I'm asking. I know > my upper range is not as developed as it could be, and > I know precisely why. > > I guess I'm wondering if it's merely a matter of my > lack of conditioning in this case, though. Do those > high notes ever speak as easily on the horn as they do > on the trumpet? Or is there more to the difference > here than just my poor technique? > > Shanna Hollich > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > AOL IM: rhinos for jesus > > > > __ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! > http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
RE: [Hornlist] Horns on Planes.
Ah, yes, Trans-Texas Airlines. I remember that, it was popularly known as Tree Top Airlines. Paul Mansur > My first experience with flying with a horn happened to be back in the > "dream time." It was on a DC-3 flown by Trans-Texas Airlines. Horn would > fit just under the seat with bell behind my legs. The flight happened to be > one of those "brushes with fame" moments; Van Cliburn was on the plane as > well. I would point out he did not try to carry his piano with him. > > -Original Message- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > matthew scheffelman > Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 11:48 PM > To: horn@music.memphis.edu > Subject: [Hornlist] Horns on Planes. > > Making a plane reservation a couple years ago , I > asked about the size of the plane, overhead space, > etc, the operator gave me some good dimensions and > said my instrument would fit fine. When I walked on > the plane, I was suprised it was United airlines > Largest plane, I think it was the 777. What a great > ride!!! More room in the overhead than my fixed bell > horn and backpack could fill. > > [ . . . ] > > > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] IHS2005 Small Horn Ensembles?
Carlberg, check with Skip Snead. He's the major domo of the operation. Paul > Greetings - > > I looked at the IHS2005 web site, but didn't see information about small > reading ensembles. > > Does anyone know who's in charge of organizing these sessions or have any > information at all about them? > > Thanks, > > Carlberg > > Carlberg Jones > Guanajuato, Gto. > MEXICO > > > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Horn too small for hand?
With string action, the valve levers can be adjusted upward or down farther. You could add a leather hand guard which would move you out a fraction; and you may need to curve your fingers as if grasping a ball loosely. This should move the tips of your fingers back a bit; quite a bit if your fingers are extended straight over the spatulas. If none of that help much, get a leather hand-strap holder from Osmun and work your hand position at a lowered position. CORdially, Mansur's Answers > How do you deal with a horn that's too small for your left hand? > > I've got fairly big hands and the valves on this new-to-me Holton (Thanks, > Dave Weiner, for the info) are set particularly low. The low height > combined with the relative small size of the horn and the valve placement > means my hand, when in a relaxed position with fingers extended, almost > completely covers the valve levers - my middle finger is just shy of the > inside end of the lever. > > Is there any less-than-terribly-ugly way to build up the outside of the horn > so that it might be more comfortable for my left hand? The placement of the > pinkie hook is fine - I did check that. At the moment, I'm holding my hand > open (palm and inside knuckles not touching the horn) and/or turning it > under a bit, both of which are uncomfortable for more than a few minutes. > > Thanks in advance, all. > > -S- > > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
RE: [Hornlist] RE: "Ein Hundeleben"
For what it's worth, I spotted the Hundeleben, recognized it as a joke and went on deleting messages from horn lists. As quoted below, it was suggested that we get Sirius. Thank you. No one ever pointed out that Sirius is the Dog star. Congrats for not bringing that to Cabbage's attention. Cheers, P Mansur > This one gets double points. The East German Judge (*) Awards a 8.0 > > (*) See http://www.sff.net/people/pitman/egjudge.htm > > -Original Message- > From: On Behalf Of Clarke, David E SWF > > OK guys, its time to get Sirius. > > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > >Or maybe by Johann Sebastian Bark > >Paul Mansur > > >Paul ... you may be thinking about the guy that > >wrote the "Star Spaniel Banner". > >Regards, Jerry in Kansas City > > > ___ > > > > > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] "Ein Hundeleben"
Or maybe by Johann Sebastian Bark Paul Mansur > > From: David Goldberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > " > > > > On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > >> That was written by Richard's best friend, Rex? > > > > Might have been Hugo Woof. > > > > Or by Carl Barks. > > Klaus > > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] beethoven 6 mute
I think I've seen pictures of what were reported to be hand carved wooden horn mutes from the 19th century. The WWV use soft little round stuffed cloth balls for mutes. Hans mentioned them recently in one of his posts and they have been around for a couple of centuries, I'd guess. Hey, all. Note my new address, please. Paul Mansur [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Right, I hereby stick my neck out and expose myself to the ridicule of the > entire horn-playing world and Hans and dp. > > This muted bit at the end of Beethoven 6 - might it have been played stopped > on the E horn or had that technique not been discovered by then? (Yes I > know that natural horn technique is to lower the open notes not raise them.) > > All the best, > > Lawrence > > "aes ofereode - isses swa maeg" > > http://lawrenceyates.co.uk > > > > > ___ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/p_mansur1%40comcast.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
