[Hornlist] Green-horn Questions
Hello all, I am trying to pick up playing the horn again after being in college for 4 years. I played for 5 years, in middle and high school, but I am still kind of a greenhorn ( pardon the pun ;) I was hoping someone could answer a couple of questions I have. First, I never learned any of the science behind picking a mouthpiece. Does anyone know of a good website or other resource where I can learn the types, differences, benefits, and pitfalls of horn mouthpieces? I have always just played with the mouthpiece that came with the horn the school loaned me. I would like to know what makes mouthpieces different from each other. Second, a local shop has found a used double horn for me that I am thinking of getting. It is a Getzen Elkhorn, Serial Number 02767, It has: 157, 158, 159 stamped on the valves and valve caps 56 stamped on the Bb valve and valve cap 56 stamped on the keys I do not know what these numbers are for, maybe replacement part numbers? Something unique about it, I thought, was that all of the rotors have mechanical linkage to the keys; there are no strings for rotating the valves. It is a Kruspe style wrap horn. It comes with a Reynolds-Pottag Model 6A Mouthpiece. It has dents and lacquer missing, but plays fine, to the store's and my knowledge. Does anyone have any comments to make on such a horn? Third, I am hoping to play with my church worship band. I live in Oregon. Does anyone know of a good resource for finding Worship Sheet Music? Will I most likely need to transpose from another instrument for a majority of songs? Thank you in advance for any help you are able to provide me. Seth Urbach - Yahoo! Mail Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze. ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Green-horn Questions
Be careful of those Blessing-Getzen compensating double horns -- the ones that look like this: http://i16.ebayimg.com/04/i/06/5e/d5/b1_1_b.JPG They might be perfectly fine horns -- if you could grip them comfortably with the left hand. But the way the tubes radiate out of the thumb-operated change valve prevents the player's left thumb from going as far forward as it needs to for comfort. When I tried playing 1 of those some years back I had to hold my left thumb back so far, with just the ball of the thumb on the valve lever, that I declared that model of horn unplayable. Too bad. Those horns might be perfectly fine -- acoustically -- as far as intonation, sound quality, all those other things are concerned. But if you can't hold 1 comfortably in playing position, then all those other factors go for naught. Try the horn for yourself. If you can hold it comfortably, then maybe you might be able to play it OK find out on the basis of your own experience whether it sounds good, plays in tune, responds well, has nice resistance (not too much, not too little), etc. Or, if you really like how the horn plays still have trouble with that problem of a seriously uncomfortable left-hand position on the horn, maybe a duck foot or palm-strap or some helpful accessory like that would remedy the problem, I don't know. However that may be, there are so many good-playing comfortable horns out there -- full doubles compensating doubles -- that I don't even bother with Blessing-Getzen compensating horns other similar instruments I have discovered to be unplayable. -- Alan Cole, rank amateur McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA. ~ Second, a local shop has found a used double horn for me that I am thinking of getting. It is a Getzen Elkhorn, Serial Number 02767, It has: 157, 158, 159 stamped on the valves and valve caps 56 stamped on the Bb valve and valve cap 56 stamped on the keys I do not know what these numbers are for, maybe replacement part numbers? Something unique about it, I thought, was that all of the rotors have mechanical linkage to the keys; there are no strings for rotating the valves. It is a Kruspe style wrap horn. It comes with a Reynolds-Pottag Model 6A Mouthpiece. It has dents and lacquer missing, but plays fine, to the store's and my knowledge. Does anyone have any comments to make on such a horn? -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.1.2/274 - Release Date: 3/3/2006 ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
Re: [Hornlist] Green-horn Questions
Hi Seth, Since you are just getting into mouthpieces, a good place to start is the first chapter of Philip Farkas' book, The Art of French Horn Playing. This book is a gold mine of basic information about all facets related to horn. Retails for $15. In fact, this is your lucky day - the 'excerpt' provided on Amazon for this book is the mouthpiece chapter: http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0874870216/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-0667743-2244626#reader-link This is a bit technical, but an excellent resource: http://www.lawsonhorns.com/mouthpieces.htm Fred - Original Message - From: Seth Urbach [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: horn@music.memphis.edu Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 8:43 AM Subject: [Hornlist] Green-horn Questions Hello all, I am trying to pick up playing the horn again after being in college for 4 years. I played for 5 years, in middle and high school, but I am still kind of a greenhorn ( pardon the pun ;) I was hoping someone could answer a couple of questions I have. First, I never learned any of the science behind picking a mouthpiece. Does anyone know of a good website or other resource where I can learn the types, differences, benefits, and pitfalls of horn mouthpieces? I have always just played with the mouthpiece that came with the horn the school loaned me. I would like to know what makes mouthpieces different from each other. Second, a local shop has found a used double horn for me that I am thinking of getting. It is a Getzen Elkhorn, Serial Number 02767, It has: 157, 158, 159 stamped on the valves and valve caps 56 stamped on the Bb valve and valve cap 56 stamped on the keys I do not know what these numbers are for, maybe replacement part numbers? Something unique about it, I thought, was that all of the rotors have mechanical linkage to the keys; there are no strings for rotating the valves. It is a Kruspe style wrap horn. It comes with a Reynolds-Pottag Model 6A Mouthpiece. It has dents and lacquer missing, but plays fine, to the store's and my knowledge. Does anyone have any comments to make on such a horn? Third, I am hoping to play with my church worship band. I live in Oregon. Does anyone know of a good resource for finding Worship Sheet Music? Will I most likely need to transpose from another instrument for a majority of songs? Thank you in advance for any help you are able to provide me. Seth Urbach - Yahoo! Mail Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze. ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/fbaucom%40sbcglobal.net ___ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
RE: [Hornlist] Green-horn Questions
Hello Seth, the numbers have the unique purpose to remind you which cap to screw on which valve. If there is a mechanical linkage (like uniball), there is no need for strings. = -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Seth Urbach Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 5:44 PM To: horn@music.memphis.edu Subject: [Hornlist] Green-horn Questions Hello all, I am trying to pick up playing the horn again after being in college for 4 years. I played for 5 years, in middle and high school, but I am still kind of a greenhorn ( pardon the pun ;) I was hoping someone could answer a couple of questions I have. First, I never learned any of the science behind picking a mouthpiece. Does anyone know of a good website or other resource where I can learn the types, differences, benefits, and pitfalls of horn mouthpieces? I have always just played with the mouthpiece that came with the horn the school loaned me. I would like to know what makes mouthpieces different from each other. Second, a local shop has found a used double horn for me that I am thinking of getting. It is a Getzen Elkhorn, Serial Number 02767, It has: 157, 158, 159 stamped on the valves and valve caps 56 stamped on the Bb valve and valve cap 56 stamped on the keys I do not know what these numbers are for, maybe replacement part numbers? Something unique about it, I thought, was that all of the rotors have mechanical linkage to the keys; there are no strings for rotating the valves. It is a Kruspe style wrap horn. It comes with a Reynolds-Pottag Model 6A Mouthpiece. It has dents and lacquer missing, but plays fine, to the store's and my knowledge. Does anyone have any comments to make on such a horn? Third, I am hoping to play with my church worship band. I live in Oregon. Does anyone know of a good resource for finding Worship Sheet Music? Will I most likely need to transpose from another instrument for a majority of songs? Thank you in advance for any help you are able to provide me. Seth Urbach - Yahoo! Mail Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze. ___ 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
