Horn

A collection of 32 posts

Horn

Breathing Out While Waiting

I didn't think the D major scale in Barber would be a big deal.

Horn

Octave Notation Change in The Horn Call

The Horn Call has switched to a better notation for distinguishing pitches in different octaves.

Horn

Thinking Again About the Word "Amateur"

"Amateur" in French always gives the connotation of someone who deeply appreciates and is knowledgeable about something.

Horn

Thinking About the Word "Amateur"

You can't avoid English words that have ambiguous meaning; they are everywhere.

Horn

Retirement + 4 Days

The last month or so was rather intense.

Horn

Practice Room Playing Position and Recording

I stood in the center of the room and contemplated this setup.

Horn

Today's practice plan

As Randy Gardner says, "plan your work and work your plan."

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Horn camp

By the end of the week, my musical batteries were fully charged, and I had enough practice and performance ideas to last a whole year (at least).

Horn

Fingering chart

I wondered how much horn math could be presented on a single chart.

Horn

Juicy mistakes

Each mistake is a chance for pausing and reflecting on what just happened, and learning from it.

Horn

Patrick Stewart on learning a script

I don't read biographies that often, but I am enjoying my birthday present from last month, the book Making It So, by Patrick Stewart, known to many as Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the starship Enterprise. I've seen him very many times in TV shows, movies, and

Horn

Troubleshooting the high notes

When the note dropped out again, in the same place, I put my horn down and stared at the music stand.

Horn

More thoughts about the octave notation system in The Horn Call

My favorite musical practice app, TonalEnergy, uses scientific pitch notation.

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Using forScore recording cues for practice

I have found it helpful and efficient to use forScore's audio capabilities to practice my concert parts along with an orchestral recording.

Horn

Clarke First Study - chromatic scales

I used Clarke's chromatic study to work out some hand and finger issues.

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Proposed: A (much) better octave designation notation for The Horn Call

The Horn Call uses Helmholtz pitch notation, an objectively terrible system.

Horn

Accuracy, Gardner's challenge, and Ericson's encyclopedia

Gardner's accuracy challenge is stretching and training my brain in new ways.

Horn

My path: Choosing the French horn

I had a huge crush on a girl in my 10th grade Spanish class.

Horn

Now (September 2023)

I'm very excited about having a chance to play Hanson 2, which keeps the horn section busy with rewarding parts in all three movements.

Horn

To the high Cs

David McGill, in Sound in Motion, recommends practicing all scales through the full range of the instrument.

Horn

Intonation tendencies of combination fingerings

How sharp are the various combination fingerings?

Horn

Harmonic progression arpeggios

There are a lot of different intervals in this exercise, and I must hear them accurately, in the moment, in order to play them accurately.

Horn

Pitfalls of picking a horn-related domain name

On a cruise ship vacation this month, I found myself once again unable to access hornjourney.com over a WiFi network.

Horn

Claiming my space

Claiming my space helps me breathe better and also feel more confident.

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Now (July 2023)

The Melrose Symphony and Concord Orchestra seasons will start just after Labor Day.