Teaching The French Horn
In Middle School Band: Seven Steps To Success Sherry H. Baker
Fayette County Public Schools Lexington, KY
sherry.baker@
fayette.kyschools.us Reprinted from Kentucky Bluegrass News
fielding questions from band teachers about the instru- ment. Clearly, there is some mystery to teaching the French horn. The purposes of this article are to clear up the mystery and to help you select musicians to play the horn and foster their success.
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1. Recruit with purpose Many band directors do not like to start French horn
players from the beginning, but rather switch them from another instrument. This can work well, particularly when that student meets one of the following criteria: a. They are successful on another instrument, having demonstrated good tone, accurate pitch, and a firm grasp of note-reading. b. They have played trumpet and meet most of the
above criteria (perhaps they have been struggling with higher pitches). Make sure to promote the French horn to your stu- dents as something special. Have a local professional play for your students or play a great video for them so they can hear the beautiful characteristic tone of the instru- ment. You might also tell students there are a limited number of instruments so you will be having auditions for the opportunity to play French horn. Make sure they understand that this is an instrument that takes hard work, intelligence, and dedication (as do all the instru- ments, but this is to drive up interest for the French horn in particular). I have started many students successfully on French horn, and here are the things I look for in a recruit: a. Size—are they big enough to hold the instrument
properly? If not, they should probably start on trumpet and revisit the French horn in a year or two.
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efore becoming a band director, I had a mod- est career as a professional French horn teach- er and performer. As such, I was constantly
b. Good ear—can they tell high pitches from low?
Even if they’re only a third apart? c. Personality—is this someone who will stick with something when it gets really challenging? Horn can be incredibly frustrating, particularly at the beginning. Is this student patient with themselves? Are they convinced of their eventual success? This helps. d. No under-bite—this is just a recommendation and not a necessity, but this could eventually become a challenge for a student to overcome.
2. A little help from their friends One of the most difficult parts of playing horn at the beginning is finding pitches accurately. Seat French horns in a beginning band near the alto saxophones, who usually play the same parts as the horns, and in the same register (at least early on). Take a little time to encourage them to match pitch with their nearby alto player and praise them when they get it right. A little encourage- ment goes a long way toward dealing with all the frustra- tions they may have. Try to have at least two horns in a class, so the horn player doesn’t feel alone or exposed - there is strength in numbers.
3. Practice and extra help Because of the size and awkward shape of the instru- ment, it is best for your French horn players to have a second instrument for home practice. Teach them to find their note on the piano, if they have one at home (their pitch is a fifth above the piano note so if the horn has a C, they should play an F on piano). After-school tutoring or private lessons will also help
your horn players to succeed. If private lessons are out of the question, see if you can get a local teacher to come work with your French horn players as a group. This
MARCH 2018
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