Horn Notes Podcast 1: Low horn tips and resources

Tips for low French horn study, and a brief look at a new resource, the Bordogni-Ericson Low Horn Boot Camp, available as an E-book from Horn Notes Edition, www.hornnotes.com

[@peterandellainemiller6872]

I learned from one of the masters of low horn playing, Kazimerez Machala while he was teaching at Georgia before he went to Illinois. There were three key things that he taught me that I still use today: 1) pushing a button down or relying on a different horn isn't going to fix it, 2) the real key is adjusting the position of the lower jaw so that you anchor the low register on your lower jaw and open up the aperture, and 3) it is physical playing down there that requires dedicated hard long work to strengthen your chops to do it. I also learned when I was in middle school from another teacher to use a tad more upper lip in that register so that after just playing for six months, I was playing a three octave scale. I didn't know that was unusual at the time. Machala studied with James Chambers at Juilliard, but what is unusual is that he came from Eastern Europe with that heavy vibrato almost all B-flat playing style, but he also came equipped with a bionic ear and a work ethic. He auditioned for Juilliard while in Canada studying/staying with Eugene Rittich the principle of the Toronto Symphony and maker of that wonderful mute. So as Machala told me in a lesson one time, he played, and the Philharmonic players couldn't understand why Eugene wanted them to hear him. Then one of them went to the piano and began to pluck out notes, and Machala matched every single one of them on his horn. That was enough for them. He studied with Chambers, which meant, no playing on the B-flat horn anymore until he learned how to do everything on the F-side of the horn. Also, he was taught how to really play in the low register, but he also sat next to John Cerminaro as his assistant in the NYPO listening to him play, and you talk about a person with a low register...wow. Anyway, Machala went on to play principle with the Sydney National Orchestra in Australia before coming back to the US in 1986. I remember my Wind Ensemble director, Mr. Albert F. Ligotti (a student of William Vacchiano and former member of the NYPO himself) told me I would be excited by who they hired to teach horn. I was. It took some getting used to because he was intense...very intense, but he was funny and talented at the same time. He made me smarter by making me want to be better. All the books you mentioned and more...all on the F-side first. What he taught me was something Chamber taught as well, do it the hardest way first and get better at that first and use that so when you do get tired, you can rely on Plan B if necessary. I still use the F-side quite a lot depending on the piece of music much like DeRosa used a Vienna Horn in certain movie music pieces to get a certain sound. To me, the low register is the horn. Every group I play in now wants me to stick with fourth horn because I can, and that doesn't bother me. I can do principle as well, but I like playing in bass clef if necessary or playing in the basement when no one else can eek out one of those notes. I hope this comment helps. By the way, whenever Chamber played in another group outside of the NYPO, he would always play fourth chair.

[@saidoof9369]

Is that a bflat French horn@.

[@calrustad5746]

what horn is that??

[@jared1944]

It might be a single horn

[@madaxe]

It looks like a Willson to me.

[@Cookie22Jar]

Having trouble hitting the low e, I keep going an octave too low, have any suggestions?

[@hornmattersTV]

A comment on the original version: "Thank you for you podcast/video. What do you suggest for a first or second year horn student to improve the low register?" My reply: There will be another episode soon that looks at a new publication by Rose French, Rangesongs for Horn. This is an excellent publication for range development and the younger student, available from Mountain Peak Music

[@paige07.p]

Thank you this helps so much!

[@esterstromstedt7686]

it worked at the 3 try to get down

[@hornmattersTV]

I'd note that the book referenced is now in a second edition and available in print or as a Kindle book from Amazon