How to play high notes on the French Horn and Haley Hoops performs Shoemaker Legato Etude #14

How do I play high notes on the French Horn? I get that question a lot! Try these exercises and listen to my etudes!
Playing the horn is difficult, this will help simplify your process of navigating the high register or high notes on the horn.
I also perform the 14th etude from Shoemaker Legato Etudes #14. This etude is the easiest one so far, so if you are just getting started, try this one!

[@bernardlapp9375]

Yay, subscribed! I've had three different horn teachers over the course of my life and none offered such practical advice as you gave here. Wish I could have found it ages ago instead of just today. Only in these my gray-bearded years have I started to find any high range, and while some of that has come with practice and technique, the equipment really has mattered. Settling into a shallow-cup Yamaha mouthpiece has helped some, though that ended up having to be a 34C4 because of my big front teeth or something... and moving from a Holton 279 to a Yamaha 667 has been another productive step. While I'm still not a lead-caliber player for most ensembles, it finally seems like there are avenues to explore for further improvement, where I'd felt pretty much stymied for a long time.

[@gregmonks9708]

When I want to play high notes I stand on a chair. Hey, it's as close as I can get!

[@dianawolf894]

What I hear: horn lip slurs with all partials, additional pedal tones that help open up the upper register, the embouchure does (change) control pitch thru embouchure muscle memory as well as tuning and a gorgeous sound from a very talented musician.

[@amyw4411]

Thanks for posting! I'm getting myself back into horn after a very long hiatus, but I've never been very good with the high register. However, I went to a horn symposium several years back, picked up a horn to test, and the high register was very easy. I suspect you're right about the equipment.

[@Showtunez]

Just found your channel -- Excellent!! Just double-checked -- Yep, you're the gal with the red hat on the Texas Horns album! Love that album!! 😃 I'm an active long-time amateur, have studied with a few good teachers along the way. Your bits of advice are a great reminder of many things I've heard before, and the reinforcement sure helps. Many thanks for your postings, please continue! I enjoy your recorded playing!

[@loismanda7254]

Just found your videos. I'm an oldster with time now and desire to learn to practice well. I'm playing in the local college symphonic band. Also take a lesson every once in a while from a professional. But having your tutorials will definitely help in between those lessons! I took notes on this tutorial. Your ideas make good sense. I loved the comment on practicing high notes in public. I thought i was the only one who avoided that, lol. Maybe someday i will think trilling is "fun". 😊 For now, i need to look for a tutorial on that. I also appreciated your example of working on these etudes. Has given me an idea of what i can do when i dont have band music to "perfect".

[@Hoopstx2]

Thank you for watching! I think it's time I did another video on high horn playing...stay tuned! Best of luck with your practicing

[@gustavszviedritis6221]

This is amazing! thank you!

[@Jelly006]

Omg TYSM I was really struggling with the high notes in band! 😵‍💫

[@paulhorn27]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@Hoopstx2]

My pleasure! Thank you for watching!

[@carlw]

Excellent advice!!!

[@maxwellstein9953]

Fantastic! Thanks Haley 😃

[@Hoopstx2]

You're so welcome! I appreciate you watching and your comments are helpful too.

[@captaintoad-ef6zt]

I love the solo at the start.

[@davidlangston6927]

Would love hear you ideas on trills and double tonguing.

[@ItisabigailL]

I just need to point this out. When I play above the staff notes (or high notes) it feels like I got up to fast. And my head hurts pretty bad. Does anyone relate?

[@Hoopstx2]

The pressure in a horn players head/mouth is pretty intense . It shouldn’t hurt though

[@carlw]

Sounds like perhaps you may be playing with more tension then necessary. Pretend you're blowing fast air through a straw.

[@imreallysad4215]

oh my goodness YESSS

[@carlw]

@@imreallysad4215 try practicing "blocked buzzing" you'll be surprised how a lot of those types of issues vanish. Trust me, I was Mr. Play With Tension so completely get it. That being said jaw and tongue placement is key and it does require some form of effort but practicing in a way that diminishes that tension is key!!! Air management, blocked buzzing etc. Pretend you're blowing bubbles in water. I think Joseph Singer says that in his book.

[@MrRAYMON123]

Thank you very much for sharing this, this is very pretty. I have never touched a French horn before, and I am blind, can you try to explain to me how you play it and how you change your notes and possibly show me the lowest note?

[@JenaGardner]

Love this video and think your embouchure/face looks just like GW when you are playing!

[@Hoopstx2]

Thanks Jena! That’s a big compliment!

[@16icecream]

I have a bach 11 mouthpiece I love the range i get with it

[@qwiklok]

The trick is in the raised eyebrows - for sure

[@Hoopstx2]

Hahaha!

[@qwiklok]

@@Hoopstx2 Every time you hit a high note, the eyebrows went up - there must be a co-relation. I like Arturo Sandoval - he makes is very simple. He says the sound is in the head. play it with passion, reverence, the tone should be big, fat, thick sound,without forcing or playing loud. relax, never stress yourself, I tried that and had the hollywood sound in my head first. Even when I played a cheap Chinese horn, my sound was better than a pro and her Conn 8D. It truly is in the head first. Eyebrows come some time after that . . .

[@nilsfrederking62]

Hi Haley, thanks for your video! Can it be expected from a first French Horn player in an Orchestra to play pitches (notated) G5, A5. On Wikipedia they indicate the range till C6 (notated), is that really doable for a principal Horn player when approached accordingly? Thanks in advance.

[@Hoopstx2]

I am not totally sure to which note you are referring, a high G over a high C? If so, I do not think it is doable on a double but I bet there’s someone out there that can do it

[@Noulifr]

"Bravery" 😅 I guess we are a lot to share the same strugle. Thanks for the videos !

[@cmw12]

Why does the weight of the horn matter for high notes? Or is that a general rip for more comfortable practicing, particularly in the range where you wouldn’t use the F-horn anyway?

[@Hoopstx2]

The lighter the horn, the easier it is to play but sometimes it can be too light and has a brighter sound…

[@FeonaLeeJones]

Hi, I am writing a solo French Horn piece and wondering can a horn player gliss down from C in treble clef to middle C?

[@Hoopstx2]

Concert C or F?

[@Frick-bv6xt]

@@Hoopstx2 Either way, you can.

[@MattAllenTeller]

What I always find missing is what someone does with their upper lip to make higher notes. People talk about tongue and air, but for me -- the timbre changes with tongue position but not the pitch. Same with air; it gets louder but the pitch doesn't change. So SOMETHING must be going on with the lip, but no one ever says what that is. I decided people don't know what they are doing and therefore can't tell anyone else. it is frustrating for the student who doesn't "find" that on their own. I have an exceptional low range but the high range is thin and above about an F, almost non-existent. There is some lip technique that is missing. I don't use pressure, just for the record. Upper lip barely in contact with the cup. I know people with a very good high range who use a lot of pressure on the upper lip to the point of ending up with a "rim print" on their upper lip, and I don't understand how they do it either (and the ones I know do not have a good low range.)

[@Hoopstx2]

I will try my best address this with another video. Thank you for your comments.

[@wcpf19]

@@Hoopstx2any updates on this? i have the same issue

[@vicenteginergil1995]

❤❤❤❤📯📯📯

[@royrustantubig814]

I want french horn like that a can't afford to buy here in the philippines its so expensive. i wish i could have like that 🥺

[@COMB0RICO]

I've seen you comment on another horn video. Any update?

[@peters6366]

I don't know how i never came across this until now. Fantastic, thank you. Todays horn world is so international now. For those of you who have seen the Horn Hangouts Vids, they are also full of gems. Here's an example with Stefan Dohr. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHrJaISogJV0bZo. Thank you for this Haley!!!! 🙂

[@oldphone66]

I have to play shenandoah at a concert and this is the first time french horns have the melody in concert band and i HATE the hight notes my face turns ref my lips hurt my whole face hurts but the band teacher says i will get used to it

[@Hoopstx2]

It shouldn't hurt

[@stelaria13]

Let’s be honest half of us are here because we have auditions coming up and we want to be able to play the higher notes better 😭