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On Tweaking the Thumb Valve Position
As noted in a very recent article, I have several horns I can and do use regularly. One common adjustment made on horns is to add “dimes” to the valve levers, to meet your fingers better (more here)....
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On Recording a Trio CD
Besides the normal things that keep horn professors very busy at the end of a semester I have, with my ASU colleagues Douglas Yeo and Deanna Swoboda, been recording a CD of brass trios. For me this is...
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Doug Hall, a Vintage Knopf Horn, and a Horn Convention
San Diego Symphony hornist Doug Hall is hosting a regional horn workshop next weekend, but his name is also in the news if you read The Horn Call. On page 46 of the May, 2014 issue is an article...
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A Conch Shell Horn
With summer upon us it is a good time to step back and switch things up with something different. Often horn players make use of the conch shell horn in a presentation on the history of the horn. I...
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Passing of Wilke Renwick, hornist and composer
If you have played in a brass quintet at all you have probably seen the name Wilke Renwick. His Dance for brass quintet is certainly one of the most widely performed works for that ensemble. What is...
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On Effective Performances
For this article we dig way back into the archive of the original Horn Notes Blog to an article dated 11/9/05, posted under the title “More on effective performances.” It includes many points worth...
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On Not Distracting Other Players
This is the final article I will be posting from the archive of the original Horn Notes Blog, originally dated 7/17/05 and posted with the title “Oh ****” Any horn player who is any good more than...
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Editorial: Social Media and #IHS46
Explore the hashtag #IHS46 on Facebook and Twitter. Honestly, social media coverage of the event was pretty disappointing. As participants return home more is showing up on personal pages, but during...
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On Editing a Brass Trio CD
Back a few months ago I recorded with my colleagues Douglas Yeo and Deanna Swoboda (more here) a brass trio CD. Jumping forward to today we are near the end of the editing process. This is my third...
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Unboxing the Houghton H3, and Initial Impressions
If you follow the horn and use Facebook you probably have noted that Houghton Horns has a new line of horn mouthpieces coming out soon (more here). While they are a Horn Matters advertiser, I was...
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The Non-Controversial Article
It is great that there is something we can all agree upon: (Unless you are from the grammar police). Play pretty and remember that Horns Rule. For more Hornist Hamsters memes see...
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On Mastering a Brass Trio CD
Back in the Spring I recorded a brass trio CD with ASU colleagues Douglas Yeo and Deanna Swoboda. After editing the project thoroughly (more here) the next step is mastering. The last project I was...
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PSA on Horn Sections Sitting Backwards
We all know that the standard arrangement of horn sections has the players blowing down the section from the first horn. In other words, from the audience, the section would look 4-3-2-1-A (A being the...
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Updates to the Horn Matters Web Site
Regular visitors may have noticed some changes here at Horn Matters. The overall look-and-feel of the site has changed significantly over the past few weeks, including: a new logo and title style...
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A Mouthpiece like Dennis Brain Used
Many years ago, at the home of Philip Farkas, I held in my hands a copy of the mouthpiece of Dennis Brain. Farkas was actually at one point (before his association with Holton) working with Schilke and...
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Classic Recording: Meir Rimon, Nigunim (Hassidic Melodies)
Thinking about my faculty recital this year I knew I would be using my triple horn and my mind went to a classic horn recording and a set of Nigunim I had performed about ten years ago. First, the...
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Random Wednesday: Windmills of the Mind
Noise pollution A new study indicates that French horn players are in danger of developing noise-induced hearing loss. This risk for horn players is reported as the highest among professional...
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On Watching Recitals Online
Monday next week (10/27/2014) will bring a “first” for me, in that the recital I am presenting jointly with Douglas Yeo will be streamed live. This has become more and more common at music schools in...
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8 Signs That it Might Be Time to Change Teachers
Private music lessons are a time-honored tradition for learning how to play an instrument. The experience is really hard to beat in terms of hands-on, focused learning. That being said, private lessons...
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Significant work: Schubert, Nachtgesang im Walde
Auf dem Strom (1828) is the best known work of Schubert for horn and voice, but it was preceded in 1827 by a very significant work for four horns and men’s chorus, Nachtgesang im Walde. It is his first...
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