Brass Teachers - Schemes Of Work? Options

[Aero]

Hi all,

Does anybody have any sources for Schemes of Work? I have some basic trumpet/trombone ones that I follow but they are of less use later on, and nothing for horn. I am the only horn teacher at my music service and when I asked about horn schemes of work I was given a blank sheet of paper and told to write one!!

Obviously I have various things that I work to but it would be really interesting to see what others are doing and discuss. I feel a bit isolated from my brass/horn teaching colleagues! Eg, when do others start teaching transposition, what technique taught between which grade exams, etc. On the trombone - alternative slide positions, on the trumpet use of valve slides, that sort of thing!

Any links or debate here gratefully received! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[ben_walker446]

Regarding trombone slide position:

Thinking back to when I was learning the trombone I probably started encountering these at around grade 3 standard. They were never explicitly taught but more talked about whenever a piece could benefit from using the alternative positions. I guess once the pupil is aware that the same notes can be produced in different slide positions then they will tend to experiment on their own with them. Also, it's not really a hard concept to be able to work out the alternative positions so just go with your own instinct whenever you feel the pupil could benefit from knowing about these.

Sorry if that's no help (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mellow.gif)

[kenm]

Not being a teacher, I have never come across Schemes of Work, but there is lots to learn about the horn that won't necessarily come up in exam pieces. For wide ranging discussions of the horn, including technical problems and their remedies, join the Yahoo Horn List by visiting here.

Following on from the previous post, if I were a teacher, at some stage I would introduce alternative fingerings, of which the double horn has a multitude, with indications of their usual characteristics, most particularly their influence on pitch and tone quality.

[andante]

My son started his lessons with a tuba specialist teaching him and has changed to a horn specialist. The tuba man didn't teach him the correct lip position. (I gather it is different from other brass, although I know nothing about horn, so might be wrong) He is playing on a double horn and the tuba man only showed him the fingering for half the horn. His new teacher says that he should be using the other half of the horn for some of the notes and he now needs to learn to break the habits he has been allowed to get into. It would have been better if he had been shown the right way from the start.

[kenm]

His new teacher says that he should be using the other half of the horn for some of the notes and he now needs to learn to break the habits he has been allowed to get into. It would have been better if he had been shown the right way from the start.

Yes, the other brass instruments have their peculiarities, but are rather closer to each other than any is to the orchestral horn. Its special demands include a repertoire with a four octave range (not all in one piece, fortunately) and four or five valves on the standard instrument. A horn beginner should always have a horn-playing teacher, though I would not insist that it be his main instrument, provided he knew enough of the horn's special demands and how to cope with them.

[Aero]

ben_walker>

That's my thinking too - I encourage my students to think for themselves, the Gd.5ish ones can work out slide positions quicker than me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

kenm>

Thanks - I'm a horn player myself so I know the idiosyncracies of the instrument! I'm actually on the yahoo list (have been since 1994!!) but I rarely have time to read it these days. Would be really interesting to discuss it with other horn teachers though, especially things like fun "in between grades" pieces. None of my horn playing colleagues are really serious enough about teaching to have put a great deal of thought into it, and rarely see brass teaching colleagues.

andante>

It can be difficult as brass teachers are expected to be able to teach what can be very diverse instruments. The horn is a funny one - I have a very well respected brass teacher colleague who is a great teacher (trumpet player) but I was shocked to find out that he didn't know about double horns and was teaching his horn pupils solely on the F horn. This can be pretty soul destroying for a pupil if they are finding pitching difficult, and rather unfair as not many pros will use the F horn much above 3rd space C!! He had a poor girl doing Grade 4 on a Jupiter single F horn (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

As a general rule, F horn for sound, Bb horn for accuracy. I generally start on the F horn to see how natural they are. If they are doing fine I stick to that for a bit as it helps develop the sound and hones their accuracy even more. If they struggle, it's onto the Bb horn fingering. You need to know both anyway, it's just getting used to it. low G and middle G always on the F horn though.

Of course this always depends on the pupil having a double horn. Still a lot of single F horns kicking around in music service and school cupboards (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) New generation of kinder horns are in Bb which are good for getting kids started - horn players have a disadvantage anyway because of the spacing of harmonics, so anything that helps initial progress is good in my book.

kenm again>

I agree that a non horn specialist can do a lot of damage, but many know their stuff. I hope I'm not doing my trumpet/trombone pupils any harm! It's fortunate that it's not often on the horn that you need 4 octaves in one piece, but there are quite a few examples of needing 3+ octaves Doesn't sound much but it is when you have to play it! 1st horn part in Shostakovich 5 has over 3 octaves, and loads of classical stuff requires the 2nd horn to be up there in Bb alto with the 1st horn and then depth charge pedal notes the next bar!

[kenm]

As a general rule, F horn for sound, Bb horn for accuracy. I generally start on the F horn to see how natural they are. If they are doing fine I stick to that for a bit as it helps develop the sound and hones their accuracy even more. If they struggle, it's onto the Bb horn fingering.

Excellent plan!

You need to know both anyway, it's just getting used to it. low G and middle G always on the F horn though.

Do you explain why, when to use 1 on the Bb for middle G, and what characteristics the other fingerings have?

Of course this always depends on the pupil having a double horn.

I am surprised that the five-valve single Bb has never become popular. With the fourth valve set for hand stopping and the fifth giving an accurate F length, it has many alternative fingerings for better tuning and an adequate range downward for nearly all 2nd and 4th parts (only bottom G and F# needing some right hand tuning). It is lighter than a full double and cheaper for the same build standard. Alfred Brain, Dennis Brain's uncle, played one of these as the leading horn player in Hollywood in the thirties and forties. I suspect that the main defect of most of these instruments is that they are designed to be specialist 1st and 3rd instruments, with the mouthpipe and bell shapes chosen to make the overtone series best in tune around Ab or G horn length, rather than F or E, which would be normal for a double horn in F and Bb. PM me if you would like an expansion of the acoustics that explain this.

I agree that a non horn specialist can do a lot of damage, but many know their stuff.

Agreed. You don't have to be a specialist, but you do need to know about each instrument.

It's fortunate that it's not often on the horn that you need 4 octaves in one piece,

I couldn't think of one. I was thinking of Shostakovich 5 and the Schumann Concertstück.

[Daisy Duck]

Most music services use A Common Approach as the basic scheme of work - available to download here:

http://www.thefms.org/the-fms/professional...cal-curriculum/

[Aero]

Thanks!