I've finally thrown in the towel and stopped learning to play the French Horn after 3 years because I couldn't support the higher notes, even after exercises and hard graft (and 3 teachers!). I love the brass family and would love to play an "easier" brass instrument. Or shall I just play safe and go for strings? Thanks. (ps. I'm 47).

The french horn is by far the most challenging of the brass instruments and takes much more hard work and practice to improve than it does on say... the Tumpet!

The trumpet is brilliant and very versatile. They aren't as expensive as french horns either. My first trumpet cost me £80 and it was new. It was a stagg and did what it needed to do.

If it's the high register thats your problem, then maybe you could go onto tenor horn or baritone where you would be able to get the high register much more easily after learning to play the french horn.
You'd fine the high register easier on the trumpet than on the french horn, so give that a try first!

I went from trumpet to horn and I certainly find the high notes for horn easier to sustain (probably because there is more back pressure). Do recommend the baritone or euphonium but if you are thinking of doing orchestra work then trombone is probably the best bet.

I wouldn't say that one is more challenging than the other to take to an advanced level. Horn has all the difficulties of pitching, trumpet is difficult to produce the range of tone needed, given the relatively short length of tube. Trumpet above all, in my experience, takes the highest amount of daily embouchure maintenance to keep a satisfactory sound. Which is why so few take it to the most advanced levels. But let's not start a "X is more difficult than Y" debate, which would be futile and boring.


I'd agree with joolsters in everything he says here. I've never understood why more people don't play trombone. It's relatively easy to make a decent sound, at least in the earlier stages of learning, and there are always vacancies in orchestras and bands ... and it's such a cool instrument, as well as being so versatile.

Trombone is also one of the least changed instruments since its invention c. 1475, and has had good music written for it over the last 450 years, albeit with a few somewhat sparse interludes. It has a place in more genres than most: symphony orchestra, brass band, wind band, big band, small jazz group, church music from the Renaissance canzona onward and the opera pit even earlier than the symphony.

Perhaps a silly question, but did you check that your french horn was okay? Or the mouthpiece was the best for you?

When my son got a new trumpet a few months ago, he said that the high notes were much easier to sound. Have you actually tried to get the higher notes on another horn?

I agree about the trombone. There just aren't enough players these days.

Steve

Thanks Steve.
My third teacher checked the horn and I also tried another mouthpiece (with a rim), but I've never tried another horn.
I think my main problem is not being to blow hard enough!!

Oops!!

Try again


When you say you are struggling with the high notes, how high can you play comfortably?

Are you playing on a single F or double F/Bb horn?

Hmm, I don't think you should be thinking about blowing 'hard' - think about blowing fast, like you're blowing out a candle at a moderate distance. The aim is to get your breathing on the instrument as natural as, erm, breathing. The problem is that most of us go into a different 'effortful' mode the moment we screw a brass instrument onto our face.

I can only reach a D (on a good day!). I'm using a double horn, having started off on a single one.

Please don't give up.
The world needs more horn players!!

I would suggest that if you are getting top D on the Bb side fingering 1/2, then your lips should be able to get you Eb on 1 then E on 2 and finally F open.

Perservere with long notes on C and D then try a few on Eb etc and push your range up.

Also try and slur up wards on the Bb side from G up to top C using 1/3, then G# to C# using 2/3, then A to D (using 1/2) etc simply by tightening your lip muscles...keep at it and your range will improve.

Good luck