My son (aged 9) is playing a small french horn, at the moment we are borrowing a mouthpiece from his french horn teacher. Does anyone have any advice on buying a mouthpiece or where to buy a mouthpiece from, especially around the London/Essex area.

Paxman's in London is the place to go for anything horn-related.

Chris

Look at mouthpieces similar to the one he has borrowed, unless his teacher has suggested otherwise. Horn mouthpieces vary in many places that affect how they feel, how the instrument sounds and how tired the player becomes. Some of them, with their main effects, are:

1) The inner diameter of the rim. The larger, the louder and the more tiring;

2) The radius of the inner corner of the rim. Smaller radius improves tone, worsens stamina;

3) The volume of the cup. Larger volume improves bottom register, makes top more difficult;

4) The bore of the throat. Larger diameter improves tone, worsens stamina, especially in the high register;

5) The width of the rim. The wider the more comfortable; there are suggestions that this makes the sound less focussed.

At 9, your son should be conservative on all these since his stamina will not yet be very good. As he grows, and especially if he becomes keen and does a lot of practice (serious horn students do 3 hours a day from some time in their teens) he will change mouthpieces to improve his sound and range. Generally, changes to the cup and bore are more quickly accommodated than changes to the rim. When he gets to the stage that he has good understanding of the relative pay-offs, he may wish to buy a screw rim with different bodies.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, horn players specialised in high or low register playing. Nowadays, every professional reckons to have a range of over four octaves, but in amateur and youth orchestras, a good low player will be very welcome, so your son might consider working more at his low notes and letting the top ones improve naturally, as they will, provided his embouchure is not extreme.

Some horn methods have good advice on mouthpieces. In particular Philip Farkas (late principal at Chicago), in his "The Art of French Horn Playing", warns against making frequent changes in search of the "perfect" mouthpiece. There is no such thing.

ChrisC thank you for your reply.

Kenm thank you for your comprehensive reply.