French horn beginner range

1/24/2012

The french horn can be a problematic instrument for band teachers and band method publishers because it is in F and most of the other instruments are in C or B flat.

This means that a C on a B flat trumpet will be an F on a horn. So C-D-E on the trumpet is F-G-A on the horn which is slightly too high for a french horn beginner and can be quite discouraging in the beginning. Unfortunately, some band teachers give up and only offer the opportunity to play horn to students who already played another instrument before. This isn't necessary in my opinion. I think that with the right method, some coaching and a bit of patience, kids can learn to play the french horn just as well as any other instrument.

When I teach beginners, I make them learn C-D-E (concert F-G-A) on the first week and gradually expand their range up to A in 4-5 weeks and up to C in 8-12 weeks which is enough since most beginner band horn parts don't go higher than C or sometimes D.

Band methods usually have a "just for horns" line for each exercise but that doesn't help when they have to play with the whole band. In my opinion, the best thing to do is to tell the horn students not to worry too much about reaching the notes in the beginning and focus on playing the right rhythm and fingerings. If they work on it on individually with the help of a competent teacher, they should catch up with the rest of the band in a few weeks. Also using a method that is more adapted to the needs of the instrument will help them develop the strength and basic technique to play in the band and avoid frustration and discouragement. You can always download the french horn method here if you are looking for one.

8 Comments

Troy Morris link

11/15/2012 10:02:30 pm

Thanks for the blog! I will give a copy of this to my beginners. This is my second year as a middle school Band Director and I feel as though I have done my horn players a disservice with them during this first half of the year. I am hoping to get with them all after school for remediation and will also hook them up with one of our High School horn players who is doing well.

Nicolai

4/1/2013 10:18:35 pm

What do you then recommend, as for a beginner? About choosing the pitch of an instrument(Bb or F)

Like to hear from an expert.

Thanks

4/1/2013 10:24:55 pm

NOTE to the above: I play trumpet(Played for a couple of month - I can reach an octave, C to C and a couple of other notes further)

If that changes something?

Marc-Antoine Robillard

4/2/2013 12:30:52 am

Hej Nicolai,
Depending on your budget, I think the best is to get a double F/Bb horn. That way, you'll have both from the start. Also, pretty much everybody plays on a double horn. Many schools have single horns for beginners. They are usually single F horns which are a bit less precise than single Bb horns but have simpler fingerings and are therefore easier to play in the low-middle range especially when you get to G-F# below the staff. I personally prefer it that way.

Anyway, you would only play a single horn for a year or two before switching to a double which gives the full range of notes and more flexibly and precision. So if you plan to play for a long time, you better go directly for a double unless it's for a small kid and the horn is too heavy or too big for him. In that case, there are children horn that are more compact for them.

Hope this help!

Lauren

9/9/2016 01:16:00 pm

I was wondering if you had any suggestions on horns for children. My little brother is starting beginning band, and he's 8. My double horn is too big for him. He can't hold it correctly, needs to rest the bell next to him on the chair, and his hands are much too small to reach the trigger to access the b-flat side. I had heard of junior horns that I know come in a single key, but as I understand it, they're more of a novelty than a beginner's instrument. Do you have any suggestions on something more suited to his size that he can learn on as he grows?

Marc-Antoine

9/10/2016 12:31:38 am

Hi Lauren,
I think the best solution for your brother is, like you mentioned, a single F junior horn . The are made for kids who are too small to hold a full size horn and in my experience, they work very well. The tube is the same length as a full size single F horn but it's wraped more tightly. I have thaught a few kids with these horns and it was fine. I unfortunately don't remember the brand though...Once they grow up, we switch to a bigger horn and it usually takes about 3-4 weeks to learn to use the B flat side.

Depending on your budget, I'm sure you can find some good second hand deals at sites like hornplayer.net for example. Or just google "junior french horn for kids" and you should find some deals. If possible, I would advise buying something of a well known brand for safety but I think it can be a bit difficult to find so you might need to try a less known brand at the end.

Hope this helps.
Good luck!
Marc-Antoine

Evan

1/19/2017 05:08:52 pm

This is my second year playing trumpet, and I'm currently in seventh grade. I was either going to switch to bari sax or tenor sax next year, because I also play tenor sax. I was figuring out musescore and noticed that middle B and up were considered only to be played by a professional (on horn) and I was wondering if it is hard to play higher on horn. I was wondering if I should switch to horn or sax for 8th grade. Thanks

poop is my crappy name

4/20/2017 04:20:31 pm

French horn beginner range

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Marc-Antoine Robillard

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