hornblower
Member
As a french horn player who moved back to tenor horn I agree you can't play on both mouthpieces. the embouchure is v different... however for me the biggest problem is the different fingering....get it all muddled up!!!!
Embouchure and playing other instruments
- Thread starter Hilary Mateer
- Start date
You wanna blow my what?
Member
I don't get the fingering muddled any more! I see them as different instruments with different hands!
MoominDave
Well-Known Member
Why not different lips as well, if you see what I mean?
Dave
Dave
You wanna blow my what?
Member
Because you can't change the muscle shape that easily.
I actually had no problem, but changed to using a shank just in case.
I actually had no problem, but changed to using a shank just in case.
MoominDave
Well-Known Member
I think I know what you mean - all of the standard brass instruments can be approached with one technique, but, on the few occasions I've gone anywhere near a French Horn, I've found it fantastically hard going, mainly due to the mouthpiece/bore profile. I was wondering if it gets any easier with a bit of practise but it doesn't sound like it!
Dave
Dave
You wanna blow my what?
Member
HAHA it doesn't get better in my case either! It all depends on what horn you have. You have to have the right horn for it to work! (evidently I have the wrong one!)
I've never heard of these things to change the mouthpiece of the LSO.....interesting. I'm sure it would make the french horn sound awful though!
I've never heard of these things to change the mouthpiece of the LSO.....interesting. I'm sure it would make the french horn sound awful though!
You wanna blow my what?
Member
haha, ONLY 3rd horn. The ranking order (highest pay!) with french horns is 1st, 3rd, 4th, 2nd. Believe it or not. 
You wanna blow my what?
Member
No you get paid more for playing 4th hornNadia said:
because it's harder and nobody wants to do it!If you're a horn player, being 3rd sounds good
I forgot about the french horn, I can play it too. I like playing it, but don't get much chance because it's my sister's and she won't let me use it often. I get confused with the fingerings, on the higher octaves, but because of the nature of the instrument I can normally just play it on open and lip it to the right pitch (e.g. the f and g on top octave etc). I don't find it difficult to switch between them, french horn mouthpieces are more similar to trumpet ones (rim size) than tenor horn ones.
You wanna blow my what?
Member
picju96 said:
Indeed. Another annoying thing about French horn is the length of tubing, it's the same length as the tuba! Makes it a b**** to pitch!
Pythagoras
Active Member
I don't know about the pros and cons from an embrochure point of view, but I have recently started playing BBFlat in our training band and find that it helps with my Euph playing as it makes me think a lot more about things like lip position and note production because of the unfamiliar mouthpiece.
imthemaddude
Active Member
well i play flute, clarinet, alto sax and other brass instruments and none of them have ever affected my playing but I do think I will never have a perfect tone or perfect range while I play them all. At the end of the day it depends on practice.
my doubling experience
I used to have problems going from euph. to trombone 8 years when I had to learn the trombone. My main problem was my euph. sound suffered big time and my euph. embourchure never felt comfortable. I didn't had too much problems getting around the trombone and my trombone sound was ok. When I found out some new trombone players were coming to the college, I decided to stop playing trombone cold turkey. After a 4 year, never touched a trombone, last year for the Minot City Band, they urgently needed a trombone player. Seeing that there were 2 other euph players in City Band, I decided to be brave and I borrowed a friends c1948 bach 42 trombone. I only had one rehersal to learn the music in the concert and get rid of my slide rusting hand which the problem solved itself by playing scales and using alternate positions when feasible.
I'm at the point in my trombone doubling which I can fool people thinking trombone is my primary instrument. A month ago, I played a piece of mine which the 2nd half of the piece is all mid register up and goes to high Db. A lot of people at my church didn't knew that I played trombone (and thought it was some real trombone player) and 'course realized that was one miserable, tough piece to play. I'm in the process of finding a decent trombone mouthpiece which is close to the feel as my Dennis Wick SM3 and SM4 mouthpieces which I use on my Besson euph. but course making sure that my trombone sound sounds like a trombone, not an euphonium. The best that I came up with is using a Brian Bowman BB1 on trombone which works not too bad though painful if playing prolong static mid register parts like pomp and circumstance! 'Course I like my SM3 and 4 mouthpieces of my euph. Any suggestions? Most of the rare times which I play trombone is playing 2nd trombone in a concert band.
I do switch to BB tuba as well when needed though I never had too much problems switching or having my euph. sound suffer. Two years ago, for a one concert, I went back and forth from tuba to euph, mainly b/c I didn't had access to an EEb tuba and I didn't want to work any harder than I had to playing the parts which I was playing (1st bassoon for one of them and a string bass) was pretty much mid register up.
I used to have problems going from euph. to trombone 8 years when I had to learn the trombone. My main problem was my euph. sound suffered big time and my euph. embourchure never felt comfortable. I didn't had too much problems getting around the trombone and my trombone sound was ok. When I found out some new trombone players were coming to the college, I decided to stop playing trombone cold turkey. After a 4 year, never touched a trombone, last year for the Minot City Band, they urgently needed a trombone player. Seeing that there were 2 other euph players in City Band, I decided to be brave and I borrowed a friends c1948 bach 42 trombone. I only had one rehersal to learn the music in the concert and get rid of my slide rusting hand which the problem solved itself by playing scales and using alternate positions when feasible.
I'm at the point in my trombone doubling which I can fool people thinking trombone is my primary instrument. A month ago, I played a piece of mine which the 2nd half of the piece is all mid register up and goes to high Db. A lot of people at my church didn't knew that I played trombone (and thought it was some real trombone player) and 'course realized that was one miserable, tough piece to play. I'm in the process of finding a decent trombone mouthpiece which is close to the feel as my Dennis Wick SM3 and SM4 mouthpieces which I use on my Besson euph. but course making sure that my trombone sound sounds like a trombone, not an euphonium. The best that I came up with is using a Brian Bowman BB1 on trombone which works not too bad though painful if playing prolong static mid register parts like pomp and circumstance! 'Course I like my SM3 and 4 mouthpieces of my euph. Any suggestions? Most of the rare times which I play trombone is playing 2nd trombone in a concert band.
I do switch to BB tuba as well when needed though I never had too much problems switching or having my euph. sound suffer. Two years ago, for a one concert, I went back and forth from tuba to euph, mainly b/c I didn't had access to an EEb tuba and I didn't want to work any harder than I had to playing the parts which I was playing (1st bassoon for one of them and a string bass) was pretty much mid register up.
Despot
Member
If there is a problem, I'd say it's more to do with divided attention and practise time than mouthpiece problems.
I had cornet student who got a clarinet for Christmas. For the next while her tone got worse and worse, but I it had more to do with not practising her cornet! But eventually the fad for clarinet faded, and her tone improved.
I think the arguement goes that if the the mouthpieces are vastly different, no problem. Problems arise when they are very similar in size. But if were to ask all the cornet players on this list how many use different mouthpieces for different situations and instruments, I think the answer will be "quite a few"!
I think it's an individual thing.
I had cornet student who got a clarinet for Christmas. For the next while her tone got worse and worse, but I it had more to do with not practising her cornet! But eventually the fad for clarinet faded, and her tone improved.
I think the arguement goes that if the the mouthpieces are vastly different, no problem. Problems arise when they are very similar in size. But if were to ask all the cornet players on this list how many use different mouthpieces for different situations and instruments, I think the answer will be "quite a few"!
I think it's an individual thing.
Naomi McFadyen
New Member
I'm going between sax, clarinet, flute and brass instruments and find it easy to go between them with no probs...
I've heard some1 say (an ex of mine actually) that this isn't a good idea at all and you should stick to one instrument... what a load of rubbish that is eh! geeesh...
I've heard some1 say (an ex of mine actually) that this isn't a good idea at all and you should stick to one instrument... what a load of rubbish that is eh! geeesh...