Recommended books for tenor horn

2

2nd tenor

Well-Known Member
Michael Walls said:
Could any one recommend a basic tutor book to ready me for my first lesson
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Welcome to the forum.

Your teacher will have in mind the method/tutor book that they want you to work with.

When relearning I found the Tune a Day series helpful (there is one that, according to its cover, ALSO covers Tenor Horn, see: Tune A Day - French Horn / Tenor Horn | Tenor Horn | Brass Music | Sheet Music Musical Instruments | Accessories | Tuition | Repairs Cornwall ) .

The 'learn as you play series' might work for you too. It goes a bit quicker though. As a beginner a Cornet to Trumpet method book might work equally well for you. I wouldn't get hung up about getting something perfect, just get some time in playing, or making some sound, on your horn and some idea of what the valves do, etc. - basic familiarity.

Hope that helps, good luck.
 
Michael Walls

Michael Walls

New Member
2nd tenor said:
Welcome to the forum.

Your teacher will have in mind the method/tutor book that they want you to work with.

When relearning I found the Tune a Day series helpful (there is one that, according to its cover, ALSO covers Tenor Horn, see: Tune A Day - French Horn / Tenor Horn | Tenor Horn | Brass Music | Sheet Music Musical Instruments | Accessories | Tuition | Repairs Cornwall ) .

The 'learn as you play series' might work for you too. It goes a bit quicker though. As a beginner a Cornet to Trumpet method book might work equally well for you. I wouldn't get hung up about getting something perfect, just get some time in playing, or making some sound, on your horn and some idea of what the valves do, etc. - basic familiarity.

Hope that helps, good luck.
Click to expand...
Thanks will look at those I would like to be able to produce some sounds before I go to the first lesson with the Band
Mike
 
2

2nd tenor

Well-Known Member
I'm neither a teacher or an expert player, there are better voices on this forum to guide you but at the moment they are silent. To help with getting started to produce a sound you might like to try some buzzing with and without your mouthpiece.

As a child you might have blown (sounded) a raspberry on your hand, try that again and then take your hand away but keep your lips tight to keep making a sound. The tight lips together with air blown between them make a vibrating 'reed'. Later put the mouthpiece to your lips and remake the 'reed', slightly tightening (smile so that the ends move towards your ears) and slackening (almost pursing) your lips changes the pitch of the noise produced by the reed and mouthpiece combination. Later again place the mouthpiece into the instrument and reform the 'lip reed' to produce sounds of varying pitch intervals, use of the valves enables you to fill in the missing notes between the intervals.

Not the best of explanations but I hope that it helps or gives you a start.

Edited to correct typo and add minor details.
 
Last edited:
Michael Walls

Michael Walls

New Member
2nd tenor said:
I'm neither a teacher or an expert player, there are better voices on this forum to guide you but at the moment they are silent. To help with getting started to produce a sound you might like to try some buzzing with and without your mouthpiece.

As a child you might have blown (sounded) a raspberry on your hand, try that again and then take your hand away but keep your lips tight to keep making a sound. The tight lips together with air blown between them make a vibrating 'reed'. Later put the mouthpiece to your lips and remake the 'reed', slightly tightening and slackening your lips changes the pitch of the noise produced by the reed and mouthpiece combination. Later again place the mouthpiece into the instrument and reform the 'lip reed' to produce sounds of varying pitch intervals, use of the valves enables you to fill in the missing notes betweethe intervals.

Not the best of explanations but I hope that it helps or gives you a start.
Click to expand...
That's very helpful thanks. I will do that
Mike
 
Tom-King

Tom-King

Well-Known Member
2nd tenor said:
I'm neither a teacher or an expert player, there are better voices on this forum to guide you but at the moment they are silent. To help with getting started to produce a sound you might like to try some buzzing with and without your mouthpiece.

As a child you might have blown (sounded) a raspberry on your hand, try that again and then take your hand away but keep your lips tight to keep making a sound. The tight lips together with air blown between them make a vibrating 'reed'. Later put the mouthpiece to your lips and remake the 'reed', slightly tightening (smile so that the ends move towards your ears) and slackening (almost pursing) your lips changes the pitch of the noise produced by the reed and mouthpiece combination. Later again place the mouthpiece into the instrument and reform the 'lip reed' to produce sounds of varying pitch intervals, use of the valves enables you to fill in the missing notes between the intervals.

Not the best of explanations but I hope that it helps or gives you a start.

Edited to correct typo and add minor details.
Click to expand...

I apologize in advance for having to shout but:
THIS IS ALMOST ENTIRELY INCORRECT.

Firstly, for the majority of the instruments range no active buzz on the players part is necessary - simply blowing through an appropriate aperture (between the lips) will set up the sound... If you gently remove the instrument from the mouthpiece whilst playing a long tone, you may well just hear air passing through the mouthpiece and that's not a problem (it's possible to create a mouthpiece buzz by just blowing through, but it takes more coordination and it's a different feel and sound to a deliberate lipbuzz through the mouthpiece).

This may be one of those cases where knowledge of how it works doesn't necessarily help much...
If you need to compress the lips a little more (even up to feeling like you're actively creating a buzz initially) to make a consistent sound then do it... But assuming lips always need to be "tight" will probably lead to unwanted and excessive tension that will ruin endurance - your lips are not a reed and don't function as one, don't try and force them to.

Mouthpiece buzzing I personally find helpful in moderation, but there's definitely such a thing as too much.
By all means buzz, but try to do it in the most relaxed way possible (do not try and create maximum possible tension in your chops) and keep as relaxed as possible when you move to the instrument afterwards.

On the "smile" embouchure (which you described perfectly) - DO NOT DO IT!!
This may have been recommended in the distant past but no serious school of thought does so now.
Changing pitch should come from changes in the level of the tongue (whistle an arpeggio and you'll get a rough idea), not from stretching the lips toward the ears - the latter will seriously handicap range, control and flexibility in the long run.



If there's the offer of lessons there, I'd start as soon as possible - someone knowledgeable who can see and hear what you're doing right and wrong will be more useful to you than posts here.
 
2

2nd tenor

Well-Known Member
Oh well, that's me told loud and clear. Ouch. Do I want to argue about it? No, not at all, Tom is ten times the player I could ever be and no doubt has had the benefit of years of professional tuition too.

Like I said I'm neither expert or a teacher, and I'm actually pleased that someone much more knowledgable than me is (now) willing to try to assist. Hopefully others of similarly high skills to Tom's will chip-in too.
 
Michael Walls

Michael Walls

New Member
Tom-King said:
I apologize in advance for having to shout but:
THIS IS ALMOST ENTIRELY INCORRECT.

Firstly, for the majority of the instruments range no active buzz on the players part is necessary - simply blowing through an appropriate aperture (between the lips) will set up the sound... If you gently remove the instrument from the mouthpiece whilst playing a long tone, you may well just hear air passing through the mouthpiece and that's not a problem (it's possible to create a mouthpiece buzz by just blowing through, but it takes more coordination and it's a different feel and sound to a deliberate lipbuzz through the mouthpiece).

This may be one of those cases where knowledge of how it works doesn't necessarily help much...
If you need to compress the lips a little more (even up to feeling like you're actively creating a buzz initially) to make a consistent sound then do it... But assuming lips always need to be "tight" will probably lead to unwanted and excessive tension that will ruin endurance - your lips are not a reed and don't function as one, don't try and force them to.

Mouthpiece buzzing I personally find helpful in moderation, but there's definitely such a thing as too much.
By all means buzz, but try to do it in the most relaxed way possible (do not try and create maximum possible tension in your chops) and keep as relaxed as possible when you move to the instrument afterwards.

On the "smile" embouchure (which you described perfectly) - DO NOT DO IT!!
This may have been recommended in the distant past but no serious school of thought does so now.
Changing pitch should come from changes in the level of the tongue (whistle an arpeggio and you'll get a rough idea), not from stretching the lips toward the ears - the latter will seriously handicap range, control and flexibility in the long run.



If there's the offer of lessons there, I'd start as soon as possible - someone knowledgeable who can see and hear what you're doing right and wrong will be more useful to you than posts here.
Click to expand...
The advice and help from you both is appreciated. Discussion serves to stimulate my interest thank you both
My tin whistle playing clarinet and bagpiper chanter may be of use !
I have blown a. Brass instrument in the past and produced a noise but never a tenor horn
Mike
 
Mesmerist

Mesmerist

Well-Known Member
*adjusts seat and grabs some popcorn* Dear Mike, bagpipes are the embodiment of all evil and should needs arise may best be sent over to North Korea as suitable practice targets for the man to blow up to his heart's content.
 
Mesmerist

Mesmerist

Well-Known Member
Michael Walls said:
I never got to the furry things just the chanter so I avoided that peril
Click to expand...

I always thought a bagpipe was similar to a haggis but without the cute ears.

On a serious note, I do think a copy of the Arban is a must for any brass player regardless of experience. There is so much in there, you'll never get bored. Are you in a band?
 
Andrew Norman

Andrew Norman

Active Member
Personally I was taught to buzz and have always taught my pupils the same.
I appreciate that not everyone can "free-buzz" and that mouthpiece buzzing is also useful.
The ability to buzz, in my humble opinion, reduces the need for pressure and extends both range and stamina.
The Tenor Horn doesn't require much buzzing and certainly larger brass instruments require even less but I feel it is an important area not to neglect.
I may not be a brilliant player but my teacher, the late Bill Thompson, also taught Alison Balsom and she's not too shabby......
 
Michael Walls

Michael Walls

New Member
Mesmerist said:
I always thought a bagpipe was similar to a haggis but without the cute ears.

On a serious note, I do think a copy of the Arban is a must for any brass player regardless of experience. There is so much in there, you'll never get bored. Are you in a band?
Click to expand...
Will be by next week
Mike
 
Michael Walls

Michael Walls

New Member
Andrew Norman said:
Personally I was taught to buzz and have always taught my pupils the same.
I appreciate that not everyone can "free-buzz" and that mouthpiece buzzing is also useful.
The ability to buzz, in my humble opinion, reduces the need for pressure and extends both range and stamina.
The Tenor Horn doesn't require much buzzing and certainly larger brass instruments require even less but I feel it is an important area not to neglect.
I may not be a brilliant player but my teacher, the late Bill Thompson, also taught Alison Balsom and she's not too shabby......
Click to expand...
Thank you
Mike
 
D

davidf

New Member
When I started last year we used a book called Look Listen and Learn. It's a 3 volume series i think it can be used for any Bb instrument. It's a nice book progressively teaching more tricky stuff but has a really nice accompaniment CD that makes you feel like you're very good from the first note. As you get better the accompaniment becomes more stripped back so it's just you playing the melody
 
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