practice

It’s mid-August in Kentucky, which means two things: Marching band is gearing up, and that means school isn’t far around the corner! The All-State music is out, which means those are auditions are just around the corner The two All-State etudes for this year are from the same books as […]

2018-19 All-State Horn Etudes Out (+Recordings and Tips)

 in Horn  tagged all state / horn playing / horn practice / horn teaching / horn video / kentucky all state / practice by (updated 116 days ago)
If you’ve been in band or orchestra for any length of time, then the constant badgering from directors, sectional coaches, and private teachers to “practice your scales” is probably very familiar. If you’ve taught band, orchestra, sectionals, or private lessons, then the almost-automatic eye roll from students when you tell them […]

Scales, Caring, and Cursing

 in Horn  tagged horn playing / horn practice / horn teaching / horn technique / practice by (updated 161 days ago)
Too much pressure. Incorrect mouthpiece placement. Too much “smile” in the embouchure. Lousy right-hand position. Too little attention to intention. These are some of the bad habits I’ve had in my playing over the past 20+ years of playing the horn. These bad habits weren’t learned overnight, and moving past […]

Looking to Remove Bad Habits? Two Strategies You May Not ...

 in Horn  tagged horn playing / horn practice / horn problems / horn teaching / horn technique / practice by (updated 174 days ago)
Marching Mellophone
Nothing. Well, almost nothing (I kid – mostly). John Ericson, Horn Professor at Arizona State University, and one of the founders of the French horn website HornMatters.com, has a book about playing the <em>A Mello Catechism: A Guide to the World of Mellophones and Marching Horns</em></span>. This book discusses the history, […]

What do “playing musically” and the mellophone have in common?

 in Horn  tagged horn equipment / horn playing / horn problems / horn teaching / practice by (updated 174 days ago)