This year, the two KMEA etudes for French horn are:
- Kopprasch #10
- Shoemaker #3
As in previous years, I’ve put together a page with both etude excerpts on a single page, if you don’t have these etude books. However, both the Kopprasch and Shoemaker etude books are quite good – you should have them both!
As in years past, I’ve also put together reference recordings for both etudes. You can find them on Youtube or linked below:
Etude 1: Shoemaker #3
This is, like in year’s past, the lyrical etude of the pair.
Key
This etude focuses on sharp keys, so make sure you are comfortable with the G and D major scales, as well as the related arpeggios.
Rhythm
This etude consists of two main rhythm “sections”.
The first half of the etude focuses on syncopated rhythms, with the accent in the middle of the measure and not on the downbeat (even when you slur up to the downbeat). Make sure the staccato on the downbeat is light and lifted, so that it doesn’t get in the way of the accented quarter note.
The second half of the etude consists of a fairly consistent pattern of a quarter note on the downbeat and 4 16th-notes on beat 2, with the quarter note tied across the beat to the first 16th note. Practice with a metronome to make sure you’re playing this rhythm accurately, and phrase the last 3 16th notes across the bar as pickup notes to the next measure.
Style
There are quite a few stylistic markings in this etude excerpt, such as:
- Grazioso
- Dolce
- Elegante
- Vivo e sotto voce
- Deciso
Take the time to look these up – while their meanings are similar in some respects, it’s worth doing the work to know precisely what they mean, since the composer took the time to put these specific words and phrases in specific sections of the score.
Etude 2: Kopprasch #10
As in years past, the Kopprasch etude is the more technical of the two etudes.
Key
This etude is solidly in the key of C (Concert F). There are some moments when it switches to the dominant (G major) and relative minor (A minor), but for the most part this is a straightforward C major etude.
Rhythm
Like many of the most popular Kopprasch etudes, this etude has a very consistent rhythm pattern – it is essentially constant, continuous 8th notes.
However, note that although the rhythm (and articulation pattern) are consistent throughout the etude, the note pattern changes fairly regularly. Pay special attention to measures 8-12, when the pattern changes from the first half of the measure to the second half of the measure.
Style
This etude is all about getting a consistently of the slur-two, tongue-two articulation pattern throughout the range of the horn.
For this pattern to be consistent (and to be able to play it at the recommended tempo), make sure that you keep the last slurred note a bit shorter than it looks. It doesn’t necessarily need to be ultra-short, but if you hold that note for its full value, it will start to interfere with the articulation of the first tongued note (which is marked staccato), especially at faster speeds.
Practicing the two-note slurred pattern (without playing the staccato tongued notes) can help you feel what it’s like to keep this second note short.
Final Thoughts
Although not the hardest etudes ever, there is certainly a lot to get out of careful study and practice of both of these excerpts. Hopefully this broad overview is enough to get you started in your practice.
As always, if you want some one-on-one help, feel free to contact me for a 1-on-1 lesson (either online or in-person). Additionally, this blog post on starting (or restarting) a practice routine may be helpful at the beginning of a new school year.
You can also find all my blog posts about practice on this search page.
