Horn Playin From The Inside Out El Epstein

A Method For All Brass Musicians
Featuring ground-breaking
MRI images, which confirm
that what we do internally,
inside the mouth, pharynx,
and thoracic cavity is just
as important as what we
do externally.
HORN PLAYING FROM THE INSIDE OUT
- - A Method for All Brass Musicians - -
ELI EPSTEIN
TABLE of CONTENTS
Foreword ...................................................................................................................................................................vi
Foreword to the Third Edition ..........................................................................................................................vi
Acknowlegements ................................................................................................................................................vii
Preface to the Third Edition ........................................................................................................................... viii
Part 1: The Basics

Chapter 1: Posture ...................................................................................................................................................1
Chapter 2: Breathing ............................................................................................................................................ 4
Chapter 3: Embouchure ........................................... .. ..... .... .. ........................... .............. .. .................. .. .............. 10
Chapter 4: Vowels ............. :.................................................................................................................................. 17
Chapter 5: Jaw Positions ............... .................................. ........................ .......... .. .............................. ......... ... ... 24
Chapter 6: Articulation ......................................................................................................................................30
Chapter 7: Dynamics .......................................................................................................................................... 39
Chapter 8: Finger-Breathing ..... .... ........................... ...... .. ... ... .. ............................... ........................................ 43
PART 11: Musicianship

Chapter 9 : Radical Practicing ............. .................. ... ............ ........... .................. .............................................. 49
Chapter 10: Managing Performance Anxiety: Going for Optimal Performance ......................... 57
Chapter 11: An Empowered Approach to Orchestra Auditions ......................................................... 64
Chapter 12: Beyond the Notes: Authentic Express ion .......................................................................... 70
PART 111: Power Warm-Up and Daily Exercises ....................................................................................81
iv
PART IV: Orchestral Excerpts: Applying the Principies ........ .................. ... ..................................... 95
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, BWV 1046, Movement 4: Trio, Horn 1................................. 98
Beethoven Fidelio Overture: Horn 2 ........................................................... ... ............. .. ... ........ .. ....... ......... 100
Beethoven Symphony No. 3, Op. 55, Movement 3, Trio: Horn 2 ................. .................................... 102
Beethoven Symphony No. 6, Op. 68, Movement 5, Allegretto: Horn 1 ....................... ................. 106
Beethoven Symphony No. 7, Op. 92, Movement 1, Vivace: Horn 1.. ... ......... ..... ..................... ......... 108
Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Op. 125, Movement 3: Horn 4 ...................................................... ... .. ... 110
Brahms Symphony No. 2, Op. 73, Movement 1: Horn 1........................................................ ................. 112
Brahms Symphony No. 3, Op. 90, Movement 3: Horn 1 ............ ............................... ..... ....... .......... ..... 114
Bruck ner Symphony No. 4 , Movement 1: Horn 1 ............. ... ... .. .. .......... ... .............. .. ......... ..... .. ........ .. ... ... 116
Mah ler Symphony No. 5, Movement 3: Corno Obbligato, Excerpt 1 ............................................. 120
Mah ler Symphony No. 5, Movement 3: Corno Obbligato, Excerpt 2 ................... .... .......... ............ 122
Mendelssohn Nocturne, A Midsummer Night's Dream , Op. 64: Horn 1....................................... 124
Mu ssorgsky / Ravel: Pictures atan Exhibition, Promenade: Horn 1........ ....................................... 28
Ravel Piano Concerto in G major, Movement 1: Horn 1 ....... ........... .... ......... ........ ................................ ·30
Ravel Pavane: Horn 1.................................. ............................................... ... .... ........ .... .. ... .... ............................. 132
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, Op. 57, Movement 1: Horns 1 and 2 ........ .. .. ................................. 134
Strauss Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: Horn 1, Opening ........................................................................ .... .. 138
Strauss Till Eulenspiegel, Op. 28: Horn 1, Opening ............................................................................... 140
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, Op. 64, Movement 2: Horn 1 ............................................................ 142
Wagner Gotterdammerung, Short Call : Horn 1... ................................................................................... 144
Wagn er Das Rheingold, Prelude: Horn 8 .............................................................................................. ... 146
References ............................................................................................................................................................ 149

Further Acknowledgments ..................................... .. ..................................................................................... 150
About the Author ............................................... ................................. ................................................................ 151
Appendix : How to Choose a Horn .............................................................................................................. 152
lndex .............. ... .... .. ................................................................................................................................................ 154
V
The honest teacher must always be willing to assess the efficacy of their teaching, as well as the
assumptions underlying what they teach, because what we perceive as truth may, in the light of new
information, need modification. That is why quality textbooks are continually being revised in all
disciplines, and that is why I have so much respect for Eli and this book. His is not a static monograph
that merely perpetuates tradition. His is a living, breathing work-in-continual-progress.
This third edition, in my view, exemplifies the best in terms of allowing new information to shape
pedagogy. As the principal investigator in an on-going series of studies utilizing real-time magnetic
resonance imaging to study elite horn players, I felt compelled to contact Eli to share sorne of the
exciting data that I thought might impact his theories. Not only did Eli watch with great interest, but
he subjected himself to being studied and joined me in Germany for sorne experiments. Moreover,
Eli allowed his thinking and theory to be modified and shaped by the undeniable evidence that these
amazing films provide. Together, we have collaborated in bringing these results to the horn world
through presentations at the International Horn Society Symposia in both 2015 and 2016, through
the launching of our MRI Horn YouTube site (MRI Horn Videos: Pedagogy Informed by Science), and
now, in this third edition of Eli's book.
I ha ve readily collaborated with Eli by providing exclusive access to sorne of our MRI images for
inclusion in this third edition. They are quite compelling. You will find that sorne of Eli's ideas put
forth in earlier editions have now changed a bit because of them, but you will also find that many of
the ideas that Eli posited in the past were really quite accurate and have been supported by the
evidence afforded by the MRI project. Eli's willingness to adapt to new information provided by our
research in Germany presents a stellar example of how a true master teacher continues to grow.
Hopefully, others will allow their presuppositions about how we play the horn to also be shaped by
this evidence.
This book, I believe, will be another classic. The goal, of course, is to give every lover and student of
this most glorious instrument the best information possible to help them make music that is ar
musical, sonorous, and enduring by methods that are pedagogically sound, physically efficient, and
sustainable. Congratulations Eli!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
After I moved from Cleveland to Boston in 2006 I met Dr. Peter Iltis, Professor of Horn and
Kinesiology at Gordon College. Over the years we have had many conversations about horn playing
and teaching. From time to time, Peter has asked me to help out with his students and participate in
sorne of his experiments.
A few years ago Peter was presented with the opportunity to study embouchure dystonia using
advanced MRI technology at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry and Biomedical
NMR Research in Gottingen, Germany in collaboration with the Institute for Music Physiology and
Musician's Medicine in Hannover. The research involved comparing the inner physiological move-
ments of an elite group of horn players to those of a group of professional horn players who had
developed embouchure dystonia (a task-specific, debilitating, muscular/neurological condition
characterized by loss of fine motor control of the muscles of the face, lips, jaw and tongue).
-
~ vii
The elite horn group included Stefan Dohr, Andre Just, Fergus McWilliam, Sarah Willis, and Stefan
Jezierski, members of the Berlín Philharmonic horn section; Marie-Luise Neunecker and Jeff Nelsen,
two renowned horn soloists; Amanda Kleinbart and Markus Maskuniitty, prominent European
hornists; and me. I'm indebted to the elite group, because their data exemplifies the biomechanics of
the highest level of horn playing of this generation.
Peter and I had many wide-ranging discussions about the implications of the differences between the
elite group and the dystonic group's internal movements . We saw consistent patterns among the elite
group that surprised both of us.
Peter has provided much valuable scientific information and helped me to understand the physiology
behind many of the interior movements involved with horn playing. Our discussions have led to
further experiments that have illuminated other aspects of horn technique. I have personally been
inspired by Peter's inventiveness, insight, discipline and drive to discover the facts of the physiology
of brass playing.
With permission from the Max Planck Institute, Peter has generously provided the astonishing MRI
images and data graphs seen in this edition. These images convey so much information, and provide
a window to horn biomechanics previously only guessed at.
Peter litis, Jens Frahm and the scientists at Max Planck Institute, and Eckard Altenmeuller of the
Instit ute for Music Physiology and Musician's Medicine deserve a standing ovation for their tireless
efforts to better understand embouchure dystonia, and how these new discoveries can assist in
defining a brass pedagogy that can help prevent injury and lead to healthy, satisfying, and sustainable
careers for brass players in the future.
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION

Give a man a f¡sh , you feed him for a day.
Teach him how to f¡sh , you feed him for a lifetime.
-LAO-TZU
Brass technique centers on regulating minute differences in air speed. Since air speed determines the
speed of vibration, we need to discover and utilize reliable, replicable, and precise ways to control it.
When I wrote the first edition of this book, I held many theories about how we control air speed that
seemed to work for my students and me. I could feel the movements of my tongue and jaw, though
I didn't know precisely how they looked or whether other high-level professional horn players
employed the same internal movements. I wondered whether talented people from diverse back-
grounds naturally developed their own individualistic ways of playing.
Having seen the results of the MRI Horn experiments described above, I have been encouraged that
many of the concepts that I' d theorized about in the first and second editions of this book are borne
out not only in my own MRI videos, but also in the videos of the majority of other elite subjects.
By the same token, I have had to modify sorne of my thinking based upon the scientific evidence
provided by these films . The point is that what we teach must be informed by the facts, and these
viii
MRI films confirm that what we do internally, inside the mouth, pharynx, and thoracic cavity is just
as important as what we do externally. And, just as there are hallmarks of healthy embouchures that
most professional horn players employ, there are many consistent internal movement patterns
among the elite group.
For example, all of the elite horn players, as they ascend to the highest harmonics, incrementally
move the tongue forward and higher, decreasing cavitation inside the mouth. And all of the elite
players when they descend into the middle and low registers move their jaws incrementally lower to
increase the mouth's cavitation.
After viewing sorne of their MRI films, all members of the elite group exclaimed that they were not
cognizant of their interior movements. This comment prompts me to think that if horn players, even
:.he most accomplished, aren't aware of sorne of the biomechanics that allow them to play with ease
and beauty, then sorne of these principies are probably not being taught. Since the highest-level
? ayers in the profession have the most infl.uence on the pedagogy of their generation, it's essential
that this information is "known," acknowledged, and disseminated.
To illustrate many of the biomechanics described in this book, Peter Iltis and I created a YouTube
video series so that you can examine several compelling Real-Time MRI movies along with our
commentary. We planto add more videos to this series as new data are revealed.
MRI Horn: The Inside Story

Episode I: Introduction to the MRI Project
Episode II: The Role ofTongue and Jaw in Pitch Placement
You may also want to watch my original YouTube video, published in 2013, which describes how we
change oral cavitation: Eli Epstein, Horn Playing from the Inside Out: Finger Breathing.
_'m grateful for the enthusiastic response to the first and second editions of this book and excited
to share this up-to-the-minute information and MRI images in the third edition. In light of evidence
from the MRI study, I've made many additions, clarifications, and changes throughout the book.
:'ve also included a new section on "How to Choose a Horn."
1y hope is that this new material, coupled with your work and commitment, will help you move
forward on your journey to greater ease, naturalness, and self-expression in your horn playing, and
that you will pass on to your students healthy horn biomechanics, musical concepts and, most
important, your love and enthusiasm for the horn.
Note: All musical notations are to be read as Horn in F unless otherwise specified. The octave designa-
tion system used is from The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, edited by Don Randel (1986).
-e-
sva -e-
:::1
1)
n
e e e' e" e"' e""
ix
PART 1
The Basics
1: POSTURE
Professionals who face high-pressure conditions of performance and rigorous schedules develop
healthy posture principies that can sustain them through long careers. Proper and comfortable
posture is essential for producing a clear, beautiful sound. In this chapter, we will discuss how to
sit in a balanced way that prometes healthy breathing and breath support; how to position the
bell-on the thigh or off the thigh; and how to position the right hand in the bell.
SITTING
To sit well, we first need to locate our two "sit bones." When seated, our entire torso is balanced on
these two points. You can find them by sitting on a hard chair or bench and rocking from side to
side. Once you've located your sit bones, sit up straight on top of them-visualize a string lightly
suspending your skull and passing through your naturally curving spine and between the sit bones.
Your torso and lower legs should be perfectly vertical, ata 90-degree angle to your thighs. The
fundamentals of good posture also include the following:
•!• Feet are fl.at on the fl.oor, at least your shoulders' width apart.
•!• Chest is elevated.
•!• Spine is spiraling upward in a comfortable way, like a stretched-out letter "$."
•!• Shoulders are "jazzy"-that is, comfortable and easy.
•!• Elbows, holding up the horn, act as pivots close to the body.
•!• Tips of the fingers rest on the keys.
Part 1: The Basics •!• 1

2: BREATHING
The breath is the energy that drives every sound we create on the horn. When we play wind instru-
ments, we need to maximize the amount of air we inhale, and use that air effectively and efficiently
as we exhale. This section focuses on becoming familiar with your physical breathing apparatus;
grasping the feeling of breath support; understanding the nature of exhalation and the "air-driven
sound"; and learning how to increase lung capacity.
OUR BREATHING APPARATUS

In her book on the Alexander Technique, Barbara Conable writes, "It's important to understand where
the breathing equipment in our bodies is located. In the vocabulary of the Alexander Technique, this
is called 'body mapping."' She laments that most people aren't aware of the location of the lungs and
the diaphragm:
The lungs actually live in the thoracic cavity...which [consists of] the upper
half of the rib area and ... the upper third of the torso. The heart is nestled in
between t he lungs, and just below the lungs and heart is the diaphragm. The
top of the lung is above the collarbone, the bottom at about the bottom of
the sternum . Lungs are three-dimensional. The shoulder blades act as shields
from behind; the ribs protect the lungs from in front . Ribs are individual [and
similar t o] fingers . Notice there is muscle between the ribs (what you eat if you
eat spare ribs). Those muscles, called intercostals, are responsible for about a
quarter of the muscular work of breathing.
The diaphragm is a horizontal structure located just below the lungs and above
the abdominal cavity, which houses the liver, the spleen, the stomach, and
other digestive organs. The diaphragm is a dome, and there's a picnic going
on under it ...There is support for breathing underneath the diaphragm ...The
bottom five vertebrae comprise the lumbar area (of the spine), which curves
forward. They are part of your support for singing, speaking, breathing. The
diaphragm is responsible for about three quarters of the muscular work for
breathing .. .You are far better off to go looking for the movement of breathing,
than the work of breathing.
Conable continues:
As the lungs fill with air the diaphragm descends; that is, it goes from a more
domed position to a less domed position. It fiattens somewhat. As it does, the
dimensions of the thorax expand and the diaphragm pushes clown on all the
víscera between it and the pelvic fioor. The whole abdominal wall, from
sternum to pubis and from fioating ribs to the crest of the pelvis, is pushed
outward. This expansion of the abdominal and pelvic cavities can be clearly
felt, as can the pressure downward on the pelvic fioor.
Try taking a few deep breaths and see if you can feel what Conable describes in such detail.
4 •:• Chapter 2: Breath ing

Now, look at the front, side and top views of an elite horn player taking in a full breath. On the front
view, notice how dramatically the diaphragm drops to increase the size of the lung cavity. (You can't
see the diaphragm on these MRI images, but you can see the large shiny liver that resides directly
below the diaphragm.) On the side view, notice how the chest expands on inhalation, and the
diaphragm drops down. Finally, on the top view, notice how the chest expands considerably, not only
in front, but also in back. Let these images sink into your consciousness and inspire you to breathe
actively and deeply!
lungs
Front view resting, thoracic cavity Front view fully inflated
Side view resting Side view fully inflated
Top view resting Top view inflated
Part 1: The Basics •:• 5

BREATH SUPPORT
Theories abound about how to achieve optimal breath support. Once we've taken a deep, healthy
inhalation, how do we blow the air through our instrument in the most efficient and beneficia!
manner? How do we control the exhalation so that the evacuation of the air at first is not too fast?
(Scientists call this "elastic recoil.") Without this control, our first sounds after a breath would be quite
loud, and gradually get softer and weaker. Breath support helps us to control the amount of blowing
pressure from the beginning of exhalation, use air efficiently, create a clear and focused sound, achieve
optimal air pressure for responsive attacks, and attain more ease in all registers and dynamics.
Dr. Peter Iltis, in his article, "The Physiology of Breathing: Setting the Record Straight," writes:
Once a note has been produced, sustaining it for extended time periods
involves several interesting physical actions. The natural tendency of the
stretched chest wall is to recoil quickly during the first moments of air release,
as quite a bit of stored energy must be controlled. It is not unlike doing an arm
curl with weights. When lifting weights against gravity, the muscles shorten
as they generate tension, but when lowering the weight back down, gravity is
providing the motive force while the muscle tension is slowly decreased to
cont rol the movement. If muscle tension were released too quickly, the weight
would fall rapidly without control. The lifting phase involves what is called
concentric muscle action, and the lowering phase involves what is called
eccentr ic mus de action. Though actively generating tension, the muscles are
being lengthened during the eccentric phase as the motive force of gravity is
allowed to exceed the resistive muscle force by a small amount. The same
holds true for the muscles on inspiration.
The external intercostal muscles which contracted concentrically to raise the
rib cage during inhalation act eccentrically during exhalation as they relax
and lengthen to lower the rib cage back down under control. So too, the
diaphragm is gradually releasing its tension as it allows the ftoor of the
thoracic cavity to rise back up.
As a note is held, at sorne point both gravity and elastic recoil cease to provide
the motive force to reduce the thoracic volume, and we must transition to
using the abdominal muscles to further empty the lungs .
Pragmatically, from the moment I stop inhaling, and throughout exhalation, I think of creating a
great expanded feeling in my lower abdomen. The transverse abdominal muscle resides in the front,
sides, and back of the abdomen. It interlocks with the diaphragm. The diaphragm, after the inhalation,
holds its contracted, lowered state and the transverse abdominal muscle feels stretched out. I think
of how it would fe el to have a well-inftated soccer hall in m y lower abdomen, making it "unpokeable;"
that is, if I place my hand over the area below my navel and try to push in, my abdomen holds firm .
We can also feel this firmness in the transverse abdominal which extends around to our back.
Ideally, we ought to be able to feel pressure on the pelvic ftoor. As the diaphragm releases tension to
let the air out, we have to engage the abdominal muscles to eject more and more air until the lungs
are empty.
6 •:• Chapter 2: Breathing

Our abdomen ought to feel strong and toned. It's important not to let the imaginary soccer hall
below the navel decrease in size. It's imperative not to let it cave in. It's also essential not to let tension
creep into other areas of the body as we support powerfully from the abdominal muscles . A common
m istake occurs when horn players try to support too high; that is, in the area between the lower ribs
in front. This creates tension in our bodies and doesn't accomplish what healthy support achieves in
terms of sound clarity and control.
When we visualize the support as very low, below the navel, pushing out and down onto the pelvic
fl.oor or chair below us, it helps relieve tension in other parts of the body and our sound improves.
Here's a visualization that works well:

Imagine that snowplows (your abdomi-
nal muscles) are constantly pushing
down and out, as if compacting piles of
snow against your pelvic fl.oor and
lower abdominal wall. It's this dynamic
movement of the abdominal muscles
that allows us to control the expiration
of air through the entire exhalation.
An un usual way to think about sup-

port: Imagine that a small alíen is
living inside your lower abdomen facing forward. This alíen has a small body, but has two large
strong hands. After taking a full breath, imagine this alíen using its hands t o firmly and constantly
push out your lower abdominal wall, as if it were a membrane made of stretchable rubber.
A useful way to create the correct feeling of breath support is to inhale fully and, on the exhale, make
a hissing sound ("SSSSSSSSS") while placing your hand over your navel and pushing the abdominal
muscles out and down. You may also pulse the diaphragm and transverse abdominal muscle by
hissing, "SSS, SSS, SSS."
The best way to ensure optimal breath support is to be in excellent physical condition. The most
accomplished professional horn players I know regularly exercise. Swimming, biking, running, cross-
country skiing, skating, and kayaking all make for great cardiovascular workouts. (Always consult a
physician before beginning a regimen of physical exercise.) When we're toned in the abdominal area,
we can support the breath much more easily. When we attain cardiovascular fitness, we breathe more
deeply and naturally. And, of course, exercise is a proven stress reducer.
Breathing and breath support are actions that take a long time to master, and involve much explora-
tion and experimentation. As Dr. Iltis writes:
Truly, all that we physically do to make beautiful music must not occupy our
consciousness during performance, but must reside within our amazing
nervous system as trained, sub-conscious responses that have been developed
through diligent and effective practice. Yet, what a privilege it is to be able to
study, observe, and discover how we do what we do!

THE "AIR-DRIVEN SOUND"
It's not only important to inhale fully and support well from the lower abdomen but also to be actively
fl.owing the air on exhalation. To forcefully blow out air for a fortissimo en trance, the diaphragm
quickly rebounds to its domed position. (You can recrea te this feeling by grabbing your mouthpiece
and blowing forcefully into the wrong end.) However, to blow out the air for soft passages from
infiated lungs, we have to "keep the gut out" while releasing sorne of the tension in the externa!
intercostals so that the ribs can be lowered. There are other important factors involved as well in
creating a small but concentrated air stream, discussed in the chapter on Dynamics (page 39).
I warm up every day in front of a big mirror on my

mantelpiece. On the mantelpiece is a book about
whales that my son gave me. On the cover of the book
is a photograph of a partially submerged whale
expelling from its blowhole a column of misty air
about forty feet high, which is highlighted by the
setting sun. Whenever I look at this image, I become
more active in my exhalation. I feel the breath actively
fl.owing through my aperture. In a master class I
attended, Julie Landsman spoke of not only feeling
the support in the abdomen but also feeling it where
the air fl.ows out, through the aperture. When we
actively fl.ow the air through the aperture, the sound resonates and becomes more alive and vibran t .
This is called the "air-driven sound."
Another metaphor is to think of water skiing. To easily get up on water skis, the motor boat pulling
us needs to cut through the water with speed and power. Our air stream is the motor boat; the skis
are our lips. This fl.owing air stream drives every sound we make on the horn.
HOW WE BREATHE IN 15 HOW WE BREATHE OUT

As brass players, we often need to fill our lungs very quickly so that we don't lose time when we
breathe. I think of this kind of breath as a "surprise breath" -how we might breathe if we opened
a door to discover a surprise party awaiting us. We would inhale quickly, deeply, and with wonder!
Buzzing while holding a strip of paper about six inches in front of the mouthpiece can helps us
visualize how strong our air fl.ow is for mf Try making the paper sail out for ff (while holding it
8 inches away). Then hold the paper closer (4 inches away) for pp.
Here's another image that helps students learn to control the airfl.ow in soft dynamics: Imagine
blowing a steady stream of air towards a candle fl.ame, and bending the fl.ame without blowing the
candle out. This exercise takes much control. How would you breathe in to be able to perform this
exercise more easily? It helps us physically feel the air fl.ow necessary to play softly with control
and beauty.
When you are starting alegato passage, such as the opening solo of Ravel's Pavane, it helps to take
-
a long legato breath, so that when the breath turns around for the exhale, it fl.ows out in the same
fashion as it carne in during the inhale. (Legato in, legato out.) When you breathe in befare the
fortissimo opening of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony, a sharper inhale will help the initial exhale
be more forceful. How we inhale will be how we exhale. Breathe in the style of what you are playing.
8 •:• Chapter 2: Breathing

INCREASING LUNG CAPACITY: A BREATHING EXERCISE
Try this exercise before a practice session to expand your breathing capacity. It's actually a yoga
exercise from a book by Alice Christensen, and it "will help loosen tight breathing muscles, relax your
spine and get your circulation going." Start by sitting on the edge of a chair. Then, as Christensen
instructs:
Slouch down so that your back is rounded as far forward as it will go, leaving
your head [facing] forward and [your] hands resting on your knees. Breathe
out. Now breathe in and arch your back forward, pushing your stomach out
and jutting your chin out. Keep lips and teeth together. Then breathe out
and slouch, [remembering] to keep your face forward; continue for several
repetitions.
Variation: While holding your hands clasped on the back of your head, bring
your elbows forward until they are almost touching. Then, take in a huge
breath, andas you inhale push out your chest as you move your elbows back,
until they are in line with your shoulders. Repeat a few times.
Breathing and breath support form the basis of everything we do on the horn. It's amazing how easily
other aspects of horn technique fall into place when the body is comfortable, and breathing and
breath support are healthy and strong. More information about breathing can be found in Chapter 8:
Finger-Breathing (page 43).

3: EMBOUCHURE
"Embouchure" refers to how we set our lips on the mouthpiece and how we use our facial mus eles to
control air speed by changing the size, shape, and quality of the aperture (the opening in the center
of our lips through which the air ftows).
In this section, we will explore the following topics:
•!• Understanding the hallmarks and principies of a healthy embouchure

•!• Introducing embouchure to a beginning student
•!• Adjusting minor aberrations
•!• Addressing major problems
•!• Setting the embouchure for secure fronts in the high, middle, and low registers
•!• Releasing tension inside the mouth
•!• Increasing endurance
•!• Achieving the "air-driven sound"
HALLMARKS OF A HEALTHY EMBOUCHURE

The purpose of the embouchure is to gain maximum control over the aperture, which allows us
to produce a beautiful sound; have ease of sound production in the low, middle, and high registers;
fac ilitate flexibility between the registers; and vary dynamics while keeping pitches centered and
focused.
To best understand embouchure, it helps to imagine the spray nozzle on a garden hose, which can be
adjusted to make the water ftow at different speeds by changing the size of the opening. The smaller
the opening, the faster and more focused the water stream.
Certain hallmarks of effective horn embouchures are found almost universally among high-level
professional horn players. Although the trumpet, trombone, and tuba are different animals, with
different embouchures, many of the principies of a healthy horn embouchure apply to playing all of
these instruments.
Generally speaking, the rim of the horn mouthpiece should be centered horizontally, directly under
the center of the nos e (without favoring one side of the mouth or the other). The rim should be
positioned vertically such that two thirds of the rim sits above the "equator" of the two lips coming
together, and one third sits below that equator.
10 •:• Chapter 3: Embouchure

Although lip size and shape vary widely, the same general principie applies-the mouthpiece rim
should remain in the same position on the lips in all registers, which leaves the upper lip free to vibrate
and allows fl.exibility between registers. Sorne students mistakenly move the rim up and clown
depending on the register they're playing in. They become adept at "jumping" the rim up so that their
upper lip is free to vibrate in the low register. Other students mistakenly jump the rim clown when
they go into the low register. This is counterproductive, because when the rim sits on the upper lip,
\ibrations are impeded. Neither method is optimal. So, remember: the mouthpiece rim should
remain in the same position on the lips in all registers.
-:be best approach is to position the mouthpiece so that the rim consistentiy rests on the skin above
Lhe upper lip. Then no adjustment in position will be needed when moving from the high register to
;:he low register (Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel opening) or from low to high (the opening to Strauss's Ein
Heldenleben). Mouthpiece rims with larger inner diameters are available for horn players with fuller
iips, and special rims can also be custom made.
Observing our embouchure and rim position in a mirror can help make us aware of unwanted
movements in mouthpiece position. I've been watching my embouchure in a mirror every day since
I was 13 years old (when I hada huge embouchure change). It's much easier to maintain a good
embouchure through mirror practice than to allow deleterious habits to creep in and then have to
work very hard to get rid of them. Video recorders on smart phones and tablets can be effective in
catching unwanted movements.
INTRODUCING HORN EMBOUCHURE TOA NEW STUDENT

When a student is first learning to play the horn, I introduce embouchure by saying the follo\.\ing:
l. Smile pleasantly.
2. Make the mouth corners firm by saying the letter "M"
("emmm").
3. Keep the chin naturally straight, fl.at, and square.

4. Hold the mouthpiece to your lips, directly below the center-
line of your nose, placing two thirds of the rim above the
smile equator, so that the upper part of the rim rests on
the skin above your upper lip and the lower third of the rim
sits below the smile equator. (The lower part of the rim will
either rest on the skin below the lower lip or sit on the lower
lip, depending on the fullness of the student's lower lip.)
5. Say "poo."
6. Crea te a buzzing sound by taking a deep breath and blowing a focused stream of air through the
center of the aperture.
7. Practice this in front of a mirror or video recorder for ten minutes every day to develop strong
visual and muscle memory of the position or feel.

ADJUSTING EMBOUCHURE
--
Minar Adjustments
Most embouchure change involves reinforcing one or more of the principies discussed above in
"Hallmarks of a Healthy Embouchure." For example, sorne students let air leak through the corners
-
of their mouths. The solution can be as simple as getting them to focus on strengthening the corner
mus eles of the mouth by saying the letter "M" and visualizing wood screws to keep the corners firm.
Sometimes students have trouble in the high register because they're curling up their chin. I explain
-
that a muscle is attached to the bottom of the chin. The embouchure strengthens when the chin is
square and we hold the chin muscles ftat and extended. Think of a bow used in archery: The wooden
part of the bow is like the strong muscular area above the upper lip; when the chin is square and ftat,
it is similar to the string of the bow being extended back by the archer, creating strength anda healthy
firmness in the embouchure. It takes much effort and tenacity to develop new muscle memory and
strength in chin muscles, but when we do, it allows the embouchure to play higher notes with much
more ease, clarity and success. Daily video taping or mirror work is essential to make this change.
At first, it's easier to see when our new embouchure looks right than it is to learn when it feels right.
Csing muscles in new ways may feel weird for a while. Any new physical sensation usually feels weird.
Some students try to produce higher notes with their embouchure by spreading and thinning their
~?S -o create faster vibrations. This works to sorne extent but usually limits students' high registers
as óey progress. It's easier to control the high register by thinking of the facial muscles going toward
tbe center of the aperture (as when we say "poo"). This technique produces a more centered and
substantial sound in the high register. Rather than thinning and spreading the lips, try gripping
something like an imaginary pencillead with the lips. Also try mouthing "poo" befare you play a high
note. The high register will feel easier, more responsive, and more secure.
Majar Adjustments
Major embouchure changes may be necessary when one or more aspects of playing are unachievable
and when other techniques, such as jaw positions, vowels, tongue placement (all discussed later), or
breath support don't solve the presenting problems. Adjustments are usually needed when the
mouthpiece rim is way off center or too low. As a teacher, I will introduce an embouchure change only
after I've tried everything else and when the issues are still holding the player back from reaching his
or her potential for technical development.
I eringe when I hear of students making embouchure changes on their own. Adjustments should be
supervised by an experienced horn teacher and developed slowly, since even small adjustments require
us to use facial muscles in different ways. Even subtle changes need to be learned and strengthened
over a significant period of time.
In our fast-paced lives, we're used to downloading a new program from the Internet in seconds-but
horn playing is a nineteenth-century art that requires great patience and perseverance. As mentioned
earlier, it is easier to teach a beginner how to form a beautiful horn embouchure than to change the
embouchure of someone who has ingrained muscle memory patterns that aren't working well.
However, many professional horn players, including myself and many of my colleagues, have gone
through major embouchure changes at one point or another. Under the watchful eye of an experienced
teacher, these changes, while challenging, were effective, and in time allowed for much faster progress,
more musical growth, and greater ease of playing.
12 •!• Chapter 3: Embouchure

We all need to develop our embouchures so that they work as elegant machines, in balance with air
fiow, breath support, jaw positions, vowels, and articulation.
SETTING THE EMBOUCHURE: THE COUNTDOWN-TO-PLAYING MANTRA

Every thing we do on the horn requires a certain amount of multitasking to create specific air speeds
(by controlling blowing pressure, the tongue's point of release, jaw position, and vowel). The way we
think about setting the embouchure befare we produce the sound can help as well. Airplane pilots
must complete a checklist befare takeoff. We have a much shorter checklist, but it's justas essential:
l. Remember the optimal point of releas e for the note you wish to start by preemptively placing
your tongue there.
2. Breathe actively and deeply.
3. Support your breath (remember to stick your gut out and down).
4. Set the embouchure and, in your mind, hear four 16th notes in the tempo of the music just befare
you play. (This seems to give structure to the mind and helps with coordination of these four
elements: breath, support, setting the embouchure, and articulation.)
::>. Sing the indicated vowel syllable ("thaw," "thuh," "tseh," or "tee") on the correct pitch.
The countdown helps to create reliable, fi.rm beginnings for our first sounds . When we int roduce a
vibrating air column into a brass instrument, a small acoustical disturbance comes back up the mouth
pipe toward the embouchure. If the embouchure is not firmly set befare we start, the front of the note
might sound wobbly or unstable. Every day, when I practice, I work on starting notes. It's important
to develop comfort, ease and consistency in this area.
: know t he countdown might seem a little ponderous, but it all happens in a short amount of time
and is a quick and reliable way to coordinate breathing, breath support, embouchure, tongue, and
mind. After developing this coordination, our long-term memory will kick in and the process will
happen naturally and easily, with a mínimum of thinking.
The concept of "buzzing" has increased in popularity among brass teachers in the last twenty years
with the advent of buzzing merchandise. Buzzing with a mouthpiece can be extremely beneficia! for
air fiow, articulation and ear training. But remember, we don't produce sounds on brass instruments
by buzzing our lips. The disturbance in the vibrating air column that travels back toward the mouth-
piece actually helps the lip tissue open and clase rapidly. I've heard many students who incorpora te
a good deal of buzzing in their practice, and they end up producing sounds that are "hard," not
resonant and ringing. To produce a beautiful sound, what we're after is a certain feeling that is much
less active than the feeling of buzzing into the mouthpiece.
Sometimes students make the middle part of the lips very muscular and beaky. This phenomenon
might be related to extreme buzzing. I find that when the corners of the embouchure are strong and
fi.rm and the center area around the aperture is supple and free to vibrate in an unforced way, then
the sound frees up and becomes clear and warm.

-
STARTING NOTES IN THE HIGH REGISTER
We have more ease with starting notes in the high, middle, and low registers when we visualize the
embouchure in slightly different ways. To set the embouchure for high notes, I like to think of the
-
syllable "poo." When we mouth "poo," our aperture takes on the optimal shape for producing higher
notes with more ease and greater clarity. Mouthing "poo" helps to direct the facial muscles toward
the center of the aperture. You might feellike you are gently kissing the mouthpiece. Picture the top
of a drawstring laundry bag as you pull it closed. Mouthing "poo" helps us to control the shape of
the aperture easily and automatically. We shape the outside of our embouchure with "poo," and we
control the cavitation of the inside of the mouth by saying "tee." Try starting high notes with and
without mouthing "poo and tee." Which works better for you?
STARTING NOTES IN THE MIDDLE REGISTER

For the middle register, the air speed needs subtle micromanaging. We need to be extra-aware of jaw
positions, and where the tongue comes back from. f', f#', and g' are predictably problematic notes,
more resistant than the ones around them. Befare starting these notes, I mouth "puh" and place my
tongue in the "thuh" position (say the English word, "the"). The point of articulation is right above
the bottom of the two front teeth.
STARTING NOTES IN THE LOW REGISTER

The trickiest notes to star t are those in the low register. Setting the embouchure
is key. Ron Bishop, former tubist of the Cleveland Orchestra, once showed me a
European tuba method book; on the cover was a photograph of a monkey! I asked
him about it and he said that European teachers believed a monkey's face was a
good image of the embouchure for tuba players. I began experimenting with the
monkey face, visualizing it when starting notes in the low register. The low tones
seemed to jump right out!
Thinking "monkey face" softens the corners of the

mouth, helping them to move toward the center.
"Monkey face" also helps to increase the size of the oral
cavity by lowering the jaw and produces the optimal
aperture size and shape for starting low notes. Another image of a bulldog
with an undershot jaw can help us increase cavitation by bringing the jaw
forward . This also helps with anchoring the rim on or below the lower lip.
If horn students aren't specifically taught how to play in the low register, they sometimes come up
with unusual ways to configure their lips to produce low notes. A frequent aberration is the "frown"
or "trout" embouchure, in which the corners of the mouth curve
downward. Players who use the trout embouchure are on the right
track, since it's easy to think that bending clown those corners
would make the oral cavity larger. Unfortunately, the jaw actually
rises up when we bend the corners clown.
14 •!• Chapter 3: Embouchure

Another common pitfall is trying to "control" the low register
by moving the back of the tongue backwards into the
pharyngeal space. When we tense and thicken the back of the
tongue, it considerably narrows the pharynx and the sound
quality suffers. (Think of how a snake's mouth looks when
venom is being extracted!)
The easiest antidote to this unhealthy situation is to be aware

of the tension and releas e it. Then think of the sound as being
far forward in the mouth, with the back of the tongue quiet
and comfortable, and the other parts of the inner mouth (such
as the soft palate) relaxed and yawny, so that the air can fl.ow
easily and freely. Finger-breathing (described in Chapter 8,
page 43) is a very effective cure for constricted sounds.
The following exercise is useful to keep the tongue quiet and the sound open and clear as you go into
the low register.

INCREASING ENDURANCE
Facial strength and stamina are somewhat determined by genetics. But we can alllearn techniques
to boost our stamina. I used to think that the only way to increase my endurance was to develop my
-
facial muscles in the same way that Olympic weight lifters develop the muscles in their legs, arms,
and abdomen. I thought that if I worked in extremes and made m y fa ce fe el as hard as a brick, I' d be
in great shape.
I've learned that while it's important todo strengthening exercises like long tones and interval
studies-in moderation-that's not the whole picture. If we overdo strengthening exercises, we
usually lose responsiveness and subtlety and may cause damage to our lips and faces. The more we use
fl.owing air and breath support, and the better we control air speed by using the parts of our bodies
that don't get as tired as the facial muscles, the less we actually need to use our facial muscles, and the
more endurance we will have. Be cautious about using devices that claim huge benefits of performing
isometric exercises to increase endurance. There are no short cuts to endurance on the horn.
Elevators (specific jaw positions) and vowels play a huge role in creating specific air speeds (by
changing the oral cavity size) yet require very little muscular effort. Lips and faces run out of steam,
but we never get tired of breathing and subtly moving our jaw and tongue. The MRI studies show the
:Ughest level horn players in the world decrease cavitation inside their mouths as they ascend the
!:tarmonic series, first by incrementally moving the jaw higher, then by progressively decreasing
ca\itation with tongue movement.
The air stream, breath support, jaw positions, vowels, and finesse in articulation all work in concert
with the embouchure, making it possible for us to use the facial muscles to make only minute
adjustments. Usually, excessive facial movement (except in passages with wide leaps) and the
disproportionate presence of harmonics between slurred notes, indica te that a player is not making
use of techniques such as vowels and jaw positions. When one or more of these components is
missing, the embouchure and facial muscles become overtaxed, draining our stamina and compro-
mising the quality of our sound. I often observe students who are frustrated because they have
suddenly (inexplicably to them) lost stamina. Usually, this loss of stamina is the result of forgetting
to actively use the air and breath support.
ACHIEVING THE "AIR-DRIVEN SOUND"

I believe that tone production is 80 percent air driven and 20 percent embouchure assisted. When
the air drives the sound, the sound becomes alive and ringing. Remember the image of the whale
expelling air out of its blowhole. When I think of that whale, the air streams out of my aperture and
through my horn.
The air is the energy source that runs the whole operation. The air is the battery of the machine. In the
Cleveland Orchestra, befo re any big brass en trance, I' d hear the beautiful sound of a quiet but palpable
group inhalation. For me, that memory is a reminder of how essential the breath is in keeping the
embouchure healthy, especially in demanding circumstances.
16 •:• Chapter 3: Embouchure

4: VOWELS
''Although we all have tongues, we are surprisingly bad at knowing precisely what they are doing or
conveying that to others," says University of California Santa Cruz Professor of Linguistics Jaye
Padgett. Through advances in MRI technology we can get an accurate idea of the role of the tongue in
various aspects of horn playing. These MRI films of elite subjects confirm that what we do internally
inside the mouth is justas important as what we do externally. In fact all the elite players in the MRI
study, as they ascend to the highest harmonics incrementally move the tongue higher and forward,
decreasing cavitation inside the mouth.
My first horn teacher sometimes wrote different vowel sounds above the notes in my music. When
slurring from a lower note to a higher one, he wrote "oo-ee." I was nine years old at the time and
didn't think much about it. Much later, when I was in my twenties, I wondered why denoting vowel
sounds improved my tone and ease of playing. I began to experiment with different vowel sounds
and then experimented with my students to see if vowels worked for them. Astonished, I found that
\·owels are crucial to improving accuracy, clarity and centeredness of sound in all registers.
In The Structures and Movement of Breathing, Barbara Conable states:
Our oral space is bounded by the roof of the mouth above, the muscular fioor
of the mouth below, the muscular facial cheeks at the sides, and the tongue
within, so the mouth is nota thing but rather a space among things! It must
be mapped this way! In singing, the space is radically altered again and again
by the structures that form it and fill it. The movement must be mapped as
movements of the structures that form the space, not as a function of the
space itself.
In this section, we will explore different vowel sounds and their effect on oral-cavity size and air
speed; an organized system of vowels that correspond to specific ranges; slurring with vowels; and
using vowels to help us focus in a Zen-like way.
INTRODUCTION TO THE VOWELS

Each pitch on the horn requires a specific air speed, and controlling the oral-cavity size by thinking
of different vowel sounds on pitch is an effective way to produce the right one.
Say "eh-ee." What happens to your mouth? When we go from "eh" to "ee," the jaw rises a bit, and the
front and back of the tongue rises and moves forward. When we say "ee" the tongue also widens, so
that the sides of the tongue touch the upper molars on both sides of the mouth. Try it! When air is
delivered from the windpipe over the base of the tongue, and the tongue is in the "ee" position, the
air speeds up as it rushes between the top surface of the raised tongue and the roof of the mouth.
Since the jaw rises when we say "ee," the oral cavity becomes even smaller. It's the same phenomenon
that occurs when water is running out of a garden hose and we cover the opening with our thumb-
the water shoots out faster and in a more focused stream. When we imagine singing "tee" or "hee,"
the air fiows faster through the aperture and we produce high notes with more ease and clarity.

Say "uh-aw." What happens to the shape of the tongue when you say "aw"? (Pronounce "aw" like the
English word "awe.") The front and back of the tongue become fiatter and settle in between the lower
molars; the oral cavity becomes larger. Sorne people even lower their jaws a little when they say "aw."
-
This is like placing your thumb over the opening of a running garden hose and then taking the
thumb away-the water slows clown. When we imagine singing "thaw" (pronounced like the English
word "awe" with a soft "th" sound) or "haw," the air speed slows clown, which is exactly what we need
to produce clear and centered low notes.
It's important to know that vibrations per second double with each higher octave (and halve with
each lower octave). So if the tuning note a' produces 440Hz or cycles per second, the a" one octave
above it produces 880 cycles per second. The a one octave below a' produces 220 cycles per second.
These jumps in octave require major changes in air speed. Slurring from a note in the middle register
to a note one octave higher is like driving a car at 50 miles per hour and having to speed up to 100
mph in a fraction of a second. Conversely, dropping an octave is comparable to driving at 50 mph and
slowing clown to 25 mph in a fraction of a second. This is why we need vowels. They help us to natu-
rally speed up the air and slow it clown, in a fraction of a second.
It's instinctive to sing "thaw" for low notes and "tee" for higher notes. Even though employing vowels
in an organ ized way might be new or seem arduous for sorne, it's physically intuitive and, after a
while, \.villlikely become second nature.
AN ORGANIZED SYSTEM OF VOWELS

Vowels are nothing new. Teachers have been talking about them for generations, and now we know
why. I was astonished to see how much uniformity in tongue movement there was in the elite group
when ascending the harmonic series. Although everyone in the elite group has different sized mouths
and tongues, the pattern that you see in the chart on the adjacent page was revealed over and over
again among these high level professionals.
Carefully examine the following chart starting at the bottom left hand comer and sean up the left
side of the page. Notice how the elite horn player's tongue moves only slightly (if at all) for each higher
harmonic. Jaw position changes (discussed in Chapter 5, page 24) control most of the alteration in
air speed in the low and mid ranges. Then, starting at the bottom right hand side of the chart, notice
how the tongue progressively rises and moves forward from the mid range to the highest harmonics.
What you cannot see with still images is that the tongue jumps a little between harmonics to speed
up the air to get to the next higher harmonic. To see this movement in real time, watch MRI Horn:
The Inside Story, Episode JI: The Role ofTongue and Jaw in Pitch Placement on YouTube.
Peter Iltis explains how uniform this tongue movement is among the elite group:
[On page 20] we have a bar graph showing the average changes in positions of
the tongue as the elite players ascend the harmonic series. Low notes start on
the left; high notes are on the right. As the tongue changes position we see the
height of the bars changing...We can see on the first five [lower] notes there's
not much movement occurring. But as we get to the next notes (6 through 10)
ascending into the high register, we see a progressive rising of the tongue
forward in the mouth. From the very top note to the penultimate note, there's
not much change. From low to high there's about 13.5 millimeters of movement,
and that's on average across all of the elite subjects. They all show this pattern.
18 •:• Chapter 4 : Vowels

Horn in E~ Tongue Movement for the Harmonic Series
.........
tu
• ~
•
•
•
•
..
Part 1: The Bas ics •!• 19

14.00
Mean Tongue Movement Ascending Harmonics- Elite Subjects
12.77
-
13.77
Series 1
- E
E
.........
12.00
10.00
0.00 7.73
10.94
e
o 6.00
E 4.00 3.84
--
"'o
A.
<1
2.00
0.00
-2.00
0.00
0.89 0.89
-0.05 - 1
-0.44
Eb2 Bb2 Eb3 G3 Bb3 Db4 Eb4 F4 G4 A4 Bb4
A version of t his figure was first published in Iltis, PW, Frahm, J , et al. Inefficiencies in Motor Strategies of Horn Players
with Embouchure Dyst onia, Comparisons to Elite Performers, Medica! Problems of Performing Artists, June 2016.
J is continues: "Another way to think about this is how the tongue movement affects oral cavity size.
Simply put, as the tongue rises, the oral cavity should get smaller. Big numbers (on the left of the
following graph) mean large oral cavity [for low notes]; small numbers (on the right side) mean small
oral cavity [for h igher notes]. Going from the lowest pitch-B~ (denoted as Eh 2 on the graph)-up to
about f (denoted as Bb 3 on graph), there's no particular change in cavitation [caused by tongue
movement.] The tongue's not moving up much at all. Then going to the top notes ... that cavitation
gets much smaller as the tongue takes up more space inside the mouth. Pretty convincing data!"
Oral Cavitation Ascending Harmonics Elite
- E
30
-eo
E
25
+i
...,IU
·:;: 20
IU
u
o
...
IU
15
Eb2 Bb2 Eb3 G3 Bb3 Db4 Eb4 Fb4 G4 A4 Bb4
A version of this graph appeared in Iltis PW, Frahm J, Voit D, Joseph A, Schoonderwaldt E, Altenmuller E. Divergent oral
cavity motor strategies between healthy elite and dystonic horn players. Journal of Clinical Movement Disorders. 2015 .
When I was in the MRI chamber, I was recorded saying many different vowel sounds. Later, Peter
Iltis and I chose the vowel sounds, "aw," "uh," "eh," and "ee," because they closely mimicked the
tongue shapes and positions of the majority of the elite performers playing in the different ranges of
the horn. In the next illustration, on the right, we see images of the author saying those four vowels
next to images of two of the elite performers playing notes representative of the four vowel ranges,
on the middle and left of each row. Notice how just saying these vowels closely mimics the tongue
positions of the two elite players. Vowels get our tongues into the right ballpark shape and position.
Of course, in actual playing, the tongue is in a more retracted position than when we say vowels.
20 •:• Chapter 4: Vowels

Vowel Comparison
HORN IN Eb
Elite player #1 Elite player #2 Epstein saying vowels
low Bb
HAW
middle f'
HUH
e" in staff
HEH
high f"
HEE
Part 1: The Bas ics •:• 21

During m y years in the Cleveland Orchestra and after, I experimented with and refined m y use of
vowels. The MRI Horn study has helped me to further optimize my vowel choices. Indeed, in practice
these vowels are clearly superior to others I've experimented with in the past. They seem to work
extraordinarily well to help horn players play with clarity, centeredness, ease and focus in all registers.
e ..::::::de
11- -=-==
-ftu
'
«)=- 11
.--e
thaw thuh tseh te e
haw huh heh he e
Here I should mention that vowels are pronounced differently in different regions of the world. Even
among English speakers, there are wide differences. Try to pronounce these vowels as if you were
raised in the northern United States.
Since th is approach may be foreign or new to many, you might want to write the proper vowel above
each note in a passage or etude befare practicing it. (You will see how it's done in Part IV [page 95],
·:here I apply the methods to challenging orchestral excerpts.) I suggest you write in the vowels for
ayear. It's the fastest way to brainwash yourself. You may come up with your own shorthand that
makes it easier to fit the vowel sounds above the notes. However, it can be helpful to write in the
consonants, beca use when we say them, the front of the tongue automatically goes to the correct
point of release. (See Chapter 6, page 30.)
SLURRING WITH THE VOWELS

We use "haw," "huh," "heh," and "hee" when we need to slur from one note to another. The "h" sound
helps us aspira te with enough air to slur to the next note. We can regula te the intensity of aspiration
by changing the hardness of the "h" sound. How you use this technique will depend on context. For
example, in alegato passage, such as Ravel's Pavane, our "h's" need to be quite gentle if we are to
achieve great smoothness. In a slurred yet marcato passage, such as Strauss's Don Juan call, the
aspiration of the "h's" can be very pronounced, thus creating a deliberate slurred marcato. The "h's"
give us more control anda broader palette of expression.
ONE-POINTED FOCUS
The vowels provide another benefit. They help us make friends with our mind by giving us something
useful and positive to think about.
Experiment: Try not thinking for a whole minute. Can you? Not many can. Thoughts creep in, sorne-
times negative thoughts. That's why we need to provide our minds with valuable thoughts. Finding a
point of focus is importan t. If you have ever taken a yoga class, you might know how to do balance
poses, such as the tree pose, in which you're standing on one leg. To maintain balance on one leg, you
learn to focus on an object, say, a doorknob, that's directly in your field of vision. As long as you stay
focused on the object, your body remains aligned and balanced; if you look away, even just for a
moment, it's easy to lose your balance.
22 •:• Chapter 4: Vowels

In horn playing, when we have one-pointed focus on singing the correct pitches with the appropriate
vowel syllables, our mind is occupied with healthy and helpful thoughts. The front of our tongue
touches on the right release points, making for greater accuracy and cleaner articulation (see chart
on page 31). The oral cavity is the optimal size for producing beauty and clarity of sound. Intonation
improves because we sing in tune in our mind. When our mind is focused on one positive thing:
expressively singing every note as we play, it's a lot harder to think about anything else. If you still
have extraneous thoughts, sing louder in your mind.
It helps to sing passages using the vowels even when not playing the horn. An effective practice
technique is to first singa passage with vowels and then play it. Singing vowels with expression while
finger ing passages is an effective way to practice without tiring one's face on the day of a recital or
audition . Try this technique and see if it improves your performance.
It takes time to develop this kind of mental commitment, and it may seem overwhelming at first,
because, as with any new skill, we need to intensively use the frontal lo bes of our brain. After a while,
the new skill becomes easier, more natural, and more automatic, as it becomes housed in our long-term
memory-much as if you were in a rigorous solfege class: at first it's daunting, but by graduation, it feels
natural and automatic to sing everything using solfege (in fact, it's hard not to use solfege). Applying
the vowels streamlines the whole process of playing the horn. Think ofitas horn player's solfege.
The body is shaped, disciplined, honored, and in time, t rusted.

-MARTHA GRAHAM

5: JAW POSITIONS
In the previous chapter, I described how different vowel sounds help us shape our tongues to optimize
-
oral-cavity sizes for the different registers. In this chapter, I focus on how to use different jaw positions
to improve our control of air speed coming out through the aperture for the middle and low registers.
By subtly directing and guiding our lower-jaw position (thereby controlling the distance between our
upper and lower molars), we can gain greater fl.exibility, improved accuracy and endurance, and more
clarity and focus in the middle and low registers.
In this chapter, we will explore the following:
•!• How vowels and jaw positions work

•!• Why the term lip slur is a misnomer
•!• How temporomandibular joints allow us to quickly and efficiently change oral-cavity size
•!• How to get your jaw positions organized
•!• How the wrench-set image can help us fine-tune intonation in the low register
•.• How to kick the swelling habit in slurs
\ Then I was a teenager, I had horn teachers who said, "There's a high embouchure anda low embou-
chure, and other than that, your face shouldn't move." It's true that there is a definite "break" where
the jaw drops radically when going from the high register into the low register (my break is around
middle e').
The MRI study has cleared up many aspects of horn playing. The elite players in the study all use the
correct tongue shapes and incrementally lower jaw positions when descending from the middle range
to the lowest notes (and incrementally higher jaw positions when ascending from the lowest harmonics
to the mid-range). The study's findings clarify that as we ascend from the lowest harmonics (m) to
the midrange (b~') the tongue is rather fl.at, and the jaw moves up incrementally for each harmonic.
Then, at around g' or b~', as pointed out in the previous chapter, the tongue takes over the job of
incrementally reducing cavitation as we ascend from the mid-range to the highest notes.
Peter Iltis introduces the next graph:
What we've done is combine all elite subjects playing the descending harmonic
sequence together on a single graph, starting on high f" (concert B~ 4) clown to
low B~ (concert E~ 2). Highest to lowest notes are on the x axis . We're looking
for relative jaw position changes during the deseen t . There are hardly any
changes on the first four notes. But then we see this fairly pronounced drop in
the jaw of almost 4.5 millimeters going clown to the very lowest note.
24 •!• Chapter 5: Jaw Positions

-EE 0.00
Mean Jaw Movement
Descending Harmonics- Elite Subjects
0.00 0.03
- --• 1
- Series 1
1
-0.03 -0.14
-o
e
-1.00
-0.30 -0.30 -0.54
-1.23
·-.~ -2.00
-1.94
111
o
Cl.. -3.00
~ -3.22
-4.00
-4.53
-5.00
Bb4 A4 G4 F4 Eb4 Db4 Bb4 G3 Eb3 Bb2 Eb2
--- ··ersion of this figure was first published in litis, PW, Frahm, J, et al. Inefficiencies in Motor Strategies of Horn Players
\oicn Embouchure Dystonia, Comparisons to Elite Performers, Medical Problems of PerformingArtists, June 2016.
Remember Conable's dictum: "The mouth is nota thing but rather a space among things!"
There are about six or seven jaw positions, three or four below middle e' and three including middle e'
and above. Try to imagine gently biting down on a popsicle stick placed between your back molars .
Now try to imagine six or seven different popsicle sticks, each incrementally thicker. (In the MRI
study, the jaw moves about 1.5 millimeters to help us get to the next harmonic on the harmonic
series.) Since our mouths are exquisitely sensitive to even minute differences, we can remember how
it feels to gently bite down on popsicle sticks of different thicknesses. This is how it feels to use jaw
positions when playing the horn.
Vowels and jaw positions work hand in han d. When you say, "aw, uh, eh, and e e" you may no ti ce how
your molars progressively come closer together. When you say, "ee, eh, uh, aw," notice how your jaw
incrementally drops down. It may help to think of your jaw as an elevator that goes up and down
depending on which register you want to play. The vowels help the elevators, and the elevators help
the vowels. Even if you forget to consciously move your jaw, if you're singing the correct vowels, your
jaw will m ove dos e to the optimal position. When we have both the vowels and jaw positions work-
ing for us, then we sound and feel the most secure in the mid and low range.
TEMPOROMANIBULAR JOINTS
When I was a teenager, I first heard the term lip slur, and jumped to the conclusion that lip movement
alone controlled slurs. In my early twenties, I noticed that sometimes my interval slurs worked fine,
but at times 1 couldn't figure out why 1 overshot or undershot a slur, since 1 was trying to move my
lips in the same way.
Now 1 realize that a more reliable, replicable method for regulating the speed of the air going through
the aperture is to control the shape and size of the oral cavity through the use of vowels and jaw
positions. So, the term lip slur is actually a misnomer.

It helps to know sorne physiology. Our TMJs (temporomandibular joints) reside just in front of our
ears. To fmd them, place your index fingers gently inside your ears. Slide your fingers forward a half
inch toward your eyes. Move your lower jaw up and clown. (Your upper jaw doesn't move; it's part of
the skull.) The hinges you feel are your TMJs.
TMJs are very useful. They truly are hinges, and we can think of the lower jaw as a door that can be
easily moved on these hinges. With ease and accuracy, we can change the distance between our upper
and lower molars. We need to subtly regulate this distance (and oral cavitation) as we play.
On the left is a wonderful illustration of an elite

horn player's front teeth. The upper incisor
upper incisor remains still. But the lower incisor is in one
position for the high f' at the top of the staff, and
moves dramatically to a lower position for the
low B ~. Of course, it's not the tooth that is
lower incisor moving. The lower incisor is "riding" on the lower
f " top of staff
jaw, which is moving clown and out a distance of
13.5 millimeters to increase the oral cavitation
for the low note. That is why it's helpful when
low er inciso r going to a low note to visualize "monkey face"
low a.\ '' ''
',•
,•
•'
and "bulldog." "Monkey" helps us lower the jaw
and soften the corners of the embouchure, and
"bulldog" helps us bring the lower jaw forward to increase oral cavitation.
-
Changes in our mouths are keenly felt . Have you ever noticed when you go to the dentist, and a small
cavity has been drilled out for filling, the cavity feels cavernous when your tongue explores it?
I've heard that we perceive things inside the mouth as magnified four times their actual size. This
phenomenon works to our advantage with horn playing since, with practice, we become able to
identify, re-create, and remember distan ces between the upper and lower molars for particular pitches.
So this is where the idea of elevators comes in handy. It helps to visualize an elevator rising and
falling as our jaw goes up and clown. Since our mouths are so exquisitely sensitive, we can begin to
define which notes "live" on which floors . I have three aboveground floors (which cover middle e' to g').
I conceptualize four general belowground floors (which cover g to C). You may have more or fewer
floors than I do. What's important is that we define for ourselves where our floors líe, and which
notes correspond to which floor in a consistent way. Consistency is the key to developing long-term
mus de memory with jaw positions.
26 •:• Chapter 5: Jaw Positions

GETTING ORGANIZED
While it may seem daunting to be so specific and organized about oral-cavity size, in reality, once you
start exploring elevators, it's not that difficult. You may already be using different jaw positions
unconsciously. As I said earlier, a rule of thumb is, if we overshoot a note, the air speed is too fast; if
we undershoot a note, the air speed is too slow.
A good way to start identifying elevators is to identify middle e' as Floor l. It's all relative. As we go
up from e' to d' we might not notice any change; but if we slur from e' to e' above, the air-speed
change is enough to require a "higher" jaw position. So e' might by identified as "living" on Floor 2.
Try slurring c'-e'-c'-e'-c'-e'-c', and, rather than using your lips, see if you can control the air speed by
subtly moving your jaw from Floor 1 to Floor 2 and back again. After practicing that a little, see if you
can identify which note above e' requires you to utilize Floor 3. You might find specific mini-breaks
where it's clear you need to be on a higher floor. Try practicing the following exercise very slowly,
focusi ng on your jaw positions and the distance between your lower and upper molars.
2 2 2
1; J 1; J 1; -
3 2 3 2 3 2
J IJ J IJ J
When defining jaw positions between the harmonics, we feel a small natural click between a lower
harmonic and the next higher one. "Lip trills" work much better as "jaw trills" or "vowel trills."
That is, instead of trying to genera te the trill with your lips, I find it much more effective and clearer
to produce the trill by controlling the oral cavitation with jaw movement between the two harmonics
for lower trills, or by changing the tongue position with vowels (eh-ee-eh-ee-eh), for higher trills.
The jaw may move a little as well. Try it!
eh ee eh ee eh ee eh ee eh
F757[ F Ir F f??n r
' F
-
F
'rfi r r r rE r lrí?Sr r e E?Fr 11
Part 1: The Basics ·:• 27

-
-
The middle register from g below middle e' to g' in the staff can be tricky to navigate. Jaw positions
help greatly, but the jaw movements in the mid range are more subtle than in the low register. As
the harmonics get closer together, so do the ftoors. The data shows this on the graph on page 25 .
Knowing this can give us more ease when playing the awkward Promenade solo from Mussorgsky's
Pictures atan Exhibition (page 129).
The lowest partials on the harmonic series each require clearly defined jaw positions (for e', g, e, G)
Knowing this can help enormously with the last three notes of Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel opening
(page 141), and the first five notes of Strauss's Ein Heldenleben (page 139). Mirror work helps us see
what our jaw is doing. Give yourself permission to move your jaw in this new incremental way. Watch
your jaw positions in a mirror as you slowly play these two examples.
THE WRENCH SET-FINE-TUNING THE LOW REGISTER

Since each low note has a wide intonation target, we need to refine the jaw positions so that we can
start each not e exactly on pitch. To tweak intonation in the low register, I like to use the image of
the wrench set. Picture a wrench set, like the kind that's organized by size progressively, smaller
o larger, on a pegboard. For example, to play the low tutti excerpt in the first movement of the
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (page 136), it helps to think of the opening of each wrench getting
subtly and progressively larger as we go clown that first whole-tone scale. We might be going from a
3
s wrench for g to a Y;¡" wrench for f toa %" wrench for e ~ and so on. If the wrench set is a helpful
image for you, and your intonation and tone quality improve, use it!
SOLVING THE SWELLING ISSUE IN SLURS

The other great advantage of the jaw position and vowel concepts is that we can quickly change the
air speed between notes. Many horn students have trouble learning how to stop swelling-that is
abruptly increasing the dynamic when slurring from a lower note to a higher note. We call this going
"twah." Think, for example, about vocalists and violinists. They don't necessarily swell to reach a
higher note. For brass players, swelling on the low note of a slur may be used more for the feeling of
security when slurring upward than anything else. So we need to understand what's happening. To
ascend in register, we want go from a slower air speed to a faster one; the swell happens when we
speed up the air on the end of the lower note to get a running start for the higher note. What if we
could change air speeds much more quickly, and have the fas ter air speed we need for the higher note
exactly when we need it?
28 •:• Chapter 5: Jaw Positions

That's what jaw positions (for low and mid-range) and tengue movement (for mid and high range) can
help us accomplish. As air is shooting through our oral cavity, the TMJs lightly bring the lower jaw
up, and we suddenly have that faster air speed we need for the higher note in the low and mid range.
Likewise, in the mid-high register, the tengue shape and movement can quickly speed up the air. This
allows for cleaner slurs. When we depend solely on facial muscles changing the aperture size to slur
from a lower note toa higher note, we hear lots ofharmonics in between. Although sometimes that's
the effect we want, it's nice to have control over the prominence of "in-between" notes in a slur.
I used to think that when a note didn't "speak" (just air, no sound), it was because my air wasn't
fiowing enough. I've realized that usually when a note doesn't speak, it's because the air speed is not
optimal. With a subtle jaw adjustment and/or tengue movement, I can get the note to speak easily.
Here are exercises that help me get more comfortable with moving my jaw and tengue to create ease
in slurring. The first exercise helps me remember that my jaw and tengue positions are always the
same for each high note, no matter what lower note I'm slurring from . Try it. If a note doesn't speak,
then try to subtly adjust the jaw position and vowel so that it speaks easily. Remember to keep the air
fiowing between the notes.
The second exercise will help you recognize the jaw and tengue movements required for ease of
execution. Be careful not to swell on the lower note. Transpose each exercise to many different keys
in all registers, and use appropriate jaw positions and/or tengue movements.
Jaw Position/Vowel Exercise
tseh heh heh huh heh huh heh huh heh haw heh haw heh haw heh haw
4tr 'r r J r IJ r J r IJ r J r
,_..,,.,..,.--
9
il
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3 1
thaw haw haw haw haw huh haw huh haw huh haw heh haw heh hawheh
4t J o7JT] J IJ J J J ¡J J r J 171 r 2 2 3 3 3 3 3
11
Forme, jaw positions remo ve sorne of the mystery of how to slur accurately in the m id and low
registers. Vowels and elevators give us so much more control, consistency (and confidence!) in slurs.
The process of defining jaw positions for each note in the mid and low registers may take awhile and
will become clear and consistent only after much experimentation and practice. It's empirical and
pragmatic; it's about finding what works most reliably for you. Finger-breathing techniques, described
in Chapter 8 (page 43), will make these movements more intuitive and natural.
Now we have the tools to adjust and replicate air speed. The advantage of being organized about jaw
positions is that we can, after a while, preemptively and lightly position our lower jaw to the optimal
fioor for exposed entrances in the mid and low register. When we get to that point, we can be fairly
confident that we will have the correct air speed for an entrance. It makes playing low horn parts
much more manageable and fun.
[
6: ARTICULATION
The previous two chapters discussed how changing jaw positions and shaping the tongue with the use
-
of vowels help to regulate air speed. Articulation helps us control the initial speed of air. The position
of the upper edge of the front compression of the tongue and the height and shape of the upper edge of
the anterior body of the tongue help determine the initial speed of air during articulation.
This chapter examines the following aspects of articulation:
•!• How to organize the points of articulation to increase accuracy and endurance
•:• How to control the front edge of the sound
•:• How the way we articula te need not be influenced by changes in dynamics
•:• How to use articulation as a tool for expression
•!• How to play staccato
•!• The use of exploded sforzandi and fps
•!• How less articulation movement produces cleaner front edges
•:• How to articulate low notes without "scooping"
•!• Towards solving the hesitation issue
Sorne pedagogues instruct students to use the same point of release of the front compression of the
tongue in articulation for each and every note; others suggest tonguing lower notes at a lower point
on the teeth, middle register notes more in the middle, and higher notes higher in the mouth. I agree
with the latter approach.
ORGANIZING THE POINTS OF ARTICULATION
I need to preface the next section by saying that the diagrams on the following chart represent my
interpretation of my own MRI images based on what I feel inside my mouth when I articula te.
We need to look at more data concerning articulation befare we can say anything conclusive.
As we look at the following chart, we may notice many things about the tongue. The differences from
one range to another are slight, yet importan t. A large area of the primary motor cortex is devoted to
the tongue, which is richly innervated. This allows us to detect and recreate even the slightest
differences in the location from which the front compression of the tongue releases on articulation.
Observe how the open area above the middle of the tongue decreases from articulating in the low
range to articulating in the high range. Notice how, for each range, the front compression of the
tongue has a slightly different quality. For starting low notes, e' and below, note how the front
compression of the tongue appears to be positioned not only on the upper incisors but also between
the upper and lower incisors (which have lowered with the jaw). For middle register notes, f' toa#',
the upper edge of the front compression of the tongue releases from the middle of the upper incisors.
For the upper middle register notes, starting with b' and going up through e", e#", d", and d#", the
upper edge of the front compression of the tongue releases from a slightly higher place close to the
top of the upper incisors. And finally, for articulating high notes, e" and above, observe how the
upper edge of the front compression of the tongue releases from not only the upper incisors but also
above the teeth on the alveolar ridge. The height that the upper edge of the front compression of the
tongue extends above the teeth seems to be important in increasing the initial speed of the air for
high notes.
30 •!• Chapter 6: Articulation

Front Compression and Shape of the Tongue on Articulation
11
---
For this range we use
"tee" or "dee"
Image showing
high f"

"tseh"
Image showing
e" in staff
-#" 1
"thuh"
Image showing
middlef

"thaw"
Image showing
lowB~

Let's zoom in even more.
I like to think of the tongue as moving back from a point of release rather than striking with a forward-
then-backward motion (even though our tongue needs to come forward in order to move back). In
fact, the MRI fi.lms show that articulation is a clear release, not a strike. The front of the tongue
momentarily compresses against the teeth and then releases, allowing the pressurized air to fiow
through the aperture. It helps to think of the tip of the tongue as a stopper on a container fi.lled with
pressurized air. When the stopper is removed, the air is released through the opening.
Pre-release e" Artieulating e" Sustaining e"
Pragmatically, here's how vowel syllables can help you recreate these release points:
•!• For the notes e' and below, the tip of my tongue feels like it lightly scrapes the bottom of my
two front teeth as I say "thaw" (with a soft "th," as in the word "though"). If I were to say "taw"
instead of "thaw," my tongue would move back from a point above the gum line, and the result-
ing air speed will be too fast.
•!• For the middle register notes, f' to a#', the upper edge of the front compression of the tongue
feels like it moves back from just above the bottom of my two front teeth, as I say, "thuh" (soft
"th," as in the English word "the").
•!• For the pitches starting with b', and going up through e", e#", d", and d#", the upper edge of the
front compression of my tongue feels like it moves back from right below the place where m y
two front teeth meet the gum line. (This is the area I call the "crevice place," because it feels like
we reach into this place with the tip of our tongue, as when we make the sound "ts.") These are
the notes that most horn players have trouble articulating clearly and reliably. I fi.nd that I can
accurately start these notes with much more consistency when I say "tseh" (as in "tsunami") at
the top of the upper incisors; it helps to create an optimal initial speed of air for that register.
Since when we speak English, our tongues rarely touch this area, it takes sorne conscious effort
to get our tongues accustomed to going there. Say "tsunami" out loud several times. Then try the
One-Note Exercise (adjacent page) on one of the notes in this range, saying "tseh."
•!• For pitches e" and above, the upper edge of the front compression of the tongue feels like it
comes back from progressively higher and higher points above the gum line as I say "tee" or
"dee." The higher the pitch, the higher the upper edge of the tongue, since the initial air speed
needs to increase as we play higher and higher notes.
32 •:• Chapter 6: Articulation

It helps to identify the specific points on the teeth for "thaw," "thuh," and "tseh" notes, and then, for
"tee" notes imagine a miniature staircase inside your mouth that starts at the bottom of the alveolar
ridge and walks up steps or points incrementally higher as you articulate up a scale.
Try this exercise: Play a two-octave G-major scale starting on g below the treble staff. "Walk" the
upper edge of the front compression of the tongue up the imaginary staircase that starts at the
bottom of your two front teeth and goes up above the gum line. Try to find the points of release that
you see on the diagrams (page 31) for "thaw," "thuh," "tseh," and "tee." In the high register, feel the
upper edge of the front compression of the tongue moving back from points incrementally higher as
you go up the scale. It might seem weird to move your tongue in this way. But give it a chance and see
if it helps you to produce clear, clean beginnings to each note. Also, try to remember the vowels as
you do this because the vowels will help you control the cavitation for each register.
:·ve had many students who were frustrated by "burrs" at the beginning of notes. I think rough edges
occur when the air speed is either slightly too fast or too slow at articulation. Try to listen carefully
to the rough burr sound and notice if your pitch is starting slightly too high or too low-it's usually
one or the other. Listening is key to solving air-speed issues. Experiment to find the "sweet spot" for
the front compression of the tongue to come back from for each note, where the initial speed of the
air is optimal.
After a while, we develop muscle memory so that our tongues more easily retain where to articula te
each note, although at times we may need to remind ourselves. Slow scales are helpful when we're
first starting to approach articulation in this way.
THE ONE-NOTE EXERCISE

Norman Herzberg, the revered bassoon pedagogue, suggested that his students practice what he
dubbed the "One-Note Exercise" every day. I've found that this exercise can also be beneficia! for
horn players to become more comfortable with starting notes. The One-Note Exercise can help
convince our tongue to find the "sweet spot," where the beginning of each pitch is clear and reliable.
You might want to start with the "tseh" crevice notes b', e", e#", d", and d#", since we have to work
hard to convince our tongues to go there. Use a metronome: quarter note = 60.
~ nll:r 1r lp·a - 1r 1r ~ 1r 1~,, ~ 1r - :11

mp f ff pp * mf p pp ff *
I recommend practicing the One-Note Exercise on a different pitch each day (look for the elusive ones).
Eventually, you will create salid muscle memory for tongue placement on many notes. You might wish
to choose notes on which you want more reliability, based on your current repertoire. For example, if
you are playing Ravel's Pavane, try doing the One-Note Exercise using "tseh" on the first note. It may
come to feellike an old friend.
When we miss a note, it helps to remember the point of contact where our tongue was mistakenly
releasing from. Barry Tuckwell said that sometimes it helps to try to miss the note in the same way a
second time. When Ido that, I can easily tell how far off my tongue's point of contact was. Then it's
easy to correct.
Part 1: The Basics •:· 33

CONTROLLING THE FRONT EDGE OF THE SOUND
We need to be refined with articulation. Many students are too coarse with the tongue and move it
too far. The tongue needs to be used as a subtle instrument.
When we breathe and support the air strongly, we can think of our oral cavity as a room filled with
air pressure. Our tongue is the door to that room. How we open the door to that room determines
the quality of the sound's front edge (the first sound we hear). If we open the door quickly, the
pressurized air shoots out, producing a sharp front edge, or accent. If we open the door slowly, the
pressurized air filters out more gradually, producing alegato, softer leading edge of the sound.
Knowing this, we can regula te the speed of the tongue and produce articulations appropriate to a
wide range of expression.
Practically, we can best control the speed of the tongue by using different consonants in the middle
and high register. For a sharper articulation, I use "tseh" and "tee." For a softer front edge, I use
"dzeh" and "dee."
"Thaw" and "thuh" help our tongues to naturally come back from lower places on our two front teeth.
I think of "quick thaw" or "spitting thaw" for sharper articulation (imagine elegantly spitting a tiny
sesame seed out of your mouth from the bottom of your two front teeth). I imagine "slow thaw" for
softer articulation in the low register. Likewise, I think "quick thuh" or "spitting thuh" for sharper
articulation, and "slow thuh" for more legato articulation in the middle register. For a softer front
edge, think about saying "thaw" and "thuh" in slow motion when you articulate.
Try this: Using a mouthpiece, buzz an articulated one octave C-major scale starting on e'. Be very
discerning about starting exactly on pitch for each note. No scooping into a note from above or
below. This will help you support correctly and find the correct points of release for each note. Once
yo u have a scale of beautiful fronts when buzzing, put the mouthpiece into the horn, play the same
scale, and notice how clear your articulation has become.
When I teach, I show my students my open left hand, fingers facing clown. I explain that my fingers
represent my two front teeth, the crease between my fingers and palm represents the crevice place at
the gum line, and my palm is the hard palate area above the crevice place. Using my other hand's
forefinger, I show them where I would articula te by touching the places on my hand where my tongue
would make optimal contact for each note. My students say this helps them find the right points of
articulation.
I find it's helpful to say, "Top of the tip of the tongue," several times very fast. This little phrase helps
us feel where the top of the tip of the tongue is, and helps us minimize the movement of the tongue.
Whenever I sense that I'm using too much tongue, I say this phrase several times and it helps me get
back to more efficient articulation.

LESS IS MORE
Don't depend on the tongue to start notes. I like to practice articulated passages with breath attacks
(no tongue). When we do this, we are forced to use the correct jaw positions (in the mid and low
ranges) and correct vowels. When we can produce clear, consistent beginnings of each note with a
breath attack, then we can add the tongue with minimal movement to further neaten things up.
We don't have to move the tongue back very far from the point of articulation to produce a clear
beginning of a note. Try starting a note with an air attack a few times. Then see how little movement
of the tongue you actually need on articulation to clean up the front edge of the note. When we think
of the air starting the note, rather than the tongue, we can use the tongue much less and get a
beautiful front edge. Look again at the series of three MRI images on page 32, and notice, in the right
hand image, how the tongue retracts (draws back) only a short distance from the teeth to release the
air through the aperture.
ARTICULATION DOES NOT CHANGE WITH DIFFERENT DYNAMICS

How we articulate need not change, whether we're playing soft or loud. It's how we use the air in terms
of blowing pressure that determines loudness or softness, not the tongue. The tongue's only role is to
facilita te a sharper or softer front edge to a loud or soft sound. We can't hear the sound of the tongue
lOO feet away in a large concert hall. Instead, we hear the front edge of the sound, neatened up by
the tongue. It may take sorne experimentation and discipline to counteract old habits, if you're used
to tonguing "loudly" when you play at loud dynamics. Try starting a loud whole note without the
tongue. Then try seeing how little you need to use the tongue to produce a clear front edge on the
loud whole note.
ENLARGING OUR PALETTE OF EXPRESSION

Various articulation sounds add to our palette of expression. From explosive sforzandi to the most
delicate piano staccato to lyricallegato articulation, we use the quality of the front edge of each note
to express emotions. Try to cultivate marcato articulation to express excitement and power; staccato
to convey delicacy, humor, and lightness of character; and soft articulations to express warm and
tender feelings.
PLAYING STACCATO
Theories abound about how to play short notes (staccato). The ability to play clear, clean, short
staccato is essential in orchestral playing.
The glottis is a part of the body that consists of the right and left vocal folds and the slit-like opening
between them. MRI films show the right and left vocal folds of elite players momentarily touching to
stop the air stream when they play staccato. I believe that brass players do this unconsciously.
Peter Iltis suggests the following: We can experience this sensation when we say the syllable, "thuh ...
uh." When we intentionally stop the sound abruptly on the first "thuh," we can feel the vocal folds
touch and stop vibrating. When we restart the sound on "uh" we can feel the vocal folds open and
vibrate again. Try this! Say, "thuh ... uh," "thuh ... uh." See if you can feel the vocal folds touching when
you intentionally stop the sound, and open and reactivate when you start up the sound.

When we consciously sing in a short staccato, "thuh, thuh, thuh," the vocal folds stop the air stream
momentarily. We can do this on any vowel: "thaw, thuh, tseh, and tee."
--
I hesita te to share this because I worry that students will try constricting the throat to play staccato.
Remember that this is a slight movement that can be produced merely by singing in one's mind the
short sounds one wishes to create. It's another great example of how singing in our mind exactly how
we want to sound in a particular moment, gets our mind and body working in the most efficient way
to produce those sounds.
This very brief light touching of the vocal folds allows us to support strongly and constantly flow the
air while playing staccato. Try this on the opening first horn solo from Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel.
The two MRI images below show a professional trumpet player playing staccato notes. The image on
the left shows an open glottis, which allows air to freely flow through the mouth and aperture to
crea te sound. The image on the right displays a closed glottis, which coincides with sound cessation.
36 •!• Chapter 6: Articulation

Peter Iltis: "In this figure, the [dark] areas in the center of the image represent the open glottis, and
the areas between the open areas represent closure of the glottis." 1 The verticallines indicate the
moment of sound initiation. Dr. Iltis plans to extend this study to include more elite subjects.
However, I find these preliminary images of staccato playing compelling and worthy of inclusion.
10 Open areas are where

the sound occurs
20
¡
J:>
E 30
:::J
...z,..
o: ~o
50 Closed areas are where

the glottis stops the air flow
60
50 100 150 200 250

Frame Number
A version of this figu re was first published in Iltis, PW, Gillespie, SL, Frahm,
J, et al. The Role of the Glottis in Horn Performance: A Pilot Study, Medica!
Problems of Performing Artist s, 2017.
Sforzandi and fp's

The tengue by itself does not produce dramatic sforzandi and fps. It's more about the way we use
the air pulsing from the abdomen and diaphragm. Fps are produced by pulsing in tense blowing
pressure while increasing the size of the aperture for forte, followed by decreased blowing pressure
while lessening the size of the aperture to produce piano. We can control the size of the aperture by
visualizing different thicknesses of dairy products or pastas fl.owing through. There are additional
factors involved in producing the soft dynamic. (See chapter on Dynamics, page 39)
Try the following exercises for fps. Sing the exercise first. No ti ce how your abdominal mus eles and
diaphragm pulse. Then play it on your horn. After you master the coordination between pulsation of
blowing pressure and change in aperture size, add articulation to tidy up the front edge of the fp or
sforzando. Practice several fps in this manner.
1
Iltis, PW, Gillespie, SL, Frahm, J, et al. The Role of the Glottis in Horn Performance: A Pilot Study, Medica! Problems of
PerformingArtists, 2017.

-
ARTICULATING LOW NOTES
Sometimes horn players "scoop" low notes, for example, the low e at the end of Strauss's Till
--
__.
Eulenspiegel subject. "Scooping" means starting below the pitch and then coming up to it. I think of
this asan air-speed/articulation issue. Usually what happens is this: On articulation, the player's
tongue as it comes forward curves clown too low, so that the oral cavity momentarily becomes too
large, producing slower-than-optimal air speed at the beginning of the low note. The solution seems
to be to visualize the tongue coming straight forward and straight back from the "thaw" position
without any dipping clown.
Often beginning students use too much tongue area and movement in the low register (perhaps
because beginning students often will "try anything" to get out low notes). This also causes a scooping
effect. Have them say, "Top of the tip of the tongue," to get a clear feeling of how little tongue they
really need to use. Also ask them to imagine spitting out a tiny sesame seed between their teeth on
articulation.
TOWARDS SOLVING THE HESITATION ISSUE

Sometimes students develop a hesitation when trying to start the first note of a passage. Their
-....
mouth is positioned to start a sound, but for several seconds they experience a stop or block to the
sound coming out. Once they get the first sound out, then all the other sounds follow easily. I've
found th at almost all students who have this issue start notes well when they are "conducted in"
by a conductor.
First, I suggest that these students start notes with the breath alone to reinforce the idea that it's the
air that starts the note, not the tongue. I ask them to try to release all tension from the tongue, and
make it easeful and soft in the mouth. They should make many air beginnings of one note, using the
One-Note Exercise. Then, with a friend or teacher conducting them in a four-four pattern, I suggest
they gradually reintroduce articulating by gently removing the tip of the easeful tongue from the
appropriate point of release while healthily flowing air to produce notes on several downbeats.
Finally, when they can do this readily with an external conductor, I ask them to "conduct themselves
in;" that is, physically move the horn in a conductor-like fashion to start a phrase. The physical
movement of conducting two preparatory beats on their own often allows them to start notes
with ease.
How we think about using the tongue affects many different facets of horn playing. Articulation
is a key area to ponder, experiment with, and refine throughout your career.

7: DYNAMICS
Set sail for the sun. Play a tone for so long until yo u hear its individual vibrations. Hold the tone and listen
for the tones of others-to all of them together-and slowly m ove your tone until you arrive at complete
harmony and the whole sound turns to gold, to pure shimmering fire.
-KARL HEINZ STOCKHAUSEN
How do we play loudly and softly? Increasing blowing pressure helps us play louder and decreasing
blowing pressure allows us to play softer. But how do we do this, and what are the mechanisms
involved? The MRI study has given us access to actions that happen inside the mouth and pharynx
that were previously invisible.
THE INTERIOR MECHANICS OF CONTROLLING DYNAMICS

The mechanics of how we play loud and soft are usually vaguely taught: "more air for loud, less air for
soft." Since the air causes our lips to vibra te, even when we play softly, we must keep the air flowing
constantly. Many brass students are taught to use "less air" in order to play softly. Unfortunately,
this instruction is often interpreted as, "compromise the air flow when you play softly."
MRI technology has opened a window to help us understand the mechanics of dynamics better. Even
though my body knew how to play softly, how to teach dynamic production has been a mystery until
recently. How does one keep the air flowing steadily and with good tone, while getting softer or
playing soft? One of the most surprising images I saw when I first looked at MRI movies of myself
involved playing a long tone. On the second part of the long tone, diminishing from f to p, I saw a
strange movement: my tongue rose up inside my mouth. At first I thought this was an unconscious
aberration on my part. But after seeing how everyone in the elite group performed sorne kind of
tongue-rising action on the diminuendo of the same long tone, I started to think that perhaps the
tongue acted as a baffle or valve that broke the force or flow of the airstream on its way toward the
aperture. The more I observed myself and my students the more I was convinced that the rising of
the tongue on diminuendo performs an important valve-like function.
In addition to the tongue rising, recent MRI images show that an air channel is formed between the
dorsal tongue surface (near the back) and the roof of the mouth. This may function as a second
"valve" or baffle. We can call this the tongue air channel.
Philip Farkas, without the benefit of MRI technology, hit upon a third "valve" that helps control the
force of the airstream as it moves through the pharynx and mouth.
In The Art of French Horn Playing, Farkas writes:
Be sure to use a small but concentrated stream of air while playing pianissimo.
To review what was stated earlier, in the chapter on breathing, the correct
support of the diaphragm is the means by which we get this concentrated
airstream. A steady modera te pressure is used, not so much as in playing forte,
but considerably more than might be supposed by the volume of sound being
produced. This pressure is resisted in the larynx so that exactly the amount
needed is let through. This will result in apure, concentrated tone even when
playing pianissimo.

-
......
Indeed, Dr. Iltis confirms that "The arytenoid cartilages, to which the vocal cords are attached, are
adducted [drawn toward each other] during the production of soft notes, and they are progressively
abducted [drawn away from a mid-line] at louder dynamics." 2
-
~
So, it appears that there are three baffle or valve mechanisms that help us control dynamics. For me,
this new discovery of tongue movement and confirmation of Farkas's principie, allows us to under-
stand how we can play softly with a continuous and concentrated air stream.
In the two sets of images below (each set recorded simultaneously in an elite horn player), notice how
the oral cavitation (left), the glottal fissure (middle), and tongue air channel (right) are smaller for
soft playing and significantly larger for loud playing.
Soft Playing b~' in staff
Side view of tongue pp Glottis pp Tongue air channel pp
Loud Playing b ~' in staff
Side view of tongue ff Glottis ff Tongue air channel ff
Of course, no horn teacher wants to encourage his or her student to constrict the throat. Indeed,
I believe the actions of the glottis and the tongue are largely unconscious and involuntary.
Nonetheless, it does take the mystery out of how we play softly with control and without pinching
the aperture or weakening the airfl.ow to the point of having no core in the tone.
Farkas wrote: "I should remark. .. that a really fine pianissimo is the scarcest quality among brass
players." Perhaps with this new scientific evidence, brass players will have an easier time conceptual-
izing the mechanisms at play. Though I believe we should leave the glottis alone to do its involuntary
work, we can become more mindful of the tongue rising on pianissimo and train our bodies to play
softly with a feeling of air fl.ow and security.
2
Iltis, PW, Gillespie, SL, Frahm, J, et al. The Role of the Glottis in Horn Performance: A Pilot Study, Medica! Problems of
Performing Artists, 2017.
40 •!• Chapter 7: Dynamics

THE APERTURE
Another "valve" involved with controlling dynamics, is the aperture of the lips. The aperture is the
small opening that vibrates in the center of the embouchure. To play louder we have to increase the
blowing pressure fiowing through the aperture. But what happens to the intonation? Usually the
pitch goes up a little (ora lot) if we don't compensate somehow for the increased blowing pressure.
And, conversely, it's not uncommon to hear intonation lower slightly (but noticeably) when people
play softer.
Increased blowing pressure creates tension around the aperture, and the aperture naturally wants to
get smaller. When the aperture gets smaller, the pitch usually goes up when we increase the blowing
pressure, even though the MRI movies show that inside the mouth, the tongue moves clown and out
of the way, and the glottis opens.
Conversely, when we play more softly, we decrease the blowing pressure. The tension around the
aperture also decreases and the aperture wants to open up. This explains why the pitch can go lower
as we play softer, even though inside the mouth the tongue rises and the glottal fissure involuntarily
decreases in size.
You can prove this for yourself by placing your open palm six inches in front of your mouth. Form
an embouchure and blow a stream of air with great force toward your hand. N atice how the aperture
wants to get smaller. Now, forman embouchure and blow a gentle stream of air into your palm. Do
you notice how the aperture loosens and gets larger?
We need to find ways to control the size of the aperture in arder to further stabilize the pitch in loud
and soft dynamics. When we play louder and use more blowing pressure, the aperture needs to open
up to counteract its natural tendency to get smaller. Conversely, when we play softer and use less
blowing pressure, the aperture size needs to get smaller to counteract its natural tendency to open up.
SOME HELPFUL IMAGES

It would be very hard to control the size of the aperture without a compelling image. Let's use the
image of dairy products, which are commonly known and come in different thicknesses: skim milk,
2% milk, whole milk, half and half, light cream, and heavy cream. To make a crescendo with control
and steady pitch, imagine these progressively thicker liquids fiowing through the aperture. You might
want to go to a coffee shop and check out what the various dairy products actually look like as they
fiow out of their respective containers. We then need to use our imagination to sense how it would
feel to have, instead of air, different dairy products moving through the aperture. I like the image of
dairy products because they're fluid. Visualizing fiowing liquids helps us achieve an air-driven sound
that's ringing and energized.
When we see dynamics on the page, it helps to automatically define the dynamic using one of the
images discussed earlier. For instance, when I see pp, I equate that dynamic with fiowing skim milk;
p with 2% milk; mp with whole milk; mf with half-and-half; f with light cream; ff with heavy cream.
See how the images work for you as you play long tones and orchestral excerpts.
Dairy products make our sounds more beautiful; help us to use the air more efficiently; and keep our
pitches centered, projecting, and in tune. They give us more control. Often conductors ask for changes
in dynamics, nuance, and sound color. If we're conscious of the dairy-product level we're on, when
we're asked to play softer or louder, it's easy to regulate going to the next level (that is, whole milk to
2% milk, or heavy cream to light cream).

There are other images to control changes in aperture size. Por example, one might visualize different
thicknesses of pasta coming out of one's aperture (angel hair pasta for soft and linguini for loud).
One of my students liked to imagine different thicknesses of drinking straws for the different aperture
-
sizes. Milk, pasta, straws-it doesn't matter what image you pick, as long as you understand the
underlying principie. Use one of these images or crea te one of your own!
LONG TONES
Playing long tones with steady sound and intonation as we crescendo and diminuendo is one of the
most iconic, challenging exercises on the horn. In addition to the many factors involved with breathing
and breath support during a long tone, we need to perhaps focus on each of the factors in producing
dynamics one at a time. Por example, it might be helpful to notice the natural behavior of your tongue
as you get louder and softer. Notice how, immediately after articulation, the tongue may rise to actas
a baffle to the airstream to crea te a pianissimo. Then as the blowing pressure increases to crescendo,
notice how the tongue moves clown and out of the way a little. When the diminuendo starts, notice
how the tongue then rises again to lessen the force of the airstream. Because it may be hard to perceive
the movement of the tongue at first, try to get your mind's eye focused inside your mouth as you play
long tones.
You may also notice different sensations in the glottis, though I advise against consciously trying to
change the dimensions of the opening of the vocal folds.
Pinally you can work with the aperture size, and envision flowing dairy products. To crescendo, as
the blowing pressure increases, the aperture must get progressively larger to keep the pitch steady.
To diminuendo, as the blowing pressure decreases, the aperture must get progressively smaller.
Achieving this delicate coordination requires vigilance and daily practice.
It may help you to record yourself playing a long tone, and listen carefully to make sure the tone is
full and even throughout and the intonation is quite steady. Use a tuner to be aware of your intonation
as you crescendo and diminuendo. Because there are so many moving parts, we need to practice long
tones on a daily basis. After a period of conscious noticing with a high standard for quality, all of these
optimal physical movements will become automatized and reliable, and just require daily brushing u p.
Long tones are the basis of beautiful playing.
Dennis Brain was a great believer in long tones. He practiced them every day. Long tones seem out of
fashion these days. Perhaps they're not exciting enough to keep one's attention. However, almost all
of the high-level professional horn players I know practice them every day.
Controlling dynamics requires much noticing, pondering and experimenting. But, more than any-
thing, controlling dynamics takes imagination.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.

-ALBERT EINSTEIN
42 •:• Chapter 7: Dynamics

8: FINGER-BREATHING:
AN INTUITIVE ANO KINESTHETIC PATH TO EASE ANO EFFORTLESSNESS
In 2012, I attended a master class at New England Conservatory taught by Keith Underwood, who is
a flutist and breathing expert. I' d heard about him for years from flute-player friends and wanted to
experience his teaching in person.
Keith presented several "finger-breath" exercises that not only help flutists and singers but horn
players as well. These exercises streamline and reinforce all of the jaw movement, tongue shapes, and
points of articulation discussed in previous chapters.
Finger-breathing makes breathing deeper and lessens constriction inside the mouth and pharynx.
It makes tongue shapes and jaw positions more instinctive and helps us feel different points of
articulation more fluidly and keenly. In this chapter, I describe the three types of finger-breaths:
the basic finger-breath, the slurred finger-breath, and the articulated finger-breath.
When we use all the finger-breathing techniques, our natural interna! physical movements come
easily into play. The simple exercises presented in this chapter can be done away from the horn.
THE BASIC FINGER-BREATH
When you breathe in, hold the fat part of your index finger in front of your mouth and make a
low-pitched noise as yo u suck in the air. This is an old Arnold Jacobs concept that helps us releas e
tension in the mouth and throat on inhalation.
As brass players, we somehow desire to feel that we're

taking in a big breath, so we mistakenly breathe noisily.
To make an audible inhale, we have to constrict parts
of our mouth or pharynx. Try it. Take in a very loud
inhalation and feel the constriction inside your mouth.
With finger-breathing, by contrast, the low sucking sound

is produced outside the mouth. Since we're psychologically
satisfied that we're taking in a deep breath, we reduce the
constriction inside the mouth and pharynx. If we inhale
in an unconstricted way, we will exhale without constric-
tion. This alone will improve our sound. Grab your horn
and try this: Take a full finger-breath and, even though
it's awkward, hold the breath while you bring the horn to
playing position. Now play a long tone ora phrase you're
working on. Do you notice a change in your sound?
In the master class, Keith Underwood said that the less sound we make on inhalation the better. Less
sound means less constriction inside the mouth and pharynx. The unconstricted quality of the
inhalation crea tes the conditions for unconstricted exhalation, producing a freer, clearer, and more
resonant sound. Keith suggested saying the word, "heather." Notice how the mouth feels when we say
the first part of that word, "hea(ther)." Breathe in with that feeling.

Barbara Conable, noted Alexander Technique teacher and author of The Structures and Movement of
Breathing: A Primer for Choirs and Choruses, writes:
Air does not need to be swallowed, and pharyngeal muscles are not active in
bringing in air, unless their function is mismapped. Sorne singers tighten
pharyngeal muscles, believing them to be inhaling muscles, resulting in
audible inhaling because of the constriction in the pharyngeal space. When
singers correctly map the area as digestive, not respiratory, they no longer
constrict on inhalation. They inhale quietly, and as quickly as they need.
She goes on to say, "The trachea, often called the wind-pipe, lying just under the skin in the front of
our lower necks, is merely a passageway for air on inhalation .. .. Singers who comprehend this fact
fully move air cleanly in and out through the trachea using their intercostals and diaphragm." You
might want to gently touch the knobby windpipe just below the skin in the front of your lower neck.
It's basically a pipe. There's no muscle in the windpipe.
Many longtime brass players have developed a strong habit of breathing in a constricted way. By
practicing the finger-breath many times intermittently in daily practice sessions over a long period of
time, we can gradually train ourselves to use much less constriction inside the mouth on inhalation.
-=:he more we practice the basic finger-breath, the more the feeling of healthy unconstricted breathing
is reinforced and automatized. After a period of training ourselves in this way, we will develop a very
open, quiet habit of taking full breaths.
THE SLURRED FINGER-BREATH

Now place your index finger next to your mouth in the same manner as befare and inhale while trying
to produce a whistling sound of the pitches that you wish to play on your horn. Try to imitate the
sound you might hear in a haunted house-imagine the wind rushing through a broken window on
a dark and stormy night. Or you might want to mimic the sucking sound of a vacuum cleaner with
crevice tool attachment.
As we reproduce the pitches in a phrase we're practicing, with haunted whistling air, we naturally
change our jaw positions and tengue shapes. Now transfer these same sensations and changes inside
the mouth while playing the passage on the horn. With practice, you'll soon find that this technique
helps enormously by streamlining and reinforcing the natural movements we need to make in slurring
from one note to another.
Try slurring c'-e'-c'-e'-c'-e'-c'; then, c'-g'-c'-g'-c'-g'-c'.
Now try finger-breathing those pitches, then play them again on your horn. If you're doing it correctly,
your jaw will probably move up and clown slightly and your tengue will probably change shape and
position. Do you notice a difference in physical ease and sound quality when you play the pitches?
Even though the air-rushing sound is "haunted," we can get very clase to the correct pitches. You'll
find that using this technique almost forces you not only to hear the pitches clearly but to use the
correct vowels. To get the high air-rushing sound high enough in pitch, you'll probably have to use
an "ee" vowel when you go into the high register. Conversely, to get the low air-rushing sound low
enough, you'll probably have to use an "aw" vowel to hear the low register centered and in tune.
44 •!• Chapter 8: Finger-Breathing

MENDELSSOHN NOCTURNE, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
INTERNAL "FINGER-BREATHING" MOVEMENTS
orn in E
1~ E r F r
SUMMARY
These finger-breathing exercises can have an immediate beneficia! effect on your playing. Every day
when I practice, I do these simple exercises often to remind, reinforce, and make more natural all the
necessary internal movements.
Finger-breathing provides an intuitive and kinesthetic method to train our bodies to play the horn
more efficiently, easefully, and beautifully. Be creative with these techniques . Experiment with them,
play with them, and find new ways to make your practicing more effective. For visual demonstrations
of finger-breathing, view my YouTube videos, "Eli Epstein, Horn Playing from the Inside Out: Finger
Breathing," and "MRI Horn Videos: Pedagogy Informed by Science, Episode 2: The Role of the Tongue
and Jaw in Pitch Placement,"(Epstein/ Iltis).
May what Ido flow from me like a river.

- RAINER MARIA RILKE
48 •:• Chapter 8: Finger-Breathing

PART 11
M usicianship
9: RADICAL PRACTICING
The quieter you beco me, the more yo u can hear.

-BABA RAM DASS
ATTITUDE AWARENESS
Most of us have been practicing from an early age and may have developed unproductive or inefficient
work habits and attitudes. Those work habits and attitudes shape us as musicians, so it's important
from time to time to take stock of them and, if needed, reto ol. Practicing well is the foundation for
our progress as musicians. Yet we rarely talk about how to practice effectively.
But, befare we discuss practice techniques, let's take a step back and examine our self-teaching styles.
Whether we are aware of it or not, most of us have a habit of talking negatively to ourselves as we
approach practicing. Critical voices, perhaps internalized from difficult early experiences, interfere
with our joyful experience of making music, voices such as "You're not good enough," "That was
terrible," "You're never going to master this ."
Practice is about change, and change can only happen in a positive atmosphere. When a conductor
or teacher says, "That sounded terrible; you' d better shape up," we usually feel anxious and uptight.
Such criticism negatively affects our playing and attitude. But if we hear "Okay, you're doing very
well; there are just a couple of things we need to address," it sets a positive tone for us to make the
necessary adjustments.
Part 11 : Musicianship •:• 49

We must actively work to overcome the power of our inner critics. One method is to practice what
I call "becoming your own best teacher." Let's start by looking at your own life experience. Who's the
best teacher (in any subject) you've ever had? What were the qualities of his/ her teaching and person-
ality that stand out for you? How did you feel around this person?
Now, think about the worst teacher you've ever had. What were the qualities in him/ her that made
your experience so negative? And how did you feel?
If yo u could choose (and yo u can!) which teacher yo u' d want to have with you all the time, which one
would you choose, and why?
Over the years, I've asked my students to describe their teachers . They say their best teachers are
engaging, fun, rigorous, organized, patient, caring, warm, knowledgeable, enthusiastic about their
subject, and they explain things clearly. They say their worst teachers are mean, angry, violent,
apathetic, lethargic, disengaged, disorganized, boring, and impatient.
Here's the good news: You can become your own favorite teacher. As you develop attitude awareness,
think about the qualities of the best teachers described above and how you might want to change
your approach with yourself. You might even pretend that two people are in the practice room-you
and your imaginary best teacher.
To activate new, positive voices, think again of your favorite teacher. What would that person say to
you during a difficult practice session? "Hey, (your name here), that was really !
You're doing great. But let's work on improving . And this is how we're going
todo it":
Then, as you become familiar with that positive, encouraging voice, you might think to yourself, or
even say out loud, "Hey, that was pretty good. But how can I improve on what I just did? How can I
get into it more? How can I play it the way I hear it in my imagination?"
Sorne students find the following exercise helpful: Set up an empty chair opposite yours. Imagine
that your best teacher is sitting in that chair-the wise, compassionate one who listens carefully, who
knows how to put things in just the right way, who understands your strengths and your challenges.
Now, put yourself in that chair. Really. Switch seats. Pretend you are that teacher and say aloud the
kinds of statements you find helpful. Remember, it's not just about being "nice." Nice goes only so far.
SO •:• Chapter 9: Radical Practicing

The best teacher is astute, alert, and conscious of what you're doing and what exactly you can do to
improve; he or she expresses those ideas in the most efficient, positive way.
At the end of your practice session, you might want to develop a repertoire of positive phrases to
repeat to yourself, like, "It's so important that you get this. I know you can. And I'm going to help you
every step of the way. That was really good work. I'm proud of you. This isn't easy stuff and you're
really sticking with it!" Write down sorne encouraging statements to post on your music stand for
every practice session. Notice how using encouraging self-talk can help you lower your anxiety and
help you to work more effectively.
Remember, you're the only one who can work on your own attitudes. Be sure to revisit this section
every few months to see how your attitude toward yourself is progressing. It's like working a new
muscle that's underdeveloped-learning to be gentle, encouraging, challenging teachers to ourselves.
This is what empowers usas performers.
OPTIMIZING OUR WORK HABITS

How we go about developing our technique and musicianship is an area that has been oversimplified
and often overlooked. Many of us practice unconsciously and are not aware of how we work. As we
increase our awareness, our practicing becomes more efficient and effective. Repeating over and over
again "until you get it right" is an old-fashioned approach that is inefficient and counterproductive.
It helps to think of practicing as something akin to programming computer software. Every time we
play or sing anything, we're telling our brains, "This is how I want to do this every time." Have you
ever noticed that if you make a mistake once, you tend to repeat the same mistake if you don't correct
it the fi.rst time? When we correcta mistake in an immediate and effective way, our brains think,
"Oh, that's how it's supposed to be. I'll do that from now on."
When we practice, we're developing muscle memory. Our bodies have stored all sorts of muscle
memory. When we brush our teeth, pickup food with a fork, or tie our shoes, our bodies draw on
hundreds of remembered movements. Playing an instrument or singing is no different. At first,
learning an instrument may seem foreign or impossible; but after a couple of weeks, our hands,
arms, face, and feet seem to know what to do without consciously thinking about every motion.
Muscle memory gives us the ability to let go in a performance, to let our bodies do what we have
taught them so well, and enjoy the ride.
Daniel Coyle, in The Talent Code, explains this process biochemically. Myelin insulation "plays a key
role in the way our brains function, particularly when it comes to acquiring skills." This phenomenon
is based on three facts: "(1) Every human movement ... is a precisely timed electric signal traveling
through a chain of neurons-a circuit of nerve fi.bers. (2) Myelin is the insulation that wraps around
these nerve fi.bers and increases signal strength, speed and accuracy. (3) The more we fire a particular
circuit, the more myelin optimizes that circuit, and the stronger, faster and more fl.uent our move-
ments and thoughts become." The more we wrap myelin around the skills we're developing, the more
automatized our skills become.
Our mind constantly needs new angles to stay interested and attentive. The traditional notion of
practice is to repeat and repeat until we get it right. The mind hates this method! When we practice the
same passage over and over again in the same way, our mind turns off after a few repetitions and we
start making mistakes.
Part 11: Musicianship •:• 51

But, when we continuously provide our mind with new angles to loo k ata diff¡cult passage, our mind pays clase
attention. It thinks, "Something different is happening here. I better watch carefully." So, the more
we can mix things up while practicing, the more focused our mind is and the more effective and
efficient our practicing becomes.
The following sections go into more detail about:
•!• General practicing principies

•!• Physical preparation
•!• How to "work all the angles"
•!• What equipment you'll need
•!• How to infuse artistry into practice
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Keep a notebook. Enter detailed notes about what you learned in your lesson or class. You can then
refer to your journal throughout the week. You may be surprised at what you wrote!
Practice regularly. It's much more effective to practice half an hour every day than an hour every
other day. For every day mis sed, it takes two days to regain the strength and facility we had befare
the time off. Daily practice is the path to strength, consistency, and enjoyment.
-
PHYSICAL PREPARATION
Take a few minutes to unwind before a practice session. To start, try this relaxation technique,
which works for me. Experiment and develop your own techniques to achieve a relaxed feeling befare
you practice.
•!• Place your feet fl.at on the fl.oor, get comfortable in your chair, and close your eyes.
•!• Breathe in through your nose for three counts and out through your mouth for four long counts.
•!• Notice the difference between the sound of the breath coming in and the sound going out.
•!• Repeat several times.
•!• Open your eyes slowly.
•!• Leave the day's distractions behind you, and begin your practice session with a fresh mind.
Find a comfortable practice room. The room should be a place where you won't be distracted or
interrupted. Try to find a space that is not too acoustically resonant but not too dry. We need accurate
acoustical feedback in the room where we regularly play, and we need to feel comfortable there.
Practice when you are physically and mentally rested. Effective practicing takes a surprising
amount of mental energy. If we're too tired, the practice session may have a negative effect on the
other good work we've done.
Stop practicing before you get overtired. One of m y teachers used to say, "Always do 99 percent
of your physical capacity, never 101 percent." Negative habits tend to crop up and take hold if we
practice when we're tired.
52 •!• Chapter 9: Radical Practicing

Exercise! The best professional musicians I know do regular aerobic exercise. For singers and wind
players, being physically fit and toned in the abdominal area makes deep breathing and breath
support much more natural and leads to stronger sound production. Exercise is a stress reducer.
Always warm up and cool down. The warm-up reminds our bodies about basic technique on a daily
basis. The best way to stay injury-free is to perform a daily routine (like the one on page 82), which
eases us into and strengthens us for a practice session. Hand and facial muscles, and lips are small
and delicate and need to be finely tuned. Think about athletes who warm-up and cool down their
muscles befare and after an event.
WORKING ALL THE ANGLES
Play passages in s 1 o w m o t i o n the first time through. This technique is much more efficient
than running through a passage at tempo and then having to go back and correct many things. The
fz rst impression of playing a new passage is the most lasting to our bodies and brains. Use a metronome at
a slow tempo to provide structure.
Change rhythmic patterns while using a metronome. This is one of the most effective techniques
for getting our brains to pay attention.
change nn or J:J:Jj to nn or JJ. JJ.

change mm 3 3
to
3
JlJ J l J or
3
m m or
Analyze what happened. Mistakes are our learning tools. When we make mistakes, we need to slow
down, go back, and solve the problem. Perhaps we don't understand something clearly, or perhaps we
weren't concentrating carefully enough. We need to ask ourselves, "Was I singing the right pitch in my
mind? Did I breathe deeply enough? What would my teacher say in this situation?"
Stop on the note that feels unsure. This helps our minds become more definite about an awkward
leap or an unusual turn of phrase.
Sing (out loud). Try singing passages with expression befare playing them. This gives usa break,
both mentally and physically, and helps us quickly focus our mind.
Finger-breathe the passage. As described in Chapter 8, page 43, place the fat lower part of your
index finger in front of your mouth while you inhale, and crea te the desired pitches with a haunted,
fl.owing , whistling sound. This can be used in both legato and articulated passages . Then transfer the
same physical feelings and movements inside the mouth when you play the same passage on the horn.
Finger-breathing is an extremely effective tool and can give our faces a break from playing. It's an
excellent strategy to practice finger-breathing right befare a recital or audition. You may also exhale
when you finger-breathe, or whistle if this is easier for you.
Part 11 : Musiciansh ip •:• 53

Practice passages with eyes open, and then eyes closed. When we close our eyes, we hear more
keenly. Often, the notes we are less sure of can become clear. Then, we can open our eyes, revisit those
specific unsure places, and practice them slowly and carefully. We then close our eyes again and see
how we do. We can learn every passage very deeply using this process. Plus, it's an excellent way to
memorize and prepare for auditions.
Always practice mindfully. Never just "go through the motions." Play for a minute, then ponder for
a minute. Repeat.
Work sdrawkcab (backwards). Most people start practicing at the beginning of the first movement
of a given piece. Try starting at the last section of the last movement and work backwards in sections.
This technique keeps the mind interested and helps us learn each piece thoroughly. Our concentration
is usually best at the beginning of a practice session, so working backwards or from the middle
ensures that we're giving all passages equal attention and concentration. We can do this with excerpts
as well. Look at the Beethoven Fidelio example. Break the excerpt into short segments. Start with the
last segment and work backwards. The openings of Strauss's Ein Heldenleben and Till Eulenspiegel also
lend themselves well t o this method.
Beethoven: Fidelio Overture

Hom 2 in E
3.~
il EEEE1r J;l'J J 1~ t - il
5.
solo
- 11pr· lJ l r· JJ l
dolce
1 1
~~
r r F r 1F F F
~6-~ Allegro solo
p
~Jo 11
º -=
eres c.
}o 1 r·
p dolce
)¡ Jl 1 r· l Jl
54 •:• Chapter 9 : Radical Practicing

EQUIPMENT
Use a metronome. During at least 70 percent of your practice time, use a metronome to develop a
strong inner pulse and maintain a disciplined practice atmosphere. Record yourself with a metro-
neme, and notice on playback where you are ahead or behind the metronome pulse.
Use a tuner regularly. Tuners give us objective feedback about intonation (how our pitch matches
up to standard pitch) just as metronomes give us feedback about tempo and rhythm. Intonation can
be elusive and tricky. Room temperature can play havoc with intonation on all instruments. Many
professionals I work with in major orchestras constantly check their pitch on a tuner.
When playing long tones in a warm-up, check on the intonation tendency each note has. Does the
pitch go up or down when you play louder or softer? Try hearing the correct pitch in your mind before
you play it into a tuner. Often, we need to recalibrate our hearing using a reliable standard. If you
don't have a tuner, try checking your pitch with a well-tuned piano or electronic keyboard.
Use a timer. Timers help us clearly define how much time we will spend on a task. I get more done
when my time is well defined. If I know I need to work on a specific excerpt for fifteen minutes, I work
in a more focused and efficient way.
Record thyself. If we sing or play a wind instrument, our ears, mouths, and nos e are connected, so
we really don't hear ourselves in the same way the audience does. The same phenomenon happens
when we hear a recording of our speaking voice. The usual reaction is, "I don't sound like that!" The
process of learning how our playing sounds toa listener takes time, experience, and good feedback.
We want to make sure our sound is projected and clearly articulated to the audience. A decent record-
ing device can give us objective feedback about many aspects of our playing that we can't always hear
in practice. It's like having a second set of ears. You may also want to video-record yourself, especially
if you're trying to catch unwanted movements, like a chin curling up in the high register. Since it's
hard to watch a mirror and your music at the same time, watching a video after you play a passage,
can be more instructive. But, like everything, use the recording technique only in moderation.
ARTISTRY
"Listening is the most important of all musical skills" (from Return to Child-Music for People).
Refining and developing our capacity to hear more and more clearly, objectively, and deeply is a
lifelong process.
Involve the artist side of your brain. Although it's important to be analytical about technical
matters, remember, we are artists, not machines. Sometimes, a technical issue can be overcome by
singing a phrase out loud. When our brain knows what the musical goal is, it fmds a way to reach that goal.
Emulate great singers and string players. Listen to lots of recordings; go to lots of live concerts.
When working on Bach, Mozart, or Wagner, listen to vocalists sing works by those composers. See
how other artists convey the moods in these different styles.
Develop a vision of how you ultimately want to sound. What is your dream horn sound, or bass
baritone sound, or violin sound? What words would you use to describe your ideal sound on your
instrument? Ideal staccato? Ideallegato? Once you have your artistic vision, go for it!
Part 11: Musicianship •!• 55

-
Perform the impossible. The way we improve as musicians is by stretching ourselves beyond what
may seem possible. How can I make this legato as smooth as a clarinetist might play it? How can I
slur up to a high note and diminuendo like that great singer I heard? How can I sound as powerful
andas warm as Fischer-Dieskau when I play this Brahms solo? How can I make my lip trills sound
like a great soprano singing Mozart? How can the sound on my instrument become my natural voice?
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Build the foundation brick by brick. Every time we practice well, we build on every other effective
practice session. Before we know it, we've had hundreds of effective, positive practice sessions. Our
brain and muscle memory retain this excellent work, and we develop a solid, reliable, focused, positive
approach that leaves us free to express and enjoy ourselves as we play or sing.
--
"Whatever we repeat, that is what we become" -Aristotle. If we regularly infuse quality,
artistry, and gentleness in our daily practice, our playing becomes consistent, beautiful, and confident.
As W. A. Mathieu writes, in The Listening Book:
Mistakes are your best friends. They bring a message. They tell you what to do
next and light the way. They come about because you have not understood
something, or have learned something incompletely. They tell you that you are
moving too fast, or looking in the wrong direction.
Mistakes might be detailed instructions on how to take apart and rewire

physical motions, muscle by muscle. Or they might show you where you have
not heard clearly, where you have to open up the music and listen again in a
newway.
Examine a mistake as if you had found a rare stone. Run over the edges with
your tongue. Peer inside the cracks of it. Hold it up to the sun, turning it this
way and that. When you have learned what you can from it, toss it away
casually, as if you didn't expect to see it again. If it shows up later, be patient
and polite, and make a new accommodation. A mistake knows when it isn't
needed, and eventually willleave for good.
The goal is not to make music free of mistakes. The goal is to be complete in
learning, and to grow well.
56 •:• Chapter 9: Radical Practicing

10: MANAGING PERFORMANCE ANXIETY:
GOING FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE
Courage faces fear, and thereby masters it.

-MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
All performing artists experience performance anxiety at one time or another, yet the topic is rarely
discussed. In this chapter, we'll review sorne helpful strategies to manage, and even positively utilize,
the mental and physical symptoms of anxiety.
The "fight or flight" reaction occurs in almost everyone facing a stressful situation. Before we examine
what this reaction is, and what to do about it, think about what happens inside your body when you
get up to perform. Write your answer below.
A surge of adrenaline is a common physiological response to stress. Adrenaline is a hormone that

mobilizes our bodies to get away from a perceived "danger." Often, our heart rates go up. Breathing
gets shallower. Sometimes our mouths feel dry. These responses are all normal and common, and
most performers learn how to manage them. What do you do to manage a faster heart rate?
LOWERING THE HEART RATE

Paying attention to our breathing is usually the key to slowing clown a racing heart. When the body
senses danger, the heart starts pumping faster, so blood is flowing to all parts of the body. Athletes
actually benefit from the adrenaline response, but performing artists need to learn how to lower their
heart rate. Deep, measured breathing has been scientifically provento do this. Here's an exercise that
works for me:
•!• Breathe in for three long counts.

•!• Pause.
•!• Breathe out for four long counts.
•!• Repeat this a few times.
•!• Now increase the pause time.
•!• Breathe in for three counts, pause for two counts, and breathe out for five long counts.
•!• Now, increase it further: Breathe in for three counts, pause for five counts, breathe out for
seven counts .
•!• Repeat this a few times.
This practice can dramatically lower our heart rate and "trick" our bodies into thinking there is no
danger, because we're breathing so calmly.

REDUCING MUSCULAR TENSION
We all have places in our bodies that usually hold tension when we're under stress. These places
include the muscles around our eyes, our stomach, and our legs.
Here's another exercise that canease the tension in our "mobilized" bodies:
•!• Clase your eyes.

•!• Breathe in and, as you breathe out, release the muscular tension in the space between
your eyebrows.
•!• Breathe in and, as you breathe out, release the tension in the muscles around your eyes.
•!• As you deeply inhale and slowly exhale, release the tension in the following areas:
•!• The hinge of the jaw

•!• Upper and lower neck
•!• Shoulders, arms, hands, fingers
•!• Upper back, lower back
•!• Upper chest, lower abdomen
•!• Buttocks, pelvis
•!• Upper legs, calves, ankles, feet, toes
•!• Each vertebra of the spine
•!• Neck, scalp
Then, in your mind's eye, move through all the muscle groups and, as you breathe in and out, release
any remaining tension. Reducing muscular tension and lowering the heart rate through diaphragmatic
breathing pave the way to our center.
CENTERING
Olympic sport psychologist, Don Greene, PhD and performance psychologist Noa Kageyama, PhD
both advocate playing from your center. Kageyama introduces this idea:
Are you familiar with the martial arts concept of ki or chi? In Eastern
philosophy chi is described as being one's "life force" or energy. There is a
specific location in our body where the energy tends to congregate, which is
essentially our center of gravity.
This center resides a couple of inches below the navel in the middle of the abdomen. When I play from
my center I feel grounded, powerful, spontaneous and emotional.
After performing your relaxation routine, you may want to keep your eyes closed and visualize
yourself performing with great poise and ease. Mental rehearsal, when you hear yourself playing the
beginning of your solo piece or excerpt in the most ideal way, can help you get off on the right foot in
performances and auditions. For more information about mental rehearsal and centering techniques,
read Performance Success: Performing Your Best Under Pressure, by Don Greene, or Noa Kageyama's
blog, The Bulletproof Musician.
58 •:• Chapter 10: Managing Performance Anxiety: Going for Optimal Performance
With daily practice, this routine of diaphragmatic breathing, muscular tension reduction, and
centering is absorbed and assimilated in one's body and psyche. After regularly repeating this over
days, weeks, and months, the body gets used to it and and the mind becomes quiet, calm and focuses
automatically as we begin the process.
DEALING WITH A DRY MOUTH

Another common adrenaline response is dry mouth. If this happens to you, you might want to bring
a cup or small bottle of water on stage. I know a famous trumpet player who pushed a small piece of
sugarless chewing gum into a back molar. He kept his mouth irrigated by touching the gum with his
tongue during rests. Note: You might want to try this method in a rehearsal first to see how it works.
POWER POSES
Recent studies by Amy Cuddy, Harvard University social psychology professor, show that "power
posing-standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident-can affect testoster-
one and cortisollevels of the brain, and might have an impact on our chances for success. Amy Cuddy's
research on body language reveals that we can change other people's perceptions-and even our own
body chemistry-simply by changing body positions." View this video on YouTube: Arny Cuddy: Your
body language shapes who you are (TED Talk). Befare performances and auditions, try raising your arms
above your head and stretching your body. Take up as much space as possible. Hold this power pose
for two minutes. See how this affects your confidence level.
REDUCING OUR IMAGINED SENSE OF DANGER:

CULTIVATING A SUPPORTIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD OURSELVES ANO OTHERS
The way we listen to others perform is directly related to how we think they're listening to us. Are you
an attentive listener? Bored? Distracted? Critical? Supportive? Engaged?
How would you describe yourself as a listener when others perform?
Now write down the ways you would like to be lis tened to.
Do you notice a difference? Many people find that they are critical and even judgmental as listeners,
but that is not how they would like to be listened to as performers.

How can we change our attitude when we hear others perform? One place to start is to look for the
best qualities in someone else's performance. Ask yourself:
•!• Is their sound beautiful?

•!• Is there a touching turn of phrase?
•!• Do I get chills when I hear a certain passage?
•!• What qualities do I love?
•!• If the performer makes a noticeable mistake, do I tend to put them clown?
Or do you cheer them on as you might cheer on an athlete? "That's okay, that's okay. Pick yourself up
and run, run, RUN!" Developing a positive and kindly attitude toward others will spill over into a
positive and generous attitude toward ourselves. Attitude is everything. And changing our attitude
can help us relax before and during performances.
HELPFUL SELF-TALK
How do you talk to yourself before and during a performance?
-
What would be the most helpful things to say to yourself?
-
What do you imagine your best friend or favorite relative would say to you to encourage you?
What would you say to your best friend before a performance?
Whom would you most want to perform for? Your best friend? A clase relative? A little brother
or sister?
-
60 •!• Chapter 10: Managing Performance Anxiety: Going for Optimal Performance
-
How do you think they would listen to you?
If they listened with love, admiration, kindness, generosity, and warmth, how would that feel to you?
How do you recover after making a mistake? What would your best friend or favorite relative say to
you to help you get back on track?
What would you say to your best friend after she/ he made a mistake?
It might help you to imagine that you're performing for your favorite person or being, and that you're
playing for only them. They love you unconditionally. They'll encourage you and suppor t you no
matter what. When we imagine these supporters sitting in the audience smiling and enjoying our
work, we want to give our best-and we can relax more and enjoy the performance.
Here are sorne helpful statements to say to yourself to relax and achieve an optimal performance:
•!• I'm well prepared.

•!• I love this music.
•!• I will do my best, and that's good enough.
•!• I enjoy sharing my talents and hard work with others.
•!• Mistakes just show that I'm human.
•!• I'm a work in progress and I've come so far.
•!• I can do this.

DEFINING OUR PURPOSE AS PERFORMERS
A musician once said, "The more I try to impress people, the less I impress them." What is your
purpose as a performer? Write down your thoughts.
Is your purpose to impress other people or is it more about sharing your work and talent? We work
hard to get up on stage and perform, but why are we really doing it? These are questions worthy of
long-term contemplation.
DEALING WITH PERFECTIONISM

'hen we perform, many of us think we have to be perfect. Yet we all make mistakes. Most students
a:Jd professionals in the ar ts strive for perfection, and our teachers and directors keep raising the
":Jar-expecting more and better. So how do we get ourselves off the perfection hook and still feel
gooc about our performance and ourselves?
,-rite down your ideas:
What can we say to ourselves that will be encouraging, true, and beneficia!?
Randy Gardner, former second horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra, told me that sorne sports psychol-
ogists suggest creating a simple, positive phrase that can make us happy and energized to perform.
Repeating this phrase can easily shift our mindset. Gardner, who also employs deep breaths to relax,
said, "I now have a ritual of taking three cleansing breaths, repeating my 'feel good' phrase that makes
me excited to perform, then walking on stage."
A baseball analogy: A relief pitcher comes in with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, with
the game on the line. The bases are loaded and all he needs to do is get one out. He must be perfect,
or the team loses. What do you think he says to himself in such a high-pressure situation?
Perhaps he repeats a phrase to himself that excites and energizes him. Maybe it's as simple as,
"I LOVE BASEBALL!" Try to come up with a simple phrase that makes you happy and excited about
performing and/or defines your true purpose as a musician. Or try out a few phrases and see which
ones work best for you.
62 •!• Chapter 10: Managing Performance An xiety: Going for Optimal Performance
Another way to address the problem of perfectionism is to practice giving yourself permission to make
mistakes. You might say to yourself, 'Tm in a perfection-free zone," or, "Whatever happens, I'm okay,
because I am fine just as I am."
Sometimes, as performers, we wonder if our best stuff will be there when we need it-a high-stakes
audition or a solo passage in a concerto. At those times, I use this phrase: 'Tm going for beauty, not
perfection. If I go for beauty, my high level of ability and artistry will be there."
BUILDING COURAGE
Don Greene suggested in a master class I attended to build courage like a muscle and to keep a
"Courage Log." Keep a journal that in eludes every time yo u have confronted a fear in your life.
It doesn't have to be related to music. Record courageous acts like confronting a difficult landlord
about an apartment issue, or coming through when put on the spot in an orchestra rehearsal, or
taking care of your family during a crisis. After we write things down and accumulate these large
and small victories and experiences in our "courage bank account," if we're feeling insecure before
a performance, we can go through our courage log, and remind ourselves that we have already acted
courageously many, many times in our lives. It takes courage to perform on the horn, and we need
to continually remind ourselves of how courageous we truly are.
FINAL THOUGHTS
•!• Prepare your part as deeply as you can. (See "Radical Practicing.")
•!• Get a good night's sleep and take a "power nap" before a big performance.
•!• Manage your time so that you can arrive at the performance venue with plenty of time to spare.
•!• Take time to unwind before a performance.
•!• Sit quietly, feet fl.at on the fl.oor, breathe in ... pause ... breathe out.
•!• Notice if any areas of your body are holding tension. Spend a few minutes on the exercise to
reduce muscular tension. Then move and stretch.
•!• Hold a power pose for two minutes.
•!• Don Greene suggests creating an imaginary boundary, bubble or "ring of fire" around yourself.
•!• Repeat the phrases you've created that are true and comforting to you.
•!• Imagine that you are performing beautifully for your favorite person or being; imagine them
smiling as they listen to you.
•!• Play from your center.
•!• Sing every note with great emotion to remain focused and stay in your "right brain."
•!• Give yourself encouragement and support every few minutes during the performance.
•!• Don Greene suggests that when you make a mistake: accept the mistake, drop the muscle tension
that results, and get the mind back into your "right brain" by singing emotionally.
•!• Remember that everyone gets butterfl.ies. These are strategies to "get our butterfl.ies fl.ying
in formation."
•!• Managing the stress of performance takes practice and experience. Try to crea te opportunities
to perform frequently.
•!• Performing will get easier for yo u.
•!• Know that courage is not the absence of fear; courage is going on in spite of it.
Part 11: Musicianship •:· 63

-
11: AN EMPOWERED APPROACH TO ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS
Auditions, for better or for worse, are a part of any professional musician's career. In this chapter, we
-
will explore all aspects of the audition process-from preparation to completion. Early in my career,
auditions were a great mystery to me. In my junior year of college, I was one of the top horn players at
my school. Yet when I first started taking professional auditions, I never got past preliminary rounds.
After a while, I realized that it wasn't enough to play the horn well. I found out that I had to learn
my excerpts deeply enough so that they would work well "on the battlefield." I also discovered that
I needed to learn how to pace myself, deal with unexpected circumstances, and keep the focus on me.
With each audition, I learned more. I gradually started getting into final rounds, then becoming
runner-up, and eventually winning. Ultimately, I served on many audition committees and learned
even more from the other side of the screen.
To begin , let's identify the factors that are beyond our control at orchestral auditions:
•• Where we play
••• When we play
•!• What we play
•:• \ ·hat they're looking for
We need to take steps to make ourselves feel as comfortable as possible in what can be an
unpredictable situation. Therefore, it's important to identify the things we can try to control:
•:• Excellent preparation

•!• Pacing
•!• Being focused on technical and expressive techniques
•:• Having a strong inner focus
Sorne of what you read here may make more sense after you've experienced one or two auditions.
Let's start with the preparation phase.
PREPARATION
•:• As soon as a position is posted in the International Musician or other sources, send a request for
the repertoire list. Usually auditions are announced two to four months ahead of time.
•!• Practice from actual orchestral parts whenever possible so that the page format willlook familiar
at the audition.
•:• Listen to recordings of the pieces for tempi, style, and context. If possible, try to listen to recordings
by the music director of the orchestra for which you are auditioning in order to learn his/her tempi
and musical ideas. Conductors will think you're brilliant if you anticípate their musical wishes.
•!• Practice excerpts as you would practice an etude. Don't repeat them over and over even though
they are usually short. Try to keep your mind working all the angles on an excerpt. (See "Working
All the Angles" in Chapter 9, page 53)
•!• Don Liuzzi, principal timpanist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, suggests asking yourself, "What
do I love about each excerpt?" Convey what you love.
64 •:• Chapter 11 : An Empowered Approach to Orchestra Auditions

•!• Identify a few words that describe the mood of each excerpt you are working on and write them
down. For example, for the opening of Ein Heldenleben, descriptive adjectives could be "bold, heroic,
stately." For the opening of Mahler Symphony No. 1, "tender, caressing, comforting" seem fitting.
It's essential to stay in the "right-side" story-telling emotional part of our brain when performing
an audition.
•!• Practice excerpts with your eyes open, then closed. With your eyes closed, listen to your playing
carefully and see how deeply you have learned. Go back and correct what you need to learn more
completely.
•!• Memorize each excerpt. This ensures that you've learned each excerpt thoroughly and helps avoid
too much dependence on the printed page. Each excerpt should feellike an "old friend" at any
audition.
•!• Use a metronome 80 percent of the time in your preparation to develop an excellent inner pulse.
(This is an increase in metronome usage from normal preparation.) Audition committees are
looking for players with pristine rhythm and pulse, an important skill for orchestral musicians,
the best of whom subdivide all the time.
•!• Rhythm, inner pulse, and subdivision give our mind structure. Excellent pulse adds sparkle to
whatever we play.
•!• Break down the repertoire list into groups. Select three to five excerpts to practice each day. Hold
off on playing through the whole list until closer to the audition day.
•!• Identify the excerpts that you may need to work on several days in a row (for example, the third
horn part of Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3). Keep coming back to those tough technical ones in
order to deeply establish them in your muscle memory.
•!• Always start with a metronome; practice slowly at first, then faster, then up to tempo.
•!• If possible, get coaching from an experienced orchestra player who is challenging you and helping
you to reach optimal performance.
•!• Record yourself. Richard Sebring, associate principal horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
suggests this: Set aside one day in the week when you will record yourself for a short t ime playing
an audition round. Simply play through a group of excerpts without stopping or repeating any of
them. Then, do the same thing a week la ter. This will build your level of focus during each week
leading up to the audition.
PACING
Two Weeks Befo re the Audition
•!• All excerpts and the required concerto should be memorized.
•!• Continue to get coaching.
•!• Continue listening to recordings until the day befare the audition to solidify tempi, style, etc.
•!• Continue practicing 80 percent of the time with a metronome.
•!• Continue practicing five to six excerpts per day.
•!• Practice an etude along with excerpts (even for just fifteen minutes per day). Etudes keep our
playing honest.
•!• Play audition "run-throughs" in front of people you respect and who will be supportive. Tell the
listeners that you will play through the concerto exposition and five to six excerpts, and ask them
not to comment until you are finished. This will help you get used to this unusual, unresponsive
situation. Practice your relaxation and centering techniques beforehand. You can also ask your
colleagues to try to distract you with cell-phone ring tones and rustling papers to help you develop
mental toughness. Prepare to expect the unexpected.
Part JI: Musicianship •:• 65

•!• Schedule a recital during this time, if possible. It helps to play something fun in public like the
Brahms Horn Trio, Op. 40. People who do this seem to be more fluid, focused, and confident
about their approach to the horn atan audition. The short sound-bite excerpts will seem easier
after playing long Brahmsian movements.
•!• Identify the two or three excerpts on the list that are the most challenging for you (for example,
the opening of Ein Heldenleben). Practice these daily, starting slowly and getter faster, as befare.
•!• Pick a few more excerpts at this stage, so that you will cover the en tire list over the course of a
few days. Continue this three- to four-day cycle. Remember to practice in a focused way.
•!• Exercise every day to keep toned and reduce stress.
•!• Be encouraging and supportive of yourself!
The Day Befare the Audition

•!• Travel the day befare, whenever possible. It's nota good idea to travel on the day of the audition.
Travel can be unreliable and physically and mentally stressful.
•!• Make plans to be as comfortable as you can. Decide whether you prefer staying in a hotel or with
a friend.
Exercise well, get fresh air, and relax.
Practice for a shorter time than usual-justan hour or so. Limiting practice time prior toan
audition promotes good lip responsiveness and fl.exibility on the next day. By this time we have
done all the work that matters anyway.
•!• Don't get into "panic practicing." Don't play through the whole list. Practice the warm-up routine
you know so well; it's comforting. Practice a little Kopprasch, perhaps the exposition of the
concerto anda couple of the more challenging excerpts. If you've prepared well, it's all in your
muscle memory.
•!• Sing through the remaining excerpts on the list, using the appropriate vowels. Remind yourself
of the expressive adjectives you selected for each excerpt.
•!• Use finger-breathing techniques to reinforce the physical feeling of each excerpt without tiring
your facial muscles.
•!• Buy simple foods to sustain you for the next day, such as bagels, bananas, walnuts, etc. Remember
to bring bottled water.
•!• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, vinegar, or spicy foods.
•!• Befo re yo u go to sleep, visualize yourself going through the audition in a very peaceful, detached
state of mind. Close your eyes; take many deep relaxed breaths; relax every part of your body,
and imagine yourself self-possessed, breathing deeply, supporting well, and singing every note
musically, your body and mind working beautifully in synch.
•!• Tell yourself that all you need to do is the best you can, and the rest is out of your control.
•!• Get a good night's sleep.
66 •:• Chapter 11: An Empowered Approach to Orchestra Auditions

-
Audition Day
•!• Eat a normal, well-balanced breakfast. Bananas and walnuts calm us clown. Drink lots of water;
stay hydrated all day. Avoid dairy, since dairy tends to curdle in the mouth and create mucus. Use
soy or rice milk instead on your cereal.
•!• Give yourself plenty of time to travel to the venue.
•!• Upon arrival, ask the personnel manager or his/ her assistant when you can expect to play. If it's
soon, make sure you have sufficient time to warm u p. Others may be more warmed up than you
and can go a little sooner. You can always request to play slightly later.
•!• If you have a long time to wait, get out of the hall and go for a walk, read a book, or listen to a
recording you like. Don't warm up if you have to wait a couple of hours.
•!• Try to find a private place to warm up and relax, away from your fellow auditioners.
•!• Pace your warm-up so that you finish within about twenty minutes of your scheduled time, or
whatever timing feels most comfortable to you.
•!• Try to feel primed and ready to go, but not over-practiced and tired. Instead of using up your face,
sing through the excerpts with vowels and expression. Use finger-breathing techniques. These are
very effective and calming right before you have to perform. Rehearse your approach (breathe-
support-set-play). Practice slowly one or two tricky muscle memory excerpts, such as the Till
Eulenspiegel opening.
•!• Avoid talking to others beyond saying "helio" and 'Tll talk to you afterwards." People are
usually feeling stressed and competitive; this increases their negativity. Stay away from loud,
obnoxious people.
•!• I've heard people say things like, "You're using that mouthpiece??" and "You're still in school?? "
•!• This is not a friendly horn convention. Often, people who win auditions ha ve stayed detached
from others and focused on themselves .
•!• Bring earplugs and/or an iPod. Avoid listening to others warm up, and do not listen to others'
auditions. How people sound through a closed door or when warming up is not how most of them
really sound in the audition.
•!• When you're told you will play in a few minutes, empty all your slides and talk to yourself. Again:
Don't listen to the person playing before you. Plug your ears with your fingers if you have t o.
•!• Breathe deeply and talk to yourself. Remind yourself that 1) you cannot control the outcome;
2) you cannot make them like your playing; and 3) all you can do is play like you.
•!• Summon all of your strength and courage. Tell yourself, "I am self-possessed, strong, and power-
ful. I will play like me," or any similar list of positive self-talk that will have an empowering effect
on you.
•!• You've worked hard and you love musid All you need todo is to focus on the task at hand.
•!• Since there is so little we can control in an audition, it's important to "get our power back."
Stretch and hold a power pose for two minutes. Take up as much space as possible. Then sit in a
chair and go through the following relaxation/centering process:
•!• Place your feet flat on the floor.

•!• Close your eyes.
•!• Breathe in deeply and breathe out long.
•!• Relax all the muscle groups.
•!• Leave all the distraction behind.
•!• Mentally rehearse the first excerpts you will play in the most ideal way.
•!• Summon your courage.

Onstage
-
•!• When you walk out on stage, try to make eye contact with the committee if possible. This helps
make a connection with them.
•!• Planto play a few warm-up notes (practiced beforehand) to get an idea of the hall's acoustic.
•!• Make yourself comfortable and adjust the stand if necessary.
•!• Try not to feel rushed. Even though the proctor may want to move things along, remember that
you've worked very hard and have gone to sorne expense to be there. The committee can wait a
little longer to hear you.
•!• If it's noisy, wait for the noise to stop or ask the proctor todo something about it. You and the
people who are listening deserve to be distraction-free.
•!• Set up each excerpt's tempo and mood. Remember the three adjectives you used to key into
the mood.
•!• Remind yourself to breathe deeply and support well.
•!• Do a countdown in the tempo of the excerpt (4, 3, 2, 1). This helps build in structure for yourself.
•• Remember to convey what you love about each excerpt.
•:· Sing every note, musically.
•! Play from your center.
•:· Focus only on the excerpt in front of you. Try not to think about the next excerpt.
•:• Richard Sebring suggests, "Think about what you're doing, not how you're doing."
•!• After each excerpt, encourage yourself. You can expect to hear no response from the committee.
In fact, expect an eerie silence.
•!• It's your responsibility to provide emotional support for yourself. Tell yourself you are doing well.
Stay focused on what you love about each excerpt.
•!• If you feel that you could have done a lot better on an excerpt, ask if you may play it again.
Usually you will be allowed to do so. This shows that you bring your own standard.
•!• Try to keep things moderately moving along. Don't empty all your slides in between each excerpt.
Give yourself enough time to set up each new excerpt, and then go for it!
The Next Round

•!• If you are selected to play in the next round, ask when that will begin and when you can expect
to play.
•!• If it is hours away, try to get away and eat a light meal, go for a walk, rest, relax, take a power nap
if possible, and definitely do not practice. Remember, all the important practice work has already
been done.
•!• Pacing is extremely important: You'll need all the strength, stamina, focus, and energy you
have, later.
•!• Again, warm up with enough time before you have to play.
•!• Use finger-breathing techniques to focus and calm yourself.
•!• If you've be en selected for the next round, you already know the committee likes a lot of what
they've heard. You ought to feel encouraged by that. However, it's very important to recognize
that you still can't control the outcome. Try to stay completely focused inside; concentrate only
on the task at hand, as you did so well in the first round. Keep it simple!
68 •!• Chapter 11: An Empowered Approach to Orchestra Auditions

Remember, all you can do is ...
•!• Become self-possessed; summon all your strength and courage.

•!• Remember what you love about music.
•!• Communicate what you love about each excerpt.
•!• Breathe deeply.
•!• Support.
•!• Sing every note.
•!• Play from your center.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Sorne of my students have said that it helps them to bring this guide to auditions. They've said it
calms them clown, keeps them centered, and helps them focus on positive things.
Remember that the most you have to lose is a job you don't already have. And remember that the
audition winner is not necessarily the best player, but the one who happens to fit into what that
particular committee or music director is looking for on that particular day in that particular hall.
Try not to be discouraged if at first you don't succeed. Most horn players in major orchestras today
have taken numerous auditions. You might want to ask the personnel manager to solicit committee
members for comments on your playing and how you might do better next time. Their comments
might make you aware of something you need to work on. Be courteous to the committee members
when asking for comments. Although you might be disappointed about not winning the job, be
respectful about the feedback you receive. You'll go on to the next audition wiser and better prepared.
Auditioning is a challenging process, but one with which we can become familiar. I ha ve leamed from
each audition how to prepare better for the next one, what I would do differently, what I would do the
same. Although the audition process can be arduous and unpleasant and may sometimes even seem
unfair, try to realize that by going through this process, you'll develop into a better, stronger, more
focused, more disciplined, and more consistent horn player. This rigor will help sustain you through-
out your career.

12: BEYOND THE NOTES: AUTHENTIC EXPRESSION
Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If yo u don't live it, it won't come out of your horn.
They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But man, there's no boundary line to art.
-CHARLIE PARKER
The focus of horn study around the world has centered to sorne degree on technique and accuracy.
Yet, playing the correct notes is only part of what it takes to be a musician and artist. By developing
our technique, we can replace old limits with the freedom to express our feelings, our stories, and
ourselves with our audience. And once we have acquired the technical tools, we can fashion a work of
art that connects our hearts to the hearts of listeners.
Craftsmanship teaches the actor how to walk on stage and play.

But true art must teach him how to awaken consciously his subconscious creative self
-CONSTANTIN STANISLAVSKI
All musical inspiration starts out as a feeling, or group of emotions, ora story the composer wishes
to convey. Mendelssohn's Nocturne from A Midsummer Night's Dream is a love song; Beethoven's
Symphony o. 7 first movement feels like an ecstatic dance of all humankind; the opening to
Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 is a tragic and serious fanfare. Sorne music makes us want to stand
up and march, while other music makes us feel that we're witnessing great beauty.
* * *
The keys to authentic musical expression are being ah le to 1) identify the feelings behind the notes, and
2) draw from our imagination and our own personal experience to convey those feelings.
In this chapter, we will get in touch with our own basic feelings; learn about "fire energy" and "water
energy" and how they help us identify emotions in the music; and learn fi.ve specifi.c techniques to
convey genuine emotional energy through our sounds.
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH OUR BASIC FEELINGS

One strategy I use when I perform is to think of experiences in my life that I can pour into the music
I play. So, to begin, let's think about sorne basic feelings. Describe a time in your life when you felt
excited and happy:
Now, write about an experience in your life when you felt very sad.
70 •!• Chapter 12: Beyond the Notes: Authentic Expression

A time when you felt very strong and powerful:
A situation in your life when you felt angry:
A time when you felt quiet and peaceful:
IDENTIFYING THE EMOTIONS IN THE MUSIC

Now let's look at how to categorize the emotions we hear in music. It's easier t o identify the emotions
in music if we divide all music into either FIRE ENERGY or WATER ENERGY. These concepts are
presented in Return to Child: Music for People's Guide to Improvising Mu sic and Authentic Group
Leadership, by James Oshinsky.
FIRE ENERGY includes two categories of strong, fiery feelings :
Yay! Energy, which covers feelings of extreme joy, excitement, or surprise, exemplified by Handel's
"Hallelujah Chorus" from the Messiah, and ...
Hey! Energy, which covers feelings of power, anger, and assertion, as illustrated by John Williams's
"Darth Vader's Theme" from Star Wars or Holst's Mars movement from The Planets.
WATER ENERGY (also known as "oooo" energy) includes tender, warm, quiet, or wistful emotions.
Imagine holding a baby and singing a lullaby. Good examples of "oooo" energy are "Silent Night" and
Gershwin's "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess.

When we are working on a section of music, our job is first to decide if the music evokes fire energy
or water energy. Then we need to identify what kind of fire energy or water energy we're dealing with.
Is this exuberant fire energy (Yay!) or indignant, powerful, ominous fire energy (Hey!)? Here are
sorne adjectives that can help you out:
FIRE ENERGY ADJECTIVES:

Yay! He y!
triumphant alarming
joyous
exuberant
excited
surprising
conflicted
angry
assertive
powerful
--
delighted passionate
noble lusty
majestic tormented
happy fi.erce
celebrating stormy
forthright frenzied
bright agitated
rejoicing raging
exalting furious
mischievous sarcastic
buoyant violent
frolicking anguished
vigorous ominous
glorious rigorous
WATER, OR "0000," ENERGY ADJECTIVES:
innocent kind nostalgic

despairing caring elegant
tender gentle quiet
heartbroken loving suspenseful
solemn melancholy sentimental
naive sad awed
cal m prayerful gracious
seductive sacred reverent
tranquil longing eerie
exhausted sweet wistful
content quietly joyful pensive
open friendly languid
nurturing timid painful
generous mysterious
warm luminous
72 •:• Chapter 12: Beyond the Notes: Authentic Expression

SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES TO CONVEY EMOTION
Now that you've defined the mood(s) of the music you're working on, let's identify a few techniques
to help you really get into the character. How do you convey genuine feeling through your sound?
Here are five techniques that are distinct from one another, yet sometimes overlap:
•!• Emotional memory

•!• Physical/emotional body visualization
•!• Scene visualization
•!• Story writing
••• The "Magic If''
We can use these separately and also as complements to one another. Choose the techniques that you
are drawn to. Choose the ones that inspire you.
EMOTIONAL MEMORY
Only from the heart can yo u touch the sky.
-RUMI
After you identify the feelings behind the notes, ask yourself, "At what time in my life did I feel this
kind of energy or emotion?" Music reflects life. Sometimes life feels hard, t ragic, and complicated. At
other times, life is filled with beauty and simplicity. Sometimes life may feel very ambiguous and
mysterious. We may need to act with boldness at times .
In every piece of music, the composer is telling a story through song and dance, metaphorically
speaking. Our role as a musician is to breathe life into the composer's story w ith our own story.
A few years ago, I was presenting a master class to high school students in Boston. One of the students,
let's call him Harry, was a pianist who had started studying at age fourteen. Now in his senior year,
he was performing a Chopin Prelude. Harry played through the piece once, rather quickly and without
much feeling. I asked him what kind of energy he sensed in this piece. Harry said, "Oooo energy."
Then I asked him which adjectives he would pick out from the list of "oooo" energy words . He chose
"sad, painful, heartbroken." I asked him if there was a specific time when he had experienced those
fe elings in his own life. Harry looked ashen and couldn't talk. After a while, he told me his best
friend had recently been killed in street violence in his neighborhood. I asked Harry, "Do you think
it would be possible to hold on to those extremely difficult feelings and memories while you play this
Prelude one more time?" He said, "I don't know if I can do it." But he did. This time, he played much
more slowly. It was like a different piece altogether. I felt chills going through my body at the depth
of feeling in Harry's playing. I asked the class if they were getting chills too and everyone silently
nodded their heads.
.... Here's an exercise that can help you tap into your emotional memory. Remember, there's no right or
wrong in our response to music or any art form . It's deeply personal and individual.

CREATIVE EXERCISE
Choose a piece that you're preparing to perform, or one you like. Name the piece.
Now ask yourself, When I listen to this music, do I sense Water or "oooo" Energy or Fire Energy?
How does my body feel when I hear this music?
As yo u listen more, describe the particular kind of water energy or fire energy you are experiencing.
Write clown a few descriptive words that express what you're hearing. If you wish, use the word lists
on page 72, or come up with your own.
Now try remembering a time in your life when you felt the same type of energy as you described
above. When you think about that time, write clown the images, feelings, and memories that come up.
(Use words or draw a picture or both.)
When you play this music, you can think of these memories, clase your eyes, and project those
images onto the screen of your imagination-to be right there in the moment when you felt those
feelings. This activates unconscious inspiration. This is performing with emotional memory.
* * *
Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here!

-J. K. ROWLING, HARRYPOTTERAND THE SORCERER'S STONE

PHYSICAL/EMOTIONAL BODY VISUALIZATION
Let's keep going! Think about the piece you used in the above exercise. Now you're going to create a
person or character who is actually singing the music in your imagination (or you can imagine what
you yourself look like singing the music). Take a moment to identify a character you would like to use
for this exercise. Perhaps these ideas will help:
We know that people project their moods and feelings through their eyes and body language. Look
around and see if you can tell the mood of different people by observing how they hold themselves.
Do they look alert, tired, confident, content, afraid? What would your character's body language look
like while performing the music?
What would your body language look like if you were in the character of the music you were performing?
Facial expression is always a big clue about how people are feeling. What would your face and eyes
genuinely look like if you were intensely feeling the emotions in the passage you were playing or singing?
People's body language and facial expression change from moment to moment. So, as you perform,
ha ve a clear projection in your mind's eye of your changing demeanor as the music progresses.
As in the Chopin example, on page 73, Harry physically expressed those feelings of sadness, pain
and heartbreak to further get into the music. His facial expression changed as the harmonies changed.
The emotion was conveyed through his eyes as he played.
COSTUME ANO SCENE VISUALIZATION

This section is an extension of "Physical/Emotional Body Visualization." Now that you have imagined
yourself in this role of another character, ask yourself the following questions:
What is your character wearing? Describe the character's appearance in great detail, including color,
texture, and style. What do these details say about the character?

...
Now think about what the setting or environment would look like for this movement or passage. You
can create any movie set or landscape in your imagination. Are you inside or outside? Describe every
detail of what it looks like, smells like, feels like.
If the setting is indoors, what kind of room are you in? What is the lighting like? Is the room palatial
or modest? What colors do you see? Are there drapes or curtains? What textures and fabrics are there?
How does the room feel? Warm? Rich? Dark? Cold?
What time of day is it? Is it dawn? Dusk? High noon? Midnight? 3:00a.m.? What season of the year
is it?
Go deeply into the history of the setting. What ghosts live there? What's the general "vibe"?
What's the story of this place?
After you have completed these exercises, you can apply this technique to your next performance. As
you prepare to perform, take a few minutes to get comfortable, clase your eyes, and imagine yourself
as the character in costume and in the setting that you've put so much care into creating.
When I perform Mendelssohn's Nocturne, the scene is outside; the sun is setting and the clouds are
pink and orange. They look as if they're embracing the entire world. There's a gentle breeze. I feel so
comfortable, embraced, loved, and loving. All is right with the world. Lave envelops all.

STORY WRITING
Now that you have the character and setting clearly defined, make up a story about this piece of
music. Infuse as much detail as possible; use all the senses-sight, sound, smell, touch, and tempera-
ture. Use as much feeling as you can in writing your story. Use measure numbers in your description.
Here's a portion of an example written by one of my college students:
The camera slowly lowers clown on a man in medieval dress walking through
the forest. The camera starts very far away in the sky and as it gets lower, the
man and his surroundings come into focus. This happens in bars 1-5 of Claude
Debussy's Premiere Arabesque. Just before bar 6, the music slows for a ritar-
dando. At this moment, the man stops abruptly in his tracks; an exotic pink
fl.ower catches his eye. He begins to remember the only woman he ever loved.
Flashes of memories they had together appear in his mind, fl.owing continu-
ously from one to the next (measures 6-13). In bar 13, his heart begins to beat
faster and faster as he thinks about her more: this is characterized by an
acceleration in the music. The ritardando just before bar 17 shows the man
taking a slow, deep breath to calm himself. He returns to thinking about her,
in bar 17, and at bar 19, his thoughts suddenly turn darker...
Many students have reported that when they have a clearly defined storyline and follow it as they
perform, they get into the music more deeply, and it becomes more enjoyable to share with people.
STANISLAVSKI'S "MAGIC IF"

As you can see, if we don't have an emotional memory ora frame of reference about a certain piece
we're going to perform, it is helpful to go into the realm of the imagination and make up a character.
Sometimes writing a detailed biography of a character helps us get a clearer picture of how the
character would look and express him/herself. Stanislavski invented the concept of the "Magic If,"
which basically means that we ask ourselves, "If I were a specific character in a specific situation,
what would I be thinking or feeling?"
For example, a few years ago, I was conducting a wind and brass sectional on Shostakovich's Fifth
Symphony at New England Conservatory. The students were playing proficiently, but it lacked the
brutality and strength that I believe Shostakovich intended. So I said to the group, "If we're perform-
ing a piece by Shostakovich and he's portraying a brutal dictator like Stalin in his music, then we
might need to use the 'Magic If.' That is, if yo u were a brutal dictator, totally self-absorbed, ruthless,
paranoid, without conscience, how would you feel? How would you look? How would you hold your-
self physically? What would your general attitude be? How would you open a door? How would you
entera room?" When we use the 'Magic If,' we can get into characters and roles that are not in our
true nature. It can be fun to play an evil person. When the students took on this evil persona,
the sound of the group was frighteningly brutal, assertive, and powerful.
Before you start to perform, relax your body and mind; get into character; imagine as many details
about what it might be like to be that person. Then, begin.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Experiment with each of the five techniques discussed in this chapter: Emotional Memory, Physical/
Emotional Body Visualization, Costume and Scene Visualization, Story Writing, and the "Magic If."
One technique ora combination of techniques might work best for you. Choose whichever you are
drawn to. Or you may find a particular technique might work best for a particular piece you're
performing. Ask for feedback from your family or friends in the audience.
When we use these techniques and go deep within ourselves, the music we perform becomes personal
and spontaneous . Each performance is infused with creative emotional expression that moves
listeners on the heart level.
When we express ourselves on the heart level, an amazing and spontaneous connection occurs
among the composer, the performer, and the audience. It's almost like the composer and performers
are saying to the audience, "I know you very well; you are just like me." And, when they applaud, the
audience may be saying to the performers and composer, "Thank you so much for understanding me."
78 •!• Chapter 12: Beyond the Notes: Authent ic Express ion

PART 111
Power Warm-Up and Daily Exercises
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is notan act but a habit.
-ARISTOTLE
Developing and practicing a salid daily warm-up routine may be one of the most important actions
we take as performers. Since it is the one routine we may follow every day, year after year, our
warm-up should have all of the components we need to strengthen, maintain, and keep vital our
physical and mental approach to the horn.
Sorne teachers suggest that you come up with your own warm-up routine. That approach has merit,
but it also has a downside. For example, it worries me that sorne brass players have gotten away from
playing long tones. The components of the following warm-up are tried and true. The exercises in
this section provide a time-efficient way to build consistency, strength, control, range, and beauty
of sound.
I suggest that you practice the Power Warm-up every morning. Practice the warm-up with a metro-
nome and tuner. Over many years this will help you develop a strong inner pulse and discerning ears.
I think you'll find that after a few weeks of utilizing this daily warm-up, you will develop extra
strength and stamina.
Be conscientious about starting notes and sound quality. Since 80 percent of orchestral playing
involves simply starting notes and producing a beautiful sound, the more quality yo u build into
your warm-up, the more quality you will cultivate in your performing.
Stand in front of a mirror. With daily mirror practice, we can check for unwanted movements creeping
into the embouchure. As long as we have that visual feedback, weird embouchure movements won't
get entrenched, and healthy habits will be reinforced. I find that after warming up in the standing
position, my sound production feels easier and my support is stronger and more automatic when I sit
clown for a rehearsal or concert.
Part 111: Power Warm-Up and Daily Exercises •:• 81

-
Like a weight lifter, resting for a few minutes after each exercise is important for gaining the most
strength. Only continue when your facial muscles feel primed and ready to go. The Power Warm-up -
......
can be used on tours and vacations, when a minimal amount of practice time can help you maintain
strength and basic technique. -
......
I've included a short warm-up for getting poised to play later in the day (or if you're in a traffic jam
and only have ten minutes to get ready). I always do a warm-up befare playing later in the day. I've
heard of sorne players who have incurred facial injuries when they've picked up their horn to play
something short but strenuous after not playing for hours.
....
A healthy daily warm-up can help us reduce the incidence of overuse syndromes and embouchure
dystonia issues that plague an alarming number of brass players. ....
Warm-down or cool-down exercises are included to play after the last session of the day. They help
our lips and faces feel supple and responsive the next morning.
POWER WARM-UP ANO DAILY EXERCISES
l. BUZZING
Buzzing helps us ftow the air in a healthy and strong way. It also helps strengthen the embouchure
and trains us to listen to our inner sense of pitch. Buzzing helps us get the cobwebs out first thing
in the morning.
•!• Play each line three times. For pitch reference, you may want to simultaneously buzz and play
the pitches on a keyboard.
•!• It's a good practice to finger-breathe this exercise befare you buzz, then transfer the natural jaw
position changes when you buzz (see Chapter 8, page 43).
•!• Initially try buzzing with the lips alone. (If you find it difficult to buzz without a mouthpiece,
skip to buzzing with the mouthpiece.)
•!• Next, buzz the pattern with the mouthpiece.
•!• Finally, place the mouthpiece on your horn and play normally.
Let the elevators help you increase air speed as you ascend (by incrementally raising the jaw) and
slow the air speed as you descend (by progressively lowering the jaw). Try to play all seven bars in
one breath. This will help increase your breath capacity and improve your air-use efficiency.
-
82 •:• Buzzing
Hom in F J. =50
3
~~ ..~ HJ HJ JJJ JJJ JJJ JH d.

1 1 1 1 1 1
1
1 1
=11
(play 3 times)
3
1
1 ! =11
3
~- gg;lg;JI;;J l;;gl;gglggglg_ 1
1 1
=11
3
1 1
1 =11
3
1 1
1 =11
3
1
1
1 =11
i: M#1 3
@# # JJJ J J J J JJ JJJ JJ J J JJ J.
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 : 1
~ JJ J 1J JJ l:l H 1J :JJ 1:JJ J 1J JJ 1 J. 1 ' s =11

Rest a few minutes
Part 111 : Power Warm-Up and Daily Exercises •:• 83

-
11. LONG TONES
Playing daily long tones has long-term benefits: We develop excellent breath control; a round, clear,
-
centered sound; and stable pitch as we change dynamic levels. The more quality we infuse into long
tones, the more we get out of them. A famous principal horn player calls them "quality tones."
•!• Begin the first half note with the breath alone. To have a clear breath attack, you must use the
correct vowel so that your oral cavitation is optimal to produce the right air speed.
•!• Start the second half note and long tone with the articulation, but use the air with exactly the
same feeling as the breath attack.
•!• Take care that the beginnings of all the notes are soft but firm. Use the mantra: "breathe, support,
set embouchure, play."
•!• Don't continue until you have played three secure beginnings in a row. A large percentage of what
we do in an orchestra involves starting notes. This and other exercises in the warm-up help us get
more comfortable with that.
•! On making a crescendo and diminuendo, keep the pitch steady. Never let the intonation go sharp
or fiat. Watch a tuner carefully when playing long tones.
•!• ncrease blowing pressure to get louder; decrease blowing pressure to get softer.
•!• Control the aperture size by visualizing dairy products (or another strong image) increasing in
thickness as you get louder, decreasing in thickness as you get softer.
•!• Coordina te the changes in blowing pressure with the changes in aperture size.
•!• Remember that the tongue and glottis will naturally act as baffies for soft playing. Notice how,
immediately after articulation, the tongue may rise to lessen the intensity of the airstream to
crea te a soft dynamic. Then as the blowing pressure increases to crescendo, notice how the tongue
moves down and out of the way a little. When the diminuendo starts, notice how the tongue
then rises again to lessen the force of the airstream. (See chapter on Dynamics, page 39.)
•!• Play the first and second sections on F horn, and the last high section on B-flat horn.
•!• Use a metronome.
84 •:• Long Tones

~=80 haw thaw skim milk whole milk cream buttermilk buttennilk cream whole milk skim milk 2
mp mp p
..___. .____. ...__...
mp mf f
---- ...._.., .___...
mf mp
------p
haw thaw 2
~ #J - 1
#J 1
#J:it:!iJ:iJ±!iJ:iJ:!ittJJ
haw thaw 2
~j
z
- 1
J - 1 f;¿J------
l j J lj J
____.. .._.. ..._.... ...__
;::>"
lj._........J
.._..-
1
l
haw thaw 2
~d 1 ~w 1 ~w ZJ
._...
I]J ;;- --
~ ------- liJ._ _...
~J
~ ._____... ...___.
..._,
11W d 1
haw thaw 2
~ qJ J----J-----rw----J------rw J rw J
;;> ;;> ;;>
1 J 1
..._... ..__.. .._..,
--- huh thuh 2
~j 1 j - IJ -__..- --- fi?IJ fi?IJ---J

fi?IJ ..._... ~ ..___.... ._____
huh thuh 2
~ #J 1 #J 1 #J
huh thuh 2
~J 1 J 1 J§J ]J§) ]J§J ]~ ~

huh thuh 2
~ ,w 1 ,w 1 ,J 5f?IjJ ::;Tl~J 5f?Ijw :Jw

huh thuh
2
JJI:j~j~J_J
~
j 1
j 1 1
1
huh thuh 2
~ ~r 1 ~r 1
~r ?Ff31r 1f?Dr J1f?Dr =tr
tseh 2
tseh
1
11
========- Rest for a few minutes until
you feel ready to continue.
Part 111: Power Warm-Up and Daily Exercises •:• 85

•!• Por the low set of long tones, be aware that as you go clown in register, air speed needs to become
progressively slower so that each note centers well.
•!• Control the air speed by using the elevators: the jaw descends incrementally for each lower note.
•!• You might want to visualize an ordered wrench set on a pegboard; each wrench opening is
slightly larger than the one before.
•!• Por easeful responsiveness, visualize the "monkey face" and "bulldog" images found on page 14.
•!• Por se cure beginnings of lower notes, lightly brush the back of your upper lip when you say "thaw."
thaw sk:im milk whole milk cream bunermílk bunermilk cream wbole m.ilk skim milk
i haw thaw
! qJ - ..._.------ .__..-
thaw
thaw
- ,- -- - -- -----
1 J__:_J_!J_:J_!l_~J_!J_J
thaw
tha~v
thaw
________ __.__....
~d l,d ~dJd___JdJd___Jd_Jd___Jd_Jd
thaw
lg
'i 1 J ~J fg zJ fd zJ fg J 11
Rest for a few minutes until
you feel ready to continue.
•!• Por the high set oflong tones, begin the first notes with the breath alone.
•!• Be sure you're thinking the right vowel for the breath attacks.
•!• Keep airflow at a constant rate (fast) even during diminuendos. If the pitch drops off to the
harmonic below at the end, the air speed has become too slow.
•!• Keep each pitch steady by singing the vowel and pitch in your mind throughout the long tone.
•!• "Tseh" (crevice) means that the tongue releases right below the place where the two front teeth
meet the gum line for optimal initial air speed. (See articulation chart on page 31.) Mentally
thinking and mouthing "poo" helps us form the aperture into an optimal shape before starting
high notes.
•!• In the high register, it helps to visualize the aperture gripping something round and narrow
(like a pencillead), supporting strongly, and applying blowing pressure using a focused, laser-like
air stream.
86 •!• Lo ng Tones
skimmilk whole milk cream buttcrmilk buttennilk cream whole milk skimmilk
~
poo tseh (crevice) 2
h•h
r
mp
1
mp
r 1
p
rfi31(7f?PrfJf?lr-r
mp 1 mf mf mp p
1
1
heh poo tseh (crevice) 2
~ Dr 1
ªr - 1 # Or 1
1 1
1
tseh (crevice) 2
~
poo ~ -~ -~
h•h
r 1
r 1
r ~ 1 ~ ~ 1 ~ ~ 1 ~ ~ 1
1
heh poo tseh (crevice) ~~~ 2
~ IT 1
IT - 1
l,r?r?J5F!F?r?l!r?r?J5F!F?r
hee poo tee
~ -~~- 2
~ gr 1 r 1 ~ ~ 1 ~ ~ 1 ~ ~ 1 ~ ~
~ h~
poo te e
/-------------- ~ -~- 2
r 1 r 1 r r r r r r r r
1 1 1 1
1 1
1
hee poo tee ~~ - ~

2
~ Ü[ 1
Ü[ 1
ü(l?Jl?t7Pt9t7J?t?t
hee poo te e
~~~- -
~r 1
r 1
r r r r r r r r
1 1 1
2
~he e poo ~te e ~~~
~ r 1
r 1
~É~Er-----¡fÉ~É~É~ff-----¡fE~E
1 1 1 1
2
OPTIONAL:
he e poo te e ~~~---
~r 1
r 1
r r r r r 1 1
E 1
r r 2
he e poo
~~~( ~~~~~~~~
~tee
~~ ~
2
~ 1 1 1 1 1 1
1
Rest for at least five minutes; only

1
11
continue when your face feels ready,
Part 111 : Pow er Warm-Up and Daily Exercises •:• 87

111. FLEXIBILITY
Remember to use faster air speed for the ascending whole steps. Whole steps are not for free!
•!• Finger-breathe each exercise befare you play it (see Chapter 8, page 43) .
•!• Be conscious of jaw positions in the mid-low range and tongue movement for upper notes,
changing the air speed as you go from note to note (by subtly raising or lowering your jaw
and/or tongue). See how little you need to use your facial muscles if you use your jaw positions
and vowels.
•!• Allow the air stream to open the aperture as you go clown in register.
•!• To expand the high register, you may transpose this exercise progressively higher, half-step by
half-step.
88 •!• Flexibility
J =46
Jaw Positions
3 3 3 3 1 3 1 1 -1 -2
j tseh heh hee hehheeheh heh 1mh heh huh thuhhehheh lmhhehhuh huhhaw huh haw thaw thaw thaw 2
~~ r~!iV 11@!!~;1; *lg 11~.1

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 1 -1 -2
j ~ tsehheh huh heh huh tln.lh haw huh haw thaw thaw thaw 2
~~~" r~JI~JIJ*Igtl~.l
2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 1 2 1 1 -¡ -2
J tlmh. <wO boh "'"" how Ooh bow iliow iliow "'" 2
~~~· r~!!fDJIJ~JIJ llg *1~. 1

3 3 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 -1 2 -1 -2 -2 -3
~ • ~ '"""'"" ''"'' Oow <•oh Oow <bow """ Mw "'" iliow ""w <Oow 2
= # @~~JIJi!:~glg llgtl~.l
& 3
iliob Ocl> hohOohO«O
3 2
how
3 2
""""'" ''""""
2 2 3 2 3 2
bow
2 -1 2 -¡ -¡
"""
-1
iliow
-,
<O.w 2
~~~v @!~w 1J~~J 1J 11g11~. 1
J• thuh
3
heh huhhehhuh
3 1
haw
3
huh haw
1 1 2 3 2
huh huhhawhuh
3 2 1 -¡ 1 -1 -¡
thaw
-2
thaw
-,
tbaw 2
~ ~j le::::_g_!glg ll~ l l;. l
Part 111: Power Warm-Up and Daily Exercises •!• 89

IV. SCALES
•!• Make the beginning of each note clear and distinct by using the appropriate vowel syllable and
by releasing the front compression of the tongue from the optimal points of articulation.
•!• In the high register, feel the front compression of your tongue going up the little staircase inside
your mouth as you ascend, and going down the stairs as you descend. Finger-breathe with
articulation before you play scales, to reinforce the tongue's vowel shapes and points of release
(see Chapter 8, page 43).
•!• Give shape and expression to the scales like a great vocalist.
•!• Lead with the air. Feel the air going faster as you go up and slower as you go down.
•!• For the low quarter notes at the end of each pattern, set the embouchure by thinking "monkey
face" and "bulldog" to move the jaw down and forward and make the aperture round.
•!• For the high quarter notes at the end, set the embouchure by mouthing "poo." Use strong
support and blowing pressure for the ff quarters.
90 •!• Scales
-
•1 60-76 thaw thuh tha~ ~ ~
'~ !ll = ggJJ]Ji!JJJJJg'll ;BJJ]J;¡j~JJjjJI J * J * 1J * - 1

m,f thaw thuh thaw thuh tseh thuh ff ff
' jf•a~ 1 = WJJJMJaaull ;BJJ1JW~JJJJJI J* J*1J*- 1

mf thaw ff ff
'j~~gJJJJmiWJJJJJ'II ggJJJmMJOJJIg*j * lj * - 1
'~.~!~JJJJM8JJJJII ;¡¡J;JPOOJJJJI J*j *lj * - 1
' j"~!~ JJJJJ1J@J:UJII JJJJJ1JcE[rWJJgl J *j * lj * - 1
' ~~!. JJJJJJ]oQ;JJlll JJJJJilttrrjJ)JiJ *) * 1; * - 1

'j#~l~l}f.IJJ--JJJJI I JJJJHitrfrBJjlJ *J* IJ* -
' 11=
m,f
1ww=lWwrwJJJIIJJJJ1WecbriDJI 1 *ff1 * 1ff1 * -
'~~~~u#~~~JJJJMUWJJJ=II JJJJMcEFr?!JI 1 *J* IJ * - 1
Part 111 : Power Warm-U p and Dail y Exercises •!• 91

-.....
~ ~011, JJifJgrrutJffl:ll JJifJgrrrFrMJ1 a* a* 1a* - -

~ ff ff
~ ~~·11: SDgg¡UtFJDJ,II Jlgg¡crErfflJ1 w t w * 1w t -

~ ff ff
i ~ # ~ tee poo tee poo tee
~ o•11, JJg¡mWJ:II mur* 1r i ri 1ri r i 1-

mf PP PP ff ff
i ~ ~ tee poo tee poo tee
~ ~ 11= w:wcrr:rrrcr-m=ll JlgUF 11r 1 r 1 1r 1 r 1 1 -

mf PP PP ff ff
~ ~ ~ ~ tee poo tee poo tee
td $~ '~~ 11= JkafCFet-rn=ll JlgUF 11 r 1 r 11r 1r 11 -

~ mf PPPP ff ff
g ;wg&Hrru,ll tl'h:m:rr *~ il * ~ ,fr *

~ tee poo tee poo tee
5
1 1 -
tee poo tee poo tee
mf
r, 1r, r, 1 -
~ tf,~ll' grsrPECEErrm,ll Ebfgrtr, 1r *
PP PP ff ff
) PTIONAL: tee poo tee poo tee
~ ~""11' grsrcrtrrrb,ll EbfgUf, 1r, r, 1r, r i 1 -

~ tee poo~ po~ ff ff
~ ~1'11: g¡rcrttrrr¡y:u msrcrt i 1r: ' r: i 1r: * r: i 1 -
~ PPPP ffff
tee poo tee poo tee
~ ünllu 11: wrrbfLEl¡g:ll msrPfL *1L * L * 1L * L t 1 -

~ tee poo t; ; ;o ;:; ff ff
~~~, g~E[flbtcrsrll arrrHE t 1

,-{!
Et Et 1ffE*ffE* 1 - 1
pp pp R~st before continuing
11!:f wtth your practtce sesswn
or rehearsal.
-
92 •:• Scales
The Short Warm-up
l. For a 15 minute warm-up later in the day, start with this slurred scalar exercise. Feel the flow of
the air and be conscious of jaw positions and vowels helping you change registers.
3 3
3 J
II. Then play these flexibility exercises using good airflow and clear jaw and vowel use. Play smoothly
with strong support and a healthy mf sound.
Use different valve combinations on the F horn (0,2,1,12,23)
U"
III. Repeat the scales from the long warm-up.
Part 111: Power W arm-Up and Daily Exercises •:• 93

-
-
V. COOLING DOWN
Cooling down for a few minutes at the end of each day will help your lips feel fresher and more
responsive the next morning.
Play the following "Flexibility Run" slowly at first and with a full sound. Play ten times using J
different dynamics and tempi. Always play with great smoothness. Use the elevators (jaw positions).
(Aftcr Horncr)
Horn ín F 1
o 3 o 3 o 3 o 3 3 3 o 3030 3030
Play thís excrcise lcgato tongued (use thaw). Repeat two-three times.
PIa> moothl} and with full sound. Rcpeat ad lib. Play an octave lowcr to finish.
jgJ 11
94 •!• Cooling Down

PART IV
Orchestral Excerpts: Applying the Principies
The aspects of the method presented in this book were developed in response to technical issues in
the orchestral repertoire. It's not enough to simply understand these principies intellectually. Real
change happens when we apply the principies and bring them into our approach and mus ele memory.
In this section, I describe how I approach each excerpt in terms of practice, technique, and artist ry.
Often, the categories overlap.
For expediency, I present a "methods staff" above the music staff. Over each note of music are
suggestions for naming the appropriate vowel and elevator ftoor (jaw position), along with a diagram
of the approximate point of contact for articulation. This point is represented by an "x" on what looks
like a small six-line staff with one darkened line. The darkened line represents the "tseh" or crevice
place, which is the point at the top of the two upper incisors just under the gumline.
For example, if an "x" is on the lowest line, it means that the tongue (saying "thaw") lightly scrapes
the bottom of the two front teeth. An "x" on the second-from-bottom line indicates a point of
articulation slightly above the bottom of the two front teeth (when we say "thuh"). An "x" directly on
the darkened line designates tonguing in the crevice place (by articulating with "tseh"). An "x" above
the darkened line specifies articulating above the crevice place on the alveolar ridge (when we say
"te e" or "de e").
These are approximate points, meant only to guide, not dictate. What's important is that the points
of contact provide reliability and are relative to one another. That is, as we go higher in register, we
need to articulate higher in the mouth and use the appropriate vowel to increase the initial speed of
the air. Scraping the bottom of our two front teeth ought to be the lowest point at which we ever
articula te. Note that the vowels correspond always to Horn in F. (For example, written e" in a part
marked "Horn in/\' becomes e" when transposed. Therefore, the corresponding vowel would be "tee"
or "dee.")
Part IV: Orchestral Excerpts •:• 95

If you're having issues with part of an excerpt, you might want to focus on one aspect ata time on
the "methods staff." For example, you could start with focusing on the vowels, then go back and
concentrate on articulation, then on jaw positions, to find which particular method or combination
helps salve the issue.
This practica! application of all the principies will help you understand how they work together.
Although they may seem cumbersome at first, you'll find that after a while, you'll be able to smoothly
harmonize them. Excerpts are especially good candidates for finger-breathing, a kinesthetic technique
to reinforce all these natural movements inside the mouth (see Chapter 8, page 43). Many of my
students have expressed that the true value of this method becomes most evident when they begin
playing regularly in professional orchestras.
You may want to download Eli Epstein: Orchestral Excerpts for Low Horn (iTunes) to listen to my
performances and commentaries on several of the following excerpts.
.J
-
-
-
-
-
-
96 •:• Applying the Principies
-
BACH BRANDENBURG CONCERTO NO. 1,
BWV 1046, MOVEMENT 4: TRIO, HORN 1
PRACTICE
•!• Befare you begin, be warmed up in the high register. Play scales incrementally up to e"'.
•!• Practice very slowly at first to clearly identify the optimal articulation points of contact.
•!• Change the written 8 th-note rhythm to the dotted 8th and 16th note practice pattern to learn the
articulation points more deeply.
TECHNIQUE
•!• Place your open right hand with straight fingers far into the bell. This creates a descant-like
throat size that makes high notes easier and better defined.
•!• Take a huge breath and support as if playing the e'" when you begin.
•!• Feel the air fiow over the tongue especially in the 16th note passages . This will make your tongue
move faster.
•!• Be conscious of the optimal points of contact for the tongue, especially for the high notes. Even if
you're fatigued, if t he front compression of your tongue comes back from the optimal place for a
e'", and you use the syllable "tee," the note will come out.
•!• Tongue the h igher notes harder be cause they're more resistan t.
•!• It may help to finger the e'", T23. Try it! (The intonation is lower than TO.)
•!• If you are double-tonguing the 16 th notes, make sure that you stay faithful to the correct vowels
(for example, in measures 7-8 sing, "tee tsehkee tee tee tsehkehtsehkeetsehkeeteekeh"). Finger-
breathe with articulation to make this feel more natural. We can use multiple articulations
(t-k-t-k-t-k-t-k-t or d-g-d-g-d-g-d-g-d) while inhaling. Try it!
•!• Bring the front compression of the tongue back quickly for clear, bright articulation.
ARTISTRY
•!• Try to think of the Trio in one beat per bar for longer phrasing.
•!• Respect the "hypermeter." The Trio can be thought of as a series of four-bar phrases. Think of
the first and third bars as the "strong" bars and the second and fourth bars as the "weaker" bars.
Go to the first and third bars, and come away from the fourth bar. This will give a natural are
to the phrases . Awareness of the hypermeter lends a more dance-like quality to the Trio.
•!• Energy: Yay!
•!• My adjectives: dancing, exciting, exuberant, positive, energetic.
•!• Your adjectives:
98 •:• Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1

Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1, BWV 1046: Movement IV. Trio 2
Hom 1 in F
Point ofArticulation
Floor: 3
Vowel: tee tee tee tee tee tee tseh tee tee tee tee te e tseh tee tseh tee te e tseh tee tee tseh tee tee tee tseh tseh tseh te e tseh tee tee tseh
3
tee tee tee tee tee tee t~eh tee tee tee tee tee tseh tee tseh lee tee lseh lee tee lseh tee tee tee tee tee t~eh
17
3 2 3
tseh tseh tseh tee tseh tee lseh tseh tee tee tseh tee tseh lseh th uh te e tee tseh lee tee tee tee tee tee tee
3 2 3
tseh tseh tseh tee tseh tee tee tee lseh lseh tseh tee tseh tee tseh tseh tee tee tseh tee lseh tseh thuh tee tee tseh tee tee
31
3
tee tseh tee tseh tseh tseh tseh tee tseh
Menuetto da capo
al Fine

-
-
BEETHOVEN FIDELIO OVERTURE: HORN 2 --
PRACTICE
•!• Be aware of the vowels, jaw positions, and points of front compression of the tongue.
-
•!• It's important to develop the tongue's muscle memory ata slow tempo.
•!• Practice backwards, starting with the last five notes, then adding the measure befare, then
two measures befare that and so on. (See Fidelio example in the Radical Practicing chapter
on page 54.)
•!• Make su re you know the tempo relationship between the Adagio and Allegro. Quarter note
of the Adagio usually equals a whole measure in the Allegro.
TECHNIQUE
•!• I like to finger f#' Tl2. Forme, the m horn fingering is more secure than the F horn fingering.
I push in the first Bbslide (Tl) a little. This makes f#' in tune and the half step from e" to d#"
a little narrower.
•:• On the slurred parts, I like to aspirate each note with an "h" sound (tseh-hee-heh-heh-heh-heh-
hee .. This provides greater control and keeps the slurred notes exciting and energetic.
•!• Try finger-breathing or whistling measures 45-46. The haunted air-rushing sound should be well
in tune. Transfer the inner mouth movements when you play on the horn.
•!• On the last five notes, shift down jaw positions lightly and with facility. Be sure to use a lower
basement jaw position for each of the last three notes.
ARTISTRY
•!• Think of the p dolce as very soloistic and projecting, like how a principal oboist would play.
•!• Play the dotted quarter notes long, as if playing a down bow, and then two up bows on the
following 8th and quarter notes.
•!• Crescendo as you go down the last five notes, so it doesn't sound like a diminuendo (since lower
notes naturally don't project as well). Those notes can sound like a bass baritone laughing.
•!• My adjectives: joyful, delighted, extremely happy.
100 •!• Beethoven Fidelio Overture: Horn 2

Beethoven: Fidelio Overture: Adagio-Allegro, mm. 45-55
Hom2inE
Poinl o Articulation
-------
Floor: 3 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 3333 333
Vowei:tseh huh thuh tseh thuh thuh tseh thuh thuh tseh hee heh heh heh heh hee
Adagio 5 Allegro solo
p erese_ p do/ce
3 3 3 3 3 2 - 1 -2 -3
tseh hee heh heh tseh thuh thaw thaw thaw
4

BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 3, OP. SS, MOVEMENT 3, TRIO: HORN 2
PRACTICE
•!• I prefer to play almost everything in this excerpt on the B~ horn for clarity of articulation (except
for the first two notes of the trio and [low] B~s).
•!• Unless you have an unusually fast single tongue, I suggest using double-tonguing on the 8th
notes, since one never knows how fast a conductor will take this in performance.
•!• Notice that the 8th notes are not staccato. This is to our benefit, because the longer we play those
notes, the more projecting they become (longer notes sound louder).
•!• Slowly slur Trio measures 175-177. We keenly feel the air fl.owing as we slur those notes. Remember
to use correct vowels, aspirating them with "h's" ("thaw, huh, haw, haw, haw"). Now slowly slur Trio
measures 182-185. Use the slurred finger-breath on these measures. Note changes in jaw and
tongue position.
•:• .·itb a metronome, progressively go faster notch-by-notch and keep the same clarity of the
s.urred 8th notes in those two passages. Try to always make the 8th notes prominent, even when
s:urring, by supporting strongly, increasing the blowing pressure, and visualizing fl.owing dairy
?roducts and/or thick pasta to keep the aperture optimal.
•!• \ 'ben you're up to a reasonable speed, add articulation while fl.owing the air stream in the same
way. Make sure that you use the correct vowels on the 8th notes and quarter note ("thuh-kaw-
thaw") so the air speed is optimal. Finger-breathe with articulation.
•!• Each day, start slowly with slurring and build tempo incrementally. Always strive for clarity of
-
sound on every note. The triple meter is challenging to keep precise. When it's accurate, the
ensemble of the three horns becomes facile, beautiful, and exciting. Use a metronome that plays
very quick quarters.
TECHNIQUE
•!• Although I hear many students putting a big space between the first pickup quarter note and the
next downbeat, I've hardly ever been asked to do that. I suggest playing the rhythm straight
from the second ending in tempo. Although I learned the other way from my teacher in the early
1970s, I have almost always been asked to play the rhythm strictly in time.
•!• I set my embouchure for the first note by thinking "monkey face" and "bulldog." This helps me
drop my jaw and have a good aperture shape to start the first notes easily and clearly.
•!• The sforzando is produced with a pulse of air while visualizing heavy cream to make the aperture
wider for a stable, centered sound.
•!• All conductors seem to like hearing the 8th notes played very strongly. Support as if you were
playing an octave higher. Feel the air rush over the tongue. Make the "kaw" sound of the double
tongue as close to the front of your mouth as you can (try using a "gaw" sound if that helps it to
be more forward).
•!• Pulse needs to be very precise. Always subdivide into quarters (1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3).
•!• The crescendo starting in measure 178 needs to be progressive, to create the most excitement.
•!• If we do everything Beethoven wrote, it works very well.
102 •!• Beethoven Symphony No. 3, Op. 55, Movement 3, Trio: Horn 2
ARTISTRY
•!• Sorne conductors like a fiery, robust approach. Others prefer a more refined, nostalgic approach,
almost like the memory of a youthful hunt. We need to be flexible about different approaches.
I think they're all valid.
•:• Get used to different tempi. Sorne conductors want a tempo slower than the main body of
the movement, as is common practice in tríos of other classical scherzos and minuets. Other
conductors will want the same tempo as the Scherzo, that is, dotted half note = 116. Be prepared
for that(!)
•:• Energy: combination of Hey! and Yay!
•!• My adjectives: fun, robust, positive energy.
Orchestral excerpt on following page . .

-
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, Op. 55: Movement III, Trio, mm. 159-202 J =116)
-
--
(Allegro vivace
Hom2in B
Floor: - 2 -2 -2 -2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 1 2 2 1 2 1
Vowel:thaw thaw thaw thaw thuh thuh thuh tseh tseh tseh thuh thuh thaw thuh thuh thaw th uh thaw
f¡ l. t 1 2.
..
u ~~~ ~
- -
f f f f f f
ff
-1 -1 1 1 2 2 3 3 2 1 2 1 -1 -2 -1 - 1 -2 1 1 -1 2 2 1 3
thaw thaw thaw thaw thuh thuh thuh thuh th uh thaw thuh kaw thaw thaw thaw thaw hawthaw thawhawthuh thuhhawthuh
¡-¡
TRIO
sf
3 2 3 3 2 1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -1 -1 1 1 2 2 3 3 2 1 2 1 -1 -2
thuh huh tseh thuh thuh kaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thuh thuh thuh thuh thuh thaw thuh kaw thaw thaw
82
-1 -1 -2 1 1 -1 2 2 1 3 3 2 3 3 2 1 -1 -2 -2 -3 -1 -1 -1
thaw thaw haw thaw thaw haw thuh thuh baw thuh thuh huh tseh thuh th uh kaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw
94
f¡
~ ~
. ~ 6 ..
t.
eres c. *J * ~ ~ =*
f i f
-1 -1 -1 -1 -1
thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw
03
t8
104 •:• Beethoven Symphony No. 3 , Op . 55 , Movement 3, Tr io: Ho rn 2

BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 6, OP. 68,
MOVEMENT 5, ALLEGRETTO: HORN 1
-
PRACTICE
•!• This excerpt is all about the vowels, elevators, and front compression of the tongue.
•!• First, finger-breathe the passage as if it were slurred for kinesthetic ease.
•!• Then practice this excerpt slurred using the same tongue movements when you finger-breathed
it, with fiowing skim milk.
•!• Then practice, still slurring, and add the dynamics: make the crescendo by subtly increasing the
blowing pressure and visualizing the dairy products so that the aperture increases in size to keep
the pitches centered. Add the subito pon the last note.
•!• When you feel comfortable with the crescendo and can cleanly slur from note to note without
any notes in between, move to articulation.
•. I've been taught that where there are dots under slurs, we play with legato articulation with very
little separation between the notes.
•!• The first note, d", needs to be cleanly articulated in the crevice place by saying "tseh." Try doing
the One-Note Exercise on d" (See page 33).
•!• Then practice the One-Note Exercise on g' in the staff ("thuh"), and then g"("dee"). Develop
strong muscle memory for your tongue's points of contact for this excerpt. Finger-breathe with
articulation.
•!• Now, put it all together. There's a lot todo in this short excerpt.
TECHNIQUE
•!• Breathe in over a whole measure. Remember that the way we breathe in will be the way we
breathe out. Breathe in the way you want to approach the first sound.
•!• I change my slide positions so I can play this solo all on the B ~ horn. I push in Tl to raise the
intonation for the g'. I compensate by pulling out T2 to then lower the d" above. Use a tuner to
"see" that all three notes are in tune. It's okay if the e" is a bit low; the vertical intonation willline
up since it's the major third (concert a') of the final concert F-major chord.
•!• Befare the first rehearsal, tune with the principal clarinetist so that you both know how delicate
the intonation is when the horn and clarinet join on the first note of the horn solo.
•!• Always subdivide: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3.
ARTISTRY
•!• This is an amazing moment in music. Create a visualization for yourself. I think of how, after a
•!•
violent storm (Movement IV), the world can seem all the more peaceful and glowing. The sun
warms the earth; the music warms our souls.
Or imagine how you've felt after a stormy episode in your life. When things finally resolve, you
-
might feel great ease and gratitude about living.
•!• This solo provides opportunity for rubato. Experiment with moving forward in the crescendo,
and then holding slightly back after the sforzando, as you go into the subito p.
106 •:• Beethoven Symphony No. 6

•!• Try to think of the sf as an expressive sf, made with the air and a dairy product rather than
accented with the tongue.
•!• The dairy products will help you crea te a magical sound.
•!• Energy: "oooo"
•!• My adjectives: warm, calm, loving, embracing, glowing.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6: Movement V. Allegretto, mm. 1-10

Hom 1 in F
PoinJ ofArliculation
Allegretto (J. = 60) Floor:

Vowel:
3 2 3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 2 3
tseh thuh dee tseh thuh dee tseh thuh dee tseh thuh dee
32332 3
tseh thuh dee dee thuh dee
tJ Klar~ ~ (~ ... :~ ~;.r.;- ~j;.~ Solo ,----_. r-;. ;--;. ;--;. • •

- - - - p LL LL LL LL
cresc.- - - - -- - - - - - - - - if
3
dee
1'E~' ' 1• 1
p
5
-

BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 7, OP. 92, MOVEMENT 1, VIVACE: HORN 1
PRACTICE
•!• Rhythm is one challenging aspect of this excerpt. At a slow tempo, clap along with a metronome
on 8th notes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6); leave out all the ties and sing the rhythm.
•!• Now, to further refine the rhythm, leave the 16th notes out. You can sing or play an octave lower
to save your face. With the metronome still on 8th notes, make sure the last 8th note of each
measure lines up. That way we keep the 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 feel. Precise pulse adds excitement.
•!• When you feel secure doing that, add the ties and the 16th notes, always keeping the last 8th
notes of the measures precisely in time.
•!• Become familiar with the transposition and fingerings. I like to play the g#" on T2 anda" on TO.
To make sure the intonation is high enough on those fingerings, push your open right hand as far
as it will go into the bell. This will give your horn a descant throat size, which will make your high
notes more clearly defined, centered, and in tune.
•:• ?rae-ice breathing after the fermata and before the b". Take a "surprise" breath, then support.
s ·nce it takes sorne time to get enough air pressure to your oral cavity for the b", breathe as early
as you can.
•:• Practice the octave jump. Play the fermata note, breathe, support, set, and play the b". Get
comfortable with that coordination and familiar with the tongue's points of contact.
TECHNIQUE
•!• Be clear about where the tongue is making contact for each note. Articulate with more impact in
the high register, since high notes are more resistant.
•!• Since shorter note values are less audible, compensate by placing a small accent on the 16lh notes.
•!• Use lots of "h" aspiration on the "hee" notes as you zoom up to the b"s.
•!• Finger-breathe with articulation to practice the points of contact. Finger-breathe the slurs to the
high b"s.
•!• Add the dynamic. Keep corners firm and strong. Grip a pencillead with the aperture for a laser-
focused air stream. Add searing blowing pressure.
•!• Pulse with air and heavy cream for the short opening sforzandi. Keep the quarters relatively
short for a more energetic sound. Bring back the tongue quickly as if elegantly spitting, for clear,
sharp front edges on the notes.
ARTISTRY
•!• Notice the hypermeter of four-measure phrases. Show the direction to the third bar of each phrase.
•!• For appropriate shape, hear the melody in your mind when playing the arpeggiated section.
•!• Remember that this is a larger-than-life dance, filled with good humor and incredible energy.
Fill yourself with super-positive energy and over-the-top joy.
•!• Remember the most joyful moment of your life before you play this. Mine was the moment my
son was born.
108 •:• Beethoven Symphony No. 7

•!• My adjectives: celebrating, super joy-filled, blazingly sunny
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, Op. 92: Movement I, mm. 86-110 (25 before C- C) (Vivace J.= 104)
Hom 1 inA
Floor:3
Vowel: tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh tee tee tee tee tee tee tee tee tee tee tee hee tee tee tee tee tee
1:\
sfsf sfsf ff
3 2
tee tee tee tee tee bee te e tee tee tee tee tee tee tee tee hee tee tee tee tee te e tee tee tee tee tee hee tee tee tseh rh:m
94
p
...
2 3 3
thaw tseh tee
JO] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 @] 7
-------------------------------
cresc. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jj
Part IV: Orchestral Excerpts •!• 109

BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 9, OP. 125, MOVEMENT 3: HORN 4
PRACTICE
•!• It helps to subdivide any slow solo for a clear and precise pulse. Have legato g th notes running in
your mind throughout.
•!• Listen to a recording a few times so you can get the color and sound of the other wind parts in
your ear.
•!• Practice the scale (near the end) slowly at first , and change the rhythm to learn the fingerings
deeply. Ultimately, memorize it.
TECHNIQUE
•!• Think of "monkey face" and "bulldog" to set the embouchure for the first note. Corners become
soft; the aper ture becomes round.
Get used to light, easy shifts to basement elevator floors with the lower jaw as you descend down
the low half notes to the F. In performance, if you've been playing principal horn for the rest of
he piece, the jaw position for the F will feel extraordinarily low. Make that extra jaw extension
•!•
(jaw goes down and out) so the F is centered.
Feel your tongue going up and down the tongue staircase for the scale. Finger-breathe with
ar t iculation .
-
•!• I like to finger the f' T23. It sounds like an F horn note, but it's usually better in tune and easier
to play.
•!• Breathe right befare the scale (have the third horn player play the whole note).
ARTISTRY
•!• Play all the low notes with full resonance, like the pedals of an organ, to help create the "Mozart
Grand Partita orchestration" sound. Full bass makes the sound of the ensemble darker. Remember
to keep your right hand open in the low register.
•!• Sing warmly the third and fourth measures of the Adagio. It's a quote of the first subject that the
violins play at the beginning of the movement.
•!• Sound like a clarinet in measures 90-94. Finger-breathe for smoothness and ease.
-
•!• Be vocal with the scale at the end of the excerpt. There's a similar place in Beethoven's opera
Fidelio, where the soprano takes great liberty on a solo scale. Be operatic, but lead somewhat to
the downbeat of the next measure.
•!• My adjectives: warm, heavenly, comforting.
-
-
110 •!• Beethoven Symphony No. 9

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Op. 125: Movement III, Adagio molto e cantibale, mm. 83-121
Hom4 in El>
Point ofArticulation.
Floor: -2 -1 2 2 -2 2 2
Ciar. I Vowel:thaw thaw thuh thuh tbaw thuh thuh
fjOO¡- - - - - - - -,
~ Andante Moderato 14 ¡¡J;\~ Adagio
u ~· ~v-~
r •
r'~ ~ 11 ~
l1i
do lee ..._,
Fag. I pp
3 3 3 2 1 -1 -1 -1 -2 -3 -4 2 3 3 3
tseh thuh thuh thuh thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw tbaw thuh tseh tseh tseh
85
fl ~-1,'
... -d e ~ - u
?J ~
1
"
- i
33 233 333 333 3 3 33 2 22 2

tseh thuh thuh huh heh tseh huh thuh tseb tseh tseh tseh heb hee huh tseh heh tseh huh thuh thuh huh thuh
91
-------.
2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
thuh thuh thuh tseh tseh tseh tee tee tseh tee tee tseh tseh tseh thuh tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh
96 Solo
eres c.
3
Lo stesso tempo tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh
99

BRAHMS SYMPHONY NO. 2, OP. 73, MOVEMENT 1: HORN 1
-
PRACTICE
•!• One of the challenges of this excerpt (especially when playing it alone in an audition) is having
command over the tempo pacing through the un poco stringendo and later, the ritardando. We need
to feel those progressive tempo changes in our bones. We have to become our own conductors as
we play this excerpt. Subdividing into 8th notes can help our control of the tempo.
•!• First listen and then try singing and conducting along with an exemplary recording (e.g. Cleveland
Orchestra, George Szell, conductor; Myron Bloom, principal horn). Do this a few times.
•!• The crescendos and diminuendos need to be paced progressively. The first hairpin (crescendo-
diminuendo) is the baseline. The next hairpin needs to be more. Then the crescendo within the
un poco st ringendo needs to lead to the climax. Similarly, the diminuendo after the f climax needs
to be progressive. Although percussionists and timpanists are trained to make beautifully
......
progressive crescendos and diminuendos, other musicians aren't usually trained to take as much
care. It helps meto write the dairy products in my music for diminuendos (for example, cream,
whole milk, 2%) as a reminder.
•!• Practice the crescendo to the forte , and see how strongly you can play. Conductors are used to the
climax being quite big. Sometimes it helps to extend the dynamic range by going to extremes.
Get your body u sed to playing that climax fff so that yo u can feel more comfortable playing it ff if
a conductor wishes.
TECHNIQUE
•!• Whole steps are not for free . We need to subtly change tongue positions to control the slurred
whole steps at the beginning. Finger-breathe these slurred notes then replicate the tongue
movement when you play. Then finger-breathe the whole excerpt. (See Finger-Breathing Move-
ments diagram on page 45.)
•!• Take care to control the intonation on the crescendos and diminuendos by coordinating the
blowing pressure with the changing aperture size.
•!• Be very conscious of the correct vowels.
•!• There are several "crevice notes," (e#", d", and d#"). Be careful to articulate using "tseh" in the
crevice place for those notes (as indicated).
ARTISTRY
•!• This is one of the great horn moments in the literature because there's such a range of emotion.
•!• Although the excerpt starts out quietly, there is a stirring and simmering undercurrent in the
strings. Try a few different ways of shaping the opening, and then choose the one you like the most.
•!• The first hairpin needs to be quite evident. The stringendo begins and the second hairpin needs to
be even more intense.
•!• Each measure is slightly faster than the preceding one.
•!• Try to lead the crescendo with the second quarters of each measure (not the third quarters).
•!• The f climax can be huge.
112 •:• Brahms Symphony No. 2

•!• Then the mood gradually gets less and less intense and becomes warmer and warmer.
•!• Each measure is a little slower than the preceding one in the ritardando.
•!• The last hairpin is embracing and warm.
•!• Make up a story about this excerpt. Who are the characters? What's the setting? What are they
saying to each other or doing with each other? Be invested in your story as you play this.
•!• Energy: starts out with "oooo" energy, then Hey! energy in the middle, and ends with "oooo."
•!• My adjectives: warm, stirring, passionate, tremendously intense, embracing.
Brahms: Symphony No. 2, Op. 73: Movement I, Allegro non troppo, mm. 454-477
Hom 1 in D
Point o Articulation
F/oor: 3
Vowel:t seh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh tseh heh
454 Solo .~
p do lee
= eres c.
3 2 3 3 3 2
tseh heh heh huh tseh tseh heh thuh
in tempo, ma piu tranquillo
4
Par t IV: Orc hestral Excerpts •!• 113

-
BRAHMS SYMPHONY NO. 3, OP. 90, MOVEMENT 3: HORN 1
PRACTICE
•!• Listen to a fine recording for tempo and style.
•!• Usually this excerpt is played too slowly. Find a good mainstream tempo.
•!• Subdivide the dotted 16th_ and 32nd_note figure. Try to avoid playing triplets; this is a common
pitfall.
•!• Be clear about the articulation points for the first notes. The g' is a "thuh" note tongued near the
middle of the two front teeth. Practice the One-Note Exercise on g' (page 33).
•!• Practice vowels for the upward slurs in measures 3 and 4 after letter F and measures 9 and 10
after letter F. Finger-breathe these slurred notes, then replicate the tongue movements when you
play. Then finger-breathe the whole excerpt.
Get comfort able with the quintuplet at the end. Sing the word "geophysical" as you sing the
quintuplet. This quintuplet usually moves forward.
TECHNIQUE
•:• Plan your breaths . I've marked in the ones I like to use.
•:• Clearly convey the hairpin crescendos and diminuendos.
ARTISTRY
•!• It's important to decide which emotions you wish to convey. I see this solo as very sad, sighing,
and deeply moving. When my son heard this live for the first time, he was five years old and
sitting on his mother's lap. He started crying and exclaimed, "Mom, it's so sad! " This excerpt
reminds me of the gypsies in Vienna, who were probably looked down upon by the Viennese and
didn't have enough to eat. Make up your own story or visualize a detailed scene to help you get
into this solo more.
•!• Try to imagine what your facial expression would be as you sing this sad song. Visualize that
facial expression as you perform this on your horn. Convey the emotion through your eyes.
•!• Play with beautiful sound and shape on the long fermata.
•!• On the dotted 16th_ and 32 nd_note figures, try to "sigh" on the dotted 16th each time. In this
statement of the theme, all of the dotted figures are unaccompanied solo. They're very audible;
we can sigh beautifully. Lift on the dotted note (that is, make a quick hairpin diminuendo on the
dotted note); the subtlety will be heard.
•!• Put great care into every diminuendo. They add so much to the expression.
•!• My adjectives: sorrowful, pained, yearning, nostalgic.
114 •!• Brahms Symphony No. 3

Brahms: Symphony No. 3, Op. 90: Movement III, Poco Allegretto, mm. 97-110
Hom 1 in C
Point ofArticulatíon
Floor: 3 3 3 3 3
Klar. Fag. 1 Vowel: thuh thuh buh tbuh heh heb huh tbuh huh thuh
~ lunga
~1
;-::-¡
7 1 1 ., 1':\ !_!j - l . ....-----.._
- - - - p
1
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
hee heh huh tbuh huh tseh tseh heh thuh tseh hel! thuh hub buh tbub huh thuh tbuh heb beh hee heh
3 54 33333 3
tbuh heh heh tbuh huh huh buh huh huh buh tseh
-
1.

BRUCKNER SYMPHONY NO. 4, MOVEMENT 1: HORN 1
PRACTICE
•!• Much of the challenge of this passage is about starting notes. It's beneficia! to get comfortable
with starting the written f" and g ~ ". I suggest doing the One-Note Exercise (page 33) on each,
to get familiar with their articulation points of contact.
•:• The other majar challenge is slurring cleanly and with ease. The vowels and tongue movement
facilitate that. Practice the first eighteen measures without the 16th note pickups. Finger-breathe
and notice the movement of the tongue.
•!• Try to create clean slurs with no harmonics in between (there's no time for them) by moving the
tongue as you did when you finger-breathed. Also, aspirate the "h's" on the vowels to move
deliberately from one note to another.
•. ow add the 16th note. Play it quite fast and clase to the downbeat.
•!• In measures 21-27, practice jumping to the lower notes by moving the jaw and thinking "monkey
face" and "bulldog." Be a great elevator operator! Finger-breathe the slurs to develop ease and
efficiency.
•:• Gse a metronome. Subdivide in quarters. Subdivide the rests as well to keep the rhythmic
connection with yourself, the conductor, or an audition committee.
TECHNIQUE
•!• Even though the written dynamic is "mf always clearly brought to the fore," most conductors want
the beginning of this solo soft.
•!• Cultivate the flow of skim milk or 2% milk.
•!• The countdown mantra can come in handy befare each en trance: breathe, support, set, play.
•!• To set the embouchure, think of the syllable "poo." Simply mouthing "poo" helps shape the
aperture in an optimal way to softly start higher notes.
•!• Preemptively "taste" the tongue placement befare you begin the solo. Be clear about the vowel
and where the front compression of your tongue is coming back from befare each en trance.
Finger-breathe with articulation to reinforce the correct points of release.
•!• Beginning at the crescendo in measure 37, aspirate the slurs more and more with the "h" sound
all the way to the end of the excerpt. This increases the musical intensity.
•:• To crescendo, add blowing pressure and visualize the corresponding thicker dairy products
flowing through the aperture.
•!• You might want to try this solo on a decent B ~-High F descant horn. The response may be freer
and allow you to create softer beginnings of the en trances. And the larger targets can take sorne
of the worry out of performing this solo.
116 .:• Bruckner Symphony No. 4

ARTISTRY
•!• The first time I heard this solo, I was a teenager and Mason Jones was principal horn of the
Philadelphia Orchestra. I remember how mystical and mysterious it sounded. Mason Jones had
such a velvety soft sound and the 16th notes were surprisingly quick and close to the next
measure. (That is, rhythmically accurate.) His interpretation created an unforgettable aura to the
opening of this tremendous symphony.
•!• Bruckner was passionate about his religion, Catholicism. He was also a devotee and friend of
Richard Wagner. Bruckner emulated Wagner's style. See how much mystery and inner feeling you
can infuse into this solo.
•!• With each phrase, try to convey more and more meaning, as if it were opera tic.
•!• Try to visualize the setting for this opening. What does it look like? What time of day is it? Is the
air clear or misty? Whom do you see? What is the story of this place?
•!• Energy: "oooo" transforming into Hey!
•!• My adjectives: mystical, mysterious, majestic, serious.

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4: Bewegt, nicht zu schnell, mm. 1-51
Hom 1 in F
Point o Articulation
Floor:
Vowel: dee huh thuh hee dee huh thuh hee dee huh thuh
2 .~ 1 ·~~1 .~
m¡/immer deutlich hervortretend
)( )( )(
)( 1 )(
o 2 -1 -1
bee tbuh haw thaw buh thuh haw thaw heh thuh
1 2 ~ 1 1
o
- p dim.
1 1 -
p & •••
-
-1 -1 2 2 3
haw thaw buh tseh buh tseh huh thuh heh
1 1 1
3 3 3
tseh huh heh bee tseh huh hee dee thuh hub heh heh heh hee
1~ .~
m¡f cresc. cresc. sempre
3 3 3 3 3 3 2
thuh huh huh heh heh heh tseh heh huh huh huh heh thuh huh huh huh hob thuh
molto cresc. ff
118 •:• Bruckner Symphony No. 4

-
-
MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 5, MOVEMENT 3: CORNO OBBLIGATO, EXCERPT 1 -
PRACTICE
-
•!• Articulation is important in this excerpt. Each note needs a very clear, almost marcato front edge
to convey the bold, cheeky, saucy character. To achieve this, we need to be very clear about the
different points of contact for articulation. I suggest practicing in slow motion at first, focusing
the mind 's eye on where the front compression of the tongue is coming back from . Finger-breathe
with articulation.
•!• Mahler is all about extremes. We need to get comfortable with the fp 's. Try the One-Note Exercise
(page 33) on the e"s in measures 6 and 8 . Then practice playing the e" as a string of tied quarter
notes f-p-f-p-f-p-f-p. Try to coordinate the change in blowing pressure and the change in aperture
size (cream-skim milk, cream-skim milk, etc.) so that the pitch stays steady and the sound is
centered in both f and p. Finally, make the f of shorter duration and articulate to play a true fp.
•!• Next, let 's look at the fi.rst f#". Find the optimal articulation point. This is where long-tone
practice comes in handy. Coordinate the change in blowing pressure in the crescendo from p to ff,
with the changes in aperture size produced by using the dairy image. This kind of crescendo takes
strong support from the abdominal muscles (push out and down onto the pelvic ftoor for strongest
support). Work on this note to get it very centered and controlled through the crescendo.
•!• Get used to accenting the last S th note in measures 4 and 5. The rule of thumb is: The shorter the
note length, the softer it sounds . To compensate for that, we need to put an accent on the g th
notes to make them just as ff as the dotted quarter note befare. That said, we need to accent the
-
downbeats the most to convey an almost waltz-like feeling of the triple meter, felt in "one."
TECHNIQUE
•!• Set the embouchure befare starting each phrase. For the f#", set with "poo." For the e', you might
want to set with "monkey face" and finger it T2 .
•!• Most horn players wonder what to do with the last scale going up to the a". I suggest practicing it
both as written (pragmatically, we need to diminuendo up to the a") and to practice adding a
crescendo up to the a". In both cases, let the front compression of your tongue help by walking up
the tongue staircase for faster and faster initial air speeds . Finger-breathe with articulation.
•!• For the diminuendo version, start louder at the start of the scale.
•!• For the crescendo version, start at p and increase the blowing pressure. Through preemptive
practicing, you will be prepared to do either version, depending on the conductor's preference.
•!• The staccato must be very short. Sing "thuh," "tseh," and "tee" with great shortness, in your
imagination, and your glottis will do (in a small and delicate way) what it needs to do to play
short.
•!• It helps to play a "blasting" exercise to get mobilized to play this kind of passage. Visualize a
3/4 bar, with a fff quarter note and two quarter rests; repeat a few times.
-
'-
120 •:• Mahler Symphony No. 5

ARTISTRY
•!• As I mentioned before, we need to get into this saucy, cheeky, bold personality. If that's not your
personal style, then you need to use the "Magic If." Stanislavski used this method with actors.
Ifl were saucy and overconfident, how would that feel? Ifl were cheeky and bold, how would I walk
into a room full of people? How would I hold myself? What would my voice sound like? It's fun to
pretend to be a character. How would I play my horn ifl were that character?
•!• Experiment with this. Take a minute or two to put on the persona of this saucy character. Then
play a few parts of this excerpt. How does it change your sound? How does this approach change
your articulation?
•!• Always lead into the first beats, and accent them to keep the feeling of an over-the-top waltz.
•!• Energy: Yay! and Hey!
•!• My adjectives: bold, saucy, overbearing, good-humored.
Mahler: Symphony No. 5: Movement III: Kraftig, nicht zu schnell, mm. 1-40
Hom obligato in F
Floor: 3
Vowel: tee lee lseh tseh thuh tseh tee tseh tseh tseh tseh tee
2
poco rit.
--;----•
a ternpo
- 6
fp fp
2 3 3 2 3 3 3
tl1aw lhuh tseh tee tee tseh tseh thuh tseh tee tha w thuh thuh lhuh tseh lee tseh
Keck. 1
-
. -
ff fp ff
3 3 3 3
tseh thuh thuh thuh lhuh tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh lee tee tee tee
f\ • J,j • +i .. ... 13 0
t.) 1
fp -

-
MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. S, MOVEMENT 3: CORNO OBBLIGATO, EXCERPT 2
-
PRACTICE
•!• Listen several times to an exemplary recording of this passage to get accustomed to the style and
the frequent tempo changes. After a couple of times, sing and conduct along with the recording.
Conduct the rests as well to learn the timing and pacing.
•!• Get your body mobilized by doing the blasting exercise mentioned for the previous excerpt
(in moderation).
•!• Practice the coordination between blowing pressure and aperture size for centered sound and
stable intonation in the crescendos and diminuendos .
•!• Aspirate with "h's" on the slurs with tenuta marks and slurs with accents. Learn to control the
intensity of your aspiration, depending on the context (lightly for legato, medium for tenuta,
more heavily for marcato). Finger-breathe the slurred passages.
•!• Cultivate beautifully paced diminuendos.
.. Practice "bells up" (Shalltrichter aun. Be aware that the right-hand position needs to be open when
the bell is up (the throat of the bell positioned around ear level). Practice with a tuner to see how
you need to posit ion your right hand to stay in tune for bells up. Put the bell up right after the
:ermata and befare you play the first note, since it's unsettling for the embouchure when the horn
position is changed while the mouthpiece is on the lips . Gewohnlich means to go back to normal
bell position .
TECHNIQUE
•!• Take huge but quiet unconstricted breaths. Expand your breath capacity as much as you can.
Practice the basic finger-breath.
•!• Finger-breathe to get used to tongue and jaw movements. Replicate these movements when playing.
•!• Use vowels for clarity on each note. Make sure to move the jaw lower to center the written d'.
•!• For better facility and intonation, use T3 for the d'.
•!• Use the dairy or pasta images to have control over the dynamic extremes.
•!• Cultivate several different speeds of articulation for marcato, tenuta, and legato markings . Think
about the different consonants you need to use ("tee" or "dee," "tseh" or "dzeh," "spitting thuh" or
"slow thuh," "spitting thaw" or "slow thaw"). Finger-breathe with articulation to reinforce these
physical movements.
ARTISTRY
•!• Mahler was a vocal composer. Many of his early songs found their way into his instrumental
works . It's easy forme to see this passage as vocal. Try to imagine how a great bass-baritone
(like Fischer-Dieskau) would sing this. You might want to listen to sorne of his Mahler recordings.
•!• As in the first passage, try to define the character of the person singing this. What is the character
like? What is his/her story? What spectrum of feelings is the character trying to convey? The
excerpt starts out so strong and outspoken. Yet it gets softer, has a last outburst, and ends almost
in a whisper or whimper. Spend sorne time pondering what feelings or story Mahler might have
wanted to convey here. It will help you sound more convincing.
122 •:• Mahler Symphony No. 5

•!• Try singing the horn part along with a recording. Look at your facial expression in a mirror when
you sing. Try visualizing that facial expression as you sing it on your horn.
•:• Energy: wide range, from Hey! to "oooo."
•!• My adjectives: important, serious, outspoken, deep, tender.
Mahler: Symphony No. 5: Movement III: Kraftig, nicht zu schnell, mm. 218-307
Horn obligato in F
Point o Articula/ion
Floor: .l 1 3 3
Vowei: tseh heh tseh huh thuh haw huh thuh
~ Etwas zurückhaltend
zurückhaltend
7 rit. 2
3 3 1 3 3
thuh heh tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh thuh haw huh thuh
quasi a lempo
schal/tr. auf verklingend atempol
rit. 1':'\
.r-~- 1 3
f :=:::=-pppp
lang.
2 3 3
thaw heh heh heh tseh huh heh tseh heh tseh tseh tee tseh tseh tseh thuh
rit. - - - - - - - - - - . atempa
> > > >
3
thuh heh tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh
gewohnlich. rit. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - @] Molto Moderato

> > > - 10

-
MENDELSSOHN NOCTURNE, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT,S DREAM, OP. 64: HORN 1
PRACTICE
•!• In this passage, I like to finger the f#' T12 because it's more reliable. I suggest pushing in the Tl
slide a little. This makes the f#' better in tune and also makes the half step narrower between
d#" ande".
•!• Slur the f#'-f#" octave (pickups to measure 17) to become comfortable with the change in air
speed. Finger-breathe while being accurate about pitches.
•!• Slur two quarter notes at first; then play as written, but direct the 16th_note pickup to the down-
beat. Make sure that your vowels ("thuh-hee") are clearly producing reliable air speeds.
•!• Practice slurring entire phrases to get a fl.owing feeling in the air stream. In performance, I like
slurring more than is written. For example, in measure 5, I slur the three quarter notes. Perhaps
Mendelssohn was thinking of the hand horn going from an open note to a closed note and back
toan open note, and that's why he didn't write a slur over those notes. I think the slur helps keep
things more vocal and fl.owing.
... :r's a little tricky to breathe after the f#" in measure 4 because we need to articula te the d#" by
saying "tseh" in the crevice place. Take sorne time to practice this delicate coordination, to get
comfortable with the breath and "tseh" articulation. Sorne teachers advise to slur from the f#" to
the d=" and then breathe. Musically, I think it's more fitting to breathe after the f#", because this
is a pickup piece (every phrase starts with a pickup). Finger-breathe with articulation the d#"
severa! times to reinforce the point of articulation.
•!• Bonus Practice Challenge (!): Try playing the whole last phrase (after the fermatas) on one
breath. Se e how efficiently you can use your air.
TECHNIQUE
•!• Cultivate a beautifullegato articulation by bringing the tongue back from the points of release
more slowly. Finger-breathe the entire solo.
•!• The way we breathe in will be the way we breathe out. Work on taking full breaths that have a
softer edge to them, so when you breathe out it's fl.owing and naturally legato. You might want to
talk to the conductor in priva te about starting this movement with two preparatory beats, so
that you can take a full, comfortable breath and start off on the right foot.
•!• Assign dairy liquids to every phrase, crescendo, diminuendo, and subito p. When we visualize in
this way, our sounds become more magical.
•!• Tune with the bassoons, making sure that they're aware of their vertical intonation in each
chord. For example, make sure that the major thirds are played lower so that the vertical intona-
tion lines up. When the intonation is worked out in this way, everyone feels more comfortable.
•!• A word about tempo: Con moto tranquillo means "tranquil but with motion." Try to come upon a
tempo that is calm yet moves forward. Keeping steady time in the solo is very important because
the conductor will generally follow the first horn player's wishes. Therefore, don't slow clown,
because the conductor will slow clown with you and it might become too taxing. Subdividing into
8th notes can be very helpful to maintain a steady tempo. At the very end, try to stay in tempo,
since the strings come right in with the second subject at the end of the horn solo.
124 •:• Mendelssohn Nocturne, A Midsummer Night 's Dream

ARTISTRY
•!• The Nocturne is one of the most charming solos in orchestralliterature. The orchestration is so
warm and perfect. A nocturne, as you know, is an evening song. In A Midsummer Night's Dream,
the Nocturne is a love song. It takes place in that enchanted time between day and night. Think
about the person you'd most like to sing this song to. Go into your emotional memory. You might
want to visualize the person you're singing to listening with a beautiful smile on his or her face.
•!• Or, you might want to think of an exquisite twilight you've experienced. I performed this in
Aspen, Colorado, a few years ago. The evening befare the day of the performance, I was riding my
bicycle along a mountain river, and the sun was setting. At one point, the whole sky lit up with
amazing colors reflected in the clouds. It felt like the whole earth was being embraced in this
warm, supernaturallight. That was the image I used when I performed the next evening.
•!• On the fermata notes in measure 26, I like to play the first one stronger, and the second one less
strong, since the first fermata is written on the strong first beat, and the second on the weaker
second beat.
•!• This is another passage that benefits from awareness of the hypermeter in four-bar phrases.
You might want to number the measures to see the are of each phrase: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. How
naturally we go to the third measures and away on the fourth measures. The music breathes!
•!• My adjectives: loving, caring, warm, tender, embracing.
Orchestral excerpt on following page

Mendelssohn: Nocturne from Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64: Con moto tranquillo, mm. 1-34
-
Hom 1 in E
Floor: 3 3 3 3 3
Vowel: thuh thuh tseh thuh heh heh tseh heh dee hee tseh tseh dee tseh tseh huh heh tseh heh tseh dee tseh heh heh tseh huh thuh thuh
'
p do/.
3 3 3
tseh thuh heh heh tseh heh dee hee tseh tseh dee tseh heh huh heh tseh heh tseh dee tseh heh huh tseh thuh thuh dee heh heh heh
-==== ==::==- p mf cresc.
3 3 3 3 3
thuh heh thuh thuh huh thuh thuh dee heh heh heh dee hee tseh tsehtseh tseh huh thuh heh tseh heh thuh thuh tseh
'
mf eresc. eres c.
3 3 3
tseh tseh thuh thuh tseh thuh heh heh tseh heh dee hee tseh tseh dee tseh tseh huh heh tseh heh tseh de e tseh heh huh tseh
126 •!• Me nde lssohn Noctu rne, A Midsum mer Night's Dream
MUSSORGSKY/RAVEL PICTURES ATAN EXH/8/T/ON, PROMENADE: HORN 1
-
PRACTICE
•!• Start by listening to an exemplary recording to get into the mood of this Promenade.
•!• Since the orchestration is for horn alone, we need to be secure about starting each phrase.
•!• By thinking "monkey face" the corners of the embouchure soften and come toward the center,
creating the optimal aperture size and shape to start these lower notes . By thinking of the
"bulldog" image, the jaw moves lower and forward, creating a larger oral cavity. Using "thaw" to
scrape the bottom of our two front teeth helps the air speed to be suitably slow.
•!• The use of jaw positions in the mid-low range is essential but subtle. Finger-breathe the excerpt
and transfer all kinesthetic movements when you play on the horn.
•!• Practice how moving the lower jaw can help create optimal air speeds for getting more easily
from one note to another. If you overshoot the upward slurs, try to adjust with more subtle jaw
movements. Take time to carefully define the jaw positions for yourself and get them in your
-
long-term memory.
TECHNIQUE
•. Since this is truly a solo, practice getting into a strong, self-possessed frame of mind befare
you start.
•!• Although it's marked p, since the mid-low register doesn't project well, I suggest playing a firm,
healthy mf
-
•!• I like to play f' T23. I find it makes it easier to slur up to the b~'.
•!• Use jaw positions to ride from the b~ to the b~'. Finger-breathe to reinforce this movement.
•!• Use full airflow as you go clown to the low notes in the last phrases .
ARTISTRY
•!• Composers write in different meters with a purpose: They want the first beats of each bar to be
the strongest notes. Therefore, direct the phrase to the downbeat of the second measure, and put
a little tenuta on the downbeat to define it. This helps crea te a nice are to the phrase. Do the same
with the second phrase.
•!• Try to convey a sense of warmth, comfort, and quiet majesty. Mussorgsky wrote Pictures atan
Exhibition as a memorial to his friend, artist Viktor Hartmann, who died suddenly from an
aneurysm. Mussorgsky owned several of Hartmann's paintings. I believe there is quiet, but firm
nobility in the theme of this Promenade.
•!• Play with a full sound in the last bass-line phrase to give a darker, cushiony sound to the ensemble.
•!• My adjectives: warm, comforting, embracing, noble.
128 •:• Mussorgsky/ Ravel Pictures atan Exhibition

Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition
I. Moderato commodo e con delicatezza (7 after Reh. 18-19)
Hom 1 inF
Fioor: 1 -1 2 2 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 1 -1
Vowel: thaw haw haw huh huh huh thuh huh huh haw huh haw haw
Solo 1 1
·~·
p
-1 +1 -2 -1 +1 -2 1 1 -1 3 3 2 2 -1
thaw haw haw thaw haw haw thaw haw haw huh huh huh haw haw
4
1 1
-1 -2 -3
thaw haw haw
8 hauteur réelle 1 rit.
Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky; Arranged for Full Orchestra by Maurice Ravel
©Copyright 1929 by Hawkes & Son (London) Ltd. For all countries ofthe world.
Propriete en co-edition Editions A.R.I.M.A. et Editions Boosey & Hawkes for the
UK, British Commonwealth, Eire, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the USA.
Reprinted by permission.
Part IV: Orchestral Excerpts •:· 129

RAVEL PIANO CONCERTO IN G MAJOR, MOVEMENT 1: HORN 1
PRACTICE
•!• Listen to a fine recording to take in the atmosphere and lush orchestration of this passage.
•!• Practice this excerpt when you are fresh. Limit your practice time so you don't hurt yourself.
•!• Finger-breathe the whole passage. Feel how the tongue moves higher and forward in the oral
space to clearly regulate the air speeds in the high register.
•!• Rehearse the slur from the g" to the e"'. Try playing the e'" on T23 . TO is usually very high in
pitch. T23 seems to be better in tune.
TECHNIQUE
•!•
•!•
Place the right hand as far into the bellas you can, while leaving your hand open. This crea tes a
more descant-like throat size and helps the high notes to feel more clearly defined and pop out
more easily.
nis solo requires a tremendous amount of air pressure in the oral cavity. Breathe deeply and
support low and strongly from the abdominal muscles for the e'" when you start the phrase.
-
Change slurred notes by keeping the corners firm and changing the shape and elevation of the
tongue. Aspira te the "h's" on the "hee's" to get from one note to another. See how much or how
little you need to aspirate to control the slurs but maintain the legato quality.
•!• Use legato articulation ("dee, dee").
•!• If you are fortunate enough to own or have access to a descant or triple horn, you might want to
use it on this excerpt. Bear in mind that, although we can expect more ease in picking out the
notes in the high register (the harmonics are farther apart on the high F or high E ftat horn), we
need to support just as strongly as if we were playing on a regular double horn. Tune each note of
the solo with a tuner and record on paper the new distances of your slide adjustments (so you can
readjust your slides ata later date for this solo). The points of articulation may be slightly lower
when you play on a descant horn. Experiment with your tongue's front compression places, and
practice the revised spots.
ARTISTRY
•!• Ravel's writing reminds me of passages in his opera L'Enfant et les Sortileges. You might want to
listen to parts of this short opera for vocal style.
•!• I hear the hypermeter in four-bar phrases. Try to direct the phrasing to the third measure, then
to the fifth measure, then to the measure before rehearsal number 26.
•!• Try for an improvisatory vocal style, like it's ft.owing right out of your soul.
•!• Give special attention to the last four notes, even though they're not the challenging ones. The
ending can be very engaging.
•!• My adjectives: mystical, sensual, silky, warm, dreamy, tinge of sadness.
130 •:• Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major

Ravel: Concerto for Piano in G Major: l. Allegramente, rehearsa125-26
Hom 1 inF
dee dee dee hee hee hee dee dee
p espressivo
3
dcc huh
14
M. Ravel- Concerto en sol

Copyright © 1932 Éditions Durand- París
Co-propriété de Arim SCP et de Nordice
All rights reserved
Reproduced by kind permission of MGB Hal Leonard s.r.l.

RAVEL PAVANE: HORN 1
PRACTICE
•:• Listen to an inspiring recording to get into the mood and hear the light orchestration.
•!• One of the challenging aspects of this excerpt is that the solo horn starts without any orchestral
introduction. We need to "practice in" a relaxation and centering routine like the one on page 58.
•:• Get comfortable with starting the fi.rst note. It's tricky because it's a "tseh" crevice note; that is,
the front compression of the tongue is near where the two front teeth and gum line meet. Do the
One-Note Exercise (page 33) on d". Then start the d" a few times the way you' d like to hear it
at the beginning. Finger-breathe with articulation the d" several times to reinforce the tongue's
point of release.
•:• Get u sed to starting the f# " in the middle of this passage. Articulating with "de e," get accus-
tomed to t he point of contact by doing the One-Note Exercise. Finger-breathe with articulation
the f:!i ". Try star ting the f#" softly a few times . Remember to think "poo" when you set the
embouchure. Breathe, support, set (poo), play.
•:• Get comfortable with the slur from e" toa". Sing the vowels "dee-hee". Finger-breathe the slur
and feel the tongue change position, moving higher and more forward in the oral space.
•:• It helps to do this preemptive practicing befare playing it through. We're building in positive
muscle memory.
TECHNIQUE
•!• The way we breathe in will be the way we breathe out. Cultivate a longer legato breath. When you
play it in an orchestra, get used to the way the conductor starts the piece. You may have to start
breathing befare the conductor starts. (Or have a prívate discussion with the conductor about the
preparatory beats that would help you feel more comfortable with starting.)
•:• Tongue shape and position play an important role in changing the air speed in this passage.
Finger-breathe the en tire excerpt, then transfer these natural tongue movements to your playing.
•!• Try to get accustomed to subtly and naturally moving your tongue to help you get from one note
to another.
•!• Try to feel at ease producing soft dynamics with fl.owing dairy products. If you're visualizing
skim milk or 2% milk fl.owing easily through the aperture, it will sound soft even though it feels
-
fl.owing. And research has preliminarily shown that the tongue and glottis naturally lessen the
intensity of the air when we play softly. Therefore, with this excerpt, we can fl.ow the air with
considerably more concentration of the airstream than might be supposed by the volume of
sound being produced (as Farkas wrote).
ARTISTRY
•!• The pavane is a Spanish dance form that looks like a slow, graceful processional. Ravel wrote
this piano piece when he was a student of Fauré. The style of the piece seems to refl.ect that
semplice quality.
132 •:• Ravel Pavane

•!• Tome, it's impressionistic. Think about what the setting for this slow dance might look like. Is it
inside or outside? If inside, what does the room look like? What is the time of day? If there's a
person dancing, what is she wearing? How old is she? How is she moving? What is her story?
•!• Forme, the first measure leads into the second; then we have a four-measure phrase that leads to
measure 5, and then away at the end of measure 6. Measure 7 needs to start more strongly so the
listeners can discern the diminuendo. Then I hear a four-bar phrase starting at rehearsalletter A,
leading to the third measure after A.
•!• I once heard Pierre Boulez say that it helps to think of French music as flexible in rhythm. The g th
notes don't have to be straight and metronomic. On the contrary, they can be played more like you
were singing words with stronger and weaker syllables. Play with the g th notes and quarter notes
and try to come up with pleasing, flexible-sounding phrases.
•!• My adjectives: sweet, nostalgic, wistful, graceful.
Ravel: Pavane
Horn l in G
Po;nr of Artu:wlo11un
3
hcc heh heh huh heh heh tseh heh tseh dee hee hloe heh heh heh hec hec heh heh heh heh heh hce hd: !>eh
3
heh heh dce dee f:\ bee hee hcc dcc hee heh hcc heh huh heh heh heh
0/
--- 5
p =
====-- pp ex¡m~ssif
M. Ravel- Pavane pour une infante défunte

Copyright © 1910 Éditions Max Eschig- Paris
All rights reserved
Reproduced by kind permission of MGB Hal Leonard s.r.l.
Pa rt IV: Orc hestral Excerpts •:• 133

SHOSTAKOVICH SYMPHONY NO. 5, OP. 57, MOVEMENT 1: HORNS 1 ANO 2
-
PRACTICE ANO TECHNIQUE
•:• This excerpt presents many challenges. For that reason, it's probably one of the most requested
excerpts for auditions. It covers almost the full range of the instrument. Since there are so many
issues, it helps to break down the excerpt into small parts and then put them back together.
•!• Listen to a mainstream recording for tempo and pacing of the poco animando. Usually, this
passage is played faster than the metronome marking.
•!• It's helpful to first practice this without being concerned about the dynamic, then add loudness
la ter, after all the other pieces of the puzzle are in place.
•!• Although I normally think of the low register as having only four "basement fl.oors," I think
about jaw positions differently in this excerpt. In the low register, since each note allows a wide
range of pitch, we have to be specific about air speed and discerning about intonation.
•!• Think about how an ordered wrench set displays wrenches that incrementally get 1!16" larger.
Visualize the space between your upper and lower molars getting slightly wider for each lower
pitch in the first four measures . This will make the air speed progressively slower as you go down
the scale. You can demonstrate this to yourself by finger-breathing and noticing changes in jaw
position as you go down the whole-tone scale.
•!• To set the embouchure, visualize "monkey face" and "bulldog" to help the low notes speak more
easily.
•!• Using the syllables "thaw" and "haw," slur the first four-measure phrase at mp. Make sure that the
sound stays forward (at the front of the mouth) and clear. "Thaw" helps flatten the tongue and
keeps it low in the mouth for slower air speed. Try to keep the back of the tongue light and inactive.
Sometimes people try to control the low register by thickening the back of the tongue or by
· straining the inside of the mouth; this results in a constricted sound. The reason it helps to slur
at first is to leave the tongue out of the equation. The inside of the mouth should feellike it feels
when you yawn-very open, with a high, soft palate and no tension. Use the basic finger-breath.
•:• Now slur the next four measures at mp. Be aware of the lower jaw incrementally moving up to
crea te optimal air speed for each note. The challenging interval is the tri tone from the f to the e ~'.
Since it's a wide interval, it requires a much bigger change in air speed and a corresponding
dramatic jaw-position change. It's also more challenging to hear. Slur this a few times, focusing
on your jaw positions. Finger-breathe this interval.
•:• The next phrase, starting 2 measures befare rehearsal18, is mostly stepwise, until the skip from
the e# to the a. Slur this phrase as well. Spend sorne time working out a precise jaw position jump
from the e# up to the a. Finger-breathe this interval.
•!• Then slur the next phrase, starting with the pickups to the 5 th measure of rehearsal18. By this
time, we're mostly out of the woods since it moves stepwise the rest of the way.
•!• Continue slurring to the end, and see how well you can control the air speed with jaw positions,
vowels and tongue movement. Finger-breathe.
134 •:• Shostakovich Symphony No. 5

•:• Now, still playing mp, let's add the articulation. Try your best to use the very front of the tongue
and keep the back of your tongue quiet and comfortable as you say "thaw" for the low notes.
Although marcato is not written, for practical and musical reasons, I suggest putting an accent
on each note. The accents help the passage sound more menacing and militaristic, especially
when played in unison with four or five other horn players in a large concert hall. Since the speed
of the tongue, as it comes back from the point of articulation, determines the front edge of the
sound, bring your tongue back quickly as you say "thaw." Imagine that you are lightly spitting a
tiny speck out of your mouth from the bottom of your two front teeth. Try not to use too much
of your tongue.
•:• As you climb out of the basement, continue the marcato articulation, as your tongue changes
vowels and comes back from higher and higher points in your mouth. Starting with the pick-up
to 2 measures before rehearsal 21, you can articulate more strongly since higher notes are more
resistan t.
•:• When all the pieces are in place, we can add the dynamic. It's marked f at the beginning. Since
most of the solo is in the low register, which does not project as well as the high register, I suggest
taking the dynamic up to ff. We've all heard horn players go to town on this and play fffff I advise
against that. I've learned that the most projecting sound in the low register is centered, clear,
and in tune. Overblowing doesn't help. Since this is a tutti passage, to play in tune as a section,
everyone needs to hold back the dynamic about 3%. The result is one huge horn sound.
•:• To play ff in a healthy way, we 1) support more strongly, as if we were playing two octaves higher,
and increase the blowing pressure; and 2) visualize a thicker dairy product so that the aperture
becomes wider. This stabilizes the intonation.
ARTISTRY
•!• The first two phrases are four-bar groups. Try to lead to the third bar; since we're conveying
relentlessness and menace, keep each note very strong. To achieve the unrelenting feeling of the
passage, don't let up on the fourth bars. Make small hairpin crescendos on the long notes to keep
them sounding strongly sustained.
•!• Whenever we breathe, we need to make sure that the long phrase continues, so take fast "surprise"
breaths. As a section, stagger the breathing, so that the phrases are never interrupted.
•!• In the poco animando, take care to get progressively faster. It helps to subdivide into quarter notes
throughout the passage.
•!• Starting in rehearsal19, although the dynamic is mp, support the intensity that the woodwinds
convey during this section.
•!• In the measure before rehearsal 21, delay the crescendo, because that creates more excitement.
•!• The horn section needs to work with taut synchronicity, like a line of tanks evenly spaced,
moving forward, menacing in the precision and power.
•!• Energy: Hey!
•!• My adjectives: bold, militaristic, ruthless, menacing, relentless, unstoppable.
•:• Your adjectives:

-
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Op. 47: I. Moderato
Horns l and 2 in F
l'oitti ofAnintlation
Fl<><,r: -2 -2 -2 -3 -2 -3
1'<11<>:/· thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw
3 3 3 -2 -1 -l -l -2 -2 -2 2 2
thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw
3 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 +l 1 1 2 2
thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thaw thuh
poco anima11do
3 3 3 3 3
thuh r:;;;-¡
-
thuh thuh thuh tlmh tseh Lseh tseh tcc tcc
~
lCC tcc lee lee tee hee

@] ~~
6
SYMPHONY NO S IN D MINOR, OP.47

By Dimitri Shostikovich
Copyright 1939 by G. Schirmer Inc. (AS CAP)
International Copyright Scanned All Rights Reserved.
Used by Permission
Movement 1: moderato, third measure of rehearsal17
through the first measure of rehearsal 21, Horn 1
136 •:• Shostakovich Symphony No. 5

-
STRAUSS EIN HELDENLEBEN, OP. 40: HORN 1, OPENING
--
PRACTICE -
•!• First, let's work on the opening arpeggio, but backwards. (See practice illustration.)
•!• I like to finger all of the notes on the B~ horn, except for the [low] B~.
-
•!• Start with the last two notes of the first measure and go to the downbeat of the second measure.
Finger-breathe these three notes and be clear about the vowels. Aspirate the "h's" for more
control; it does not have to sound smooth.
•!• Then, working backwards, add one note at a time to the arpeggio, until you get to the first note,
the [low] B~. This will help you develop strong muscle memory for the opening arpeggio. You
must use the incremental jaw positions to feel comfortable with this. Finger-breathe the slurs.
It's always good to get off on the right foot!
••• Now let's practice all of the 16th note runs, one ata time. I suggest working backwards. That is,
start with the 2nd measure of rehearsal1; then go to the pickup to measure 10; then the pickup
tobar S; the pickup tobar 3; then the beginning. This helps us learn the excerpt very deeply.
_1ove on to the next one only when you have mastered the first. It helps meto change the four
straight 16th notes into dotted 16th notes followed by 32nd notes. Practice slowly, again with
strong h's. Then incrementally speed it up, using a metronome. Finger-breathe each small phrase
and transfer all those interior movements when playing each section on the horn.
•!• Experiment with B-fl.at horn fingerings for more ease and clarity of articulation. (I suggest T1 for
the g' at the end of bar 3; T3 for the d' in bar 10; T1 for the d#' in bar 12).
TECHNIQUE
•!• I've marked in the breaths that were suggested tome a long time ago by Roy Waas. They work well
because they help maintain the long line and avoid breaths befo re high notes (always a good thing
to avoid).
•!• It helps to breathe early before the high b~" entrance in measure 14. I breathe at the beginning of
that measure, so that air pressure has time to build up in my oral space for the b~".
ARTISTRY
•!• To convey the heroic mood, take careto play the 16th notes in the dotted Sth and 16th figures late,
fast, snappy, and close to the next beat. Aspirate with "h's" to give them more energy and clarity.
•!• Strauss uses accents sparingly. When you see accents (in bar S and bar 7), exaggerate them.
•!• Be sure to listen toa mainstream recording for tempo. Usually the tempo is more deliberate than
most people think. Strauss orchestrated the opening for the horn plus large cello and bass
sections. Conductors are usually more concerned here about the strings than the horn player.
Choose a stately, deliberate tempo and subdivide into 8th notes.
•!• Energy: Hey!
•!• My adjectives: heroic, stately, bold, noble.
138 •:• Strauss Ein Heldenleben

Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40: Lebhaft bewegt
Hom 1 in F
F/oor: - 3 -2 -1 +1 2 .1 3 1 2
---
Vowe/: thaw haw haw haw huh heh huh thuh hee tee heh heh heh huh haw thuh huh
Lebhaft bewegt.
T 1 L
.
~~ j ~ ------
f ~
-=~--------
3
th uh thuh heetee tee hee tseh tseh tseh thuh hee tee hee
- ~
1') > ' ' ~- ¡ > > >' >/ ~? •
u 1 > 1
1 3 3 1 3 3 .1 2
tee heh tseh heh thuh thaw thuh huh dee hee heh heh tseh thaw thuh thuh thuh thuh
1') '~ .. .~ .---- ~ ---, rn

'
=
3 2 2 1
tee hee hee tee thuh tseh heh tee heh tseh thuh thuh huh haw
~~ [l]
f¡ '~ !'- •••
.
/!" -~ .
. - 3
u sfz 1 1 V
A Hero 's Lije 1 E in Heldenleben op . 40 Copyright © 1899 by FE. C. Leuckart, Munich.

By pemzission of FE. C. Leuckart.
Practice lllustration for Ein Heldenleben
CD ®
fi-
r-3_,
H@j. l 11·
* 11

STRAUSS TILL EULENSPIEGEL, OP. 28: HORN 1, OPENING
-
•:• First, master the rhythm, which is tricky. Using a metronome on 8th notes, sing through the first
•!•
part slowly and subdivide everything into 8th notes.
When you've got that, sing what's written, but on the longer tied notes, pulse the 8th notes by
singing "tseh, heh, heh."
-
•!• Next, clap the tempo in two and sing the horn line. Do this slowly at first, then faster.
•:• Let's practice on the horn now, starting with the last three notes. (See Practice Illustration on
adjacent page.) Get these notes centered and solid by shifting the jaw down befare the g, and
shifting down again befare the c. Remember to visualize the "monkey face" and "bulldog" images
(found on page 14). Think "e', shift, g, shift, c." Use quick "spitting thaw" on all three notes.
•:• Sometimes people scoop the low e from below on articulation. If this is happening, use less tongue
and make sure your tongue feels like it is moving straight back as you say "thaw," to keep the oral
cavity size consisten t. To practice, you may want to hand stop the last three notes. This forces us
to support well and make our embouchure very stable, set and strong befare each low note.
•!• _- ow, add one note at a time to the last three notes as illustrated.
•:• Strauss uses accents sparingly. It helps to emphasize the accents on the two quarter notes 4
measures befare the end (and the corresponding place in the first call). Those accents help us
drive toward the high a" and the descending arpeggio.
•!• To give a clear indication of the pulse, you might want to slightly accent the notes that are on the
beat. (I've put these accents in parentheses.)
•!• Have a clear aural image of the staccato sound you wish to produce. If you imagine singing "thuh,"
"tseh," "tee," very dryly, your glottis will do the work to make the staccato notes very short.
•!• Support strongly to crea te high air pressure in the oral cavity. This will result in a more ringing,
projecting staccato.
•!• Bring the front compression of the tongue back from all of the optimal places on the tongue
staircase for staccato articulation. See how little tongue movement you actually need. Think of
spitting a small sesame seed out of your mouth from each articulation point. Finger-breathe with
articulation the whole passage.
•!• Since this solo requires subtle muscle memory, I have found it helpful to finger-breathe and
practice it (as illustrated on adjacent page) right up to curtain time.
ARTISTRY
•!• This is a unique solo in the literature. The character Till Eulenspiegel is a mischievous, annoying,
youthful prankster.
•:• After the "once-upon-a-time" introduction, Till Eulenspiegel enters the scene. He's up tono good.
•!• Sometimes conductors want the beginning of the solo to be slow and sneaky. However, Strauss
clearly indicated that the 8th note of the introduction equals the dotted quarter of the 6/8 section.
I prefer to take this direction literally, so I start in the same tempo and accelerate from there.
•!• Since there can be a lot of violin tremolo sound to poke through, it helps to start with a healthy
amount of sound on the staccato notes.
•:• Notice the differences in dynamic between the first and second statements. Perhaps our little
character has gotten holder. Be sure to pace the dynamics.
•!• In addition to being descriptive of sorne prank, this solo is virtuosic. Have fun with it! See how
much excitement you can convey.
140 •:• Strauss Till Eulenspiegel

•!• My adjectives: sneaky, mischievous, annoying, provocative, fun, playful.
Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel, Opo 28

Hom 1 in F
Poinl ofArttcj¡/alilm
Floor: 3 3 3
, ~\ thuh tseh tseh tseh bee tbuh tseh tseh tseh hee thuh tseh tseh tseh tee tee tee
Gemiichlich.
.-.-• ' des 4/8 (:=;-) ~ > ~ (~~hlich lebhafle~
5 >
'1 o 1 -2 -3 3 3
tee tee tee tseh thu h th;w thaw thaw thaw thuh tseh tseh tseh bee tbuh tseh tseh tseh
Volles Zeitmass (sehr lebhaft)
1 (::::- ) ~ >
>
> mf
3 3 2 1 -2 -3
hee thuh tseh tseh tseh tee tee tee tee tee tee tseh thuh thaw thaw thav. · lhaw
> >
o o >
cresc. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ff >
Copyright© 1932 by C.F. Peters Corporation. Used by permission. Al/ Rights Reserved.
Practice Illustration for Till Eulenspiegel

CD 0 0
:1= eJ. l 11 * '¡n
> o
1 'í &lit . >
>
J.
>
o >
>
. . >
>
.
(j) . .
f~Uf}}>'iJ. .
l
>
* '111 rr . > .
> >
> >
>
>

TCHAIKOVSKY SYMPHONY NO. 5, OP. 64, MOVEMENT 2: HORN 1

•!• Listen to a few exemplary recordings of this lovely excerpt to absorb the pacing, tempo changes,
and harmonic underpinning.
•!• Being conscious of the vowels and points of articulation will improve comfort and accuracy, since
there are many "thuh" notes and "tseh" crevice notes. Finger-breathe with articulation.
•!• Practice the motion toward the downbeats (see illustration at the bottom of the adjacent page).
Sing it first, and see how clearly you can direct the phrase toward the fi.rst beat of the second -
measure.
•!• "Dee" and "hee" help with the high f#"s in measures 9, 13, and 21. (Note: measure numbers start
after the seven introductory measures; so measure 1 is the first measure of the horn solo.) Back
-
up a couple of 8th notes and practice moving to each of those f#"s. For greater ease, finger-breathe,
then recreate the tongue movement and use the vowels in those climaxes.
•: Get your tongue accustomed to articulating "tseh" in the crevice place for the e#", d", and d#".
-:be tongue has a funny temperament; it doesn't want to come back from the same spot again and
again. When you talk, notice how your tongue usually is jumping around, rarely coming back to
the same location t wice in a row. Although it's somewhat unnatural, we need to train our tongues
to learn to repeat the same points of contact for repeated pitches. I suggest doing the One-Note
Exercise (page 33) on all three "tseh" crevice notes.
•!• Finally, practice the downward slurs in measures 10 and 11. Try not to get softer until after you
reach the lower notes. Downward slurs take more care and energy than upward slurs (much like
it's easier to pickup a chair than to carefully put it down on the floor). Finger-breathe the down-
ward slurs and recrea te the movements inside your mouth when you play the passage on the horn.
ARTISTRY
•!• Tchaikovsky writes many dynamic directions. Take great care in making the crescendos slightly
later than marked to create more harmonic suspense. Richard King said that you need to get the
audience begging you to make those crescendos in measures 4 and 8. To control the crescendos
and diminuendos, focus on the dairy products flowing through your aperture.
•!• Likewise, start strong and take great care in the diminuendos at the ends of measures 3 and 7.
As a child, I remember hearing Mason Jones creating the most exquisite diminuendos, which
surprised me and drew me in. They were magical.
•!• Richard Solis put in an echo on the pickups to 7 me asures after rehearsal A. It sounded so
intimate and personal.
•!• Michael Tilson Thomas has said that this movement is an Italian canzona . Tchaikovsky spent
time in Italy, and there are notable pieces in his oeuvre that are clearly Italian. When I think of
this solo as an Italian love song, it all makes sense.
•!• The above suggestions are ideas to try with this very intimate solo. However, the way to make it
your own is to delve into emotional memory. Remember when you have been in love; or have
loved a great friend, parent, grandparent, pet, or anyone else who comes to mind. Recall how you
felt with that person or being. Remember where you were, what the person looked like, what the
setting looked like, how their touch felt. Fill in all the emotional details. Sing this solo to them,
as if you couldn't talk and all you could use was your horn sound. Play as if this were your last
opportunity to tell them how much you loved them. Allow your loving feelings to come through.
142 •:• Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

•!• My adjectives: warm, loving, caring, yearning, caressing, tender.
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5, Op. 64: 11. Andante, cantabile, con alcuna Iiccnza.
Hom 1 in F
Piunl o( Atttnt/o(t{)IJ
3 3
t::::r,h~h h~h th~h
3 2 3 3 3
.h·;"' huh thaw huh thuh tseh huh lhuh heh lseh lseh lseh lseh tseh
Andántt- tantabilr, c-on alt una liC'enLa.
7 solo
do/ce con moto espress. =

3 3 3 3 3 3
tseh heh thuh huh thuh thuh huh thuh heh tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh tseh
animando riten.
3 2
tseh hec dee dee tseh heh ht'C dee huh tseh heh heh tseh haw th1h heh heh tseh tseb tseh tseh
A Sostenuto animando
mf
2333 3 ~ 3
dee d<-c thaw thuh thuh thuh tseh tseh heh hee d<-c huh tseh heh heh tseh haw thuh heh beh tseh tseh tseb tseh tseh
3 3 3
1huh huh tseh thuhheh tseh tseh thuh heh tseh thuh thuh tseh tseh dcc heh tseh tseh dee hcc
Con moto do/ce anim. Sostenuto

~ 4
- ==========
1 1
1
mp
Practice IDustration for Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5
0 0
~ '1 -· l· n#)l Ji!. l· l .. 11
>
Par t IV: O rc hestral Excerpts •:• 143

WAGNER GOTTERDAMMERUNG, SHORT CALL: HORN 1

•!• First, let's master the rhythm. With a metronome, in slow motion (8th note = 132), sing straight
8th notes. Then, at the same tempo, sing Wagner's rhythm. At this tempo, it's easier to keep the
1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 feeling to the passage. Increase the tempo incrementally, until8th note = 208 .
When you've mastered the rhythm, start thinking in two beats per measure (dotted quarter
note = around 96).
•!• Now, with the metronome back to 8th note = 132, play straight 8th notes on your horn, focusing
clearly on the vowels and articulation points. Make sure that you're using "tee" to play the e".
Finger-breathe with articulation. Then play Wagner's rhythm, putting a small accent on the 16 th
note e" to make sure it's clearly heard. Gradually increase the speed of the metronome to 208,
and then jump to feeling it in two (dotted quarter = around 96). Skip to the last call and practice
going up t o the high e"'. The challenges with this part involve the skips. Slur from d" to g", e" to
-
a", f" to b ", g" toe"', to get the appropriate air speeds by using vowels and appropriate tongue
movement. Finger-breathe with slurs to feel the correct movements inside the mouth. Now, get
accustomed to the front compression of your tongue walking stepwise up the staircase to the e" '.
You m ight want to experiment with fingering T23 for the e"'. The intonation is usually lower and -
centered. Remember to push the right hand deeply into the bell with fingers fiat to make high
notes easier. -
•!• Very slowly, remembering the vowels, train the front of the tongue to make these skips from d"
to g", e" toa", f " to b ", and g" toe"'. Remember that the point of contact and tongue elevation
determines the initial speed of air. Finger-breathe with articulation. The idea is that when you've
got the front compression of your tongue and vowel shapes helping make changes in air speed,
the passage will feel more solid and reliable.
•!• Now let's change the rhythm to make it more challenging. Instead of straight 8th notes, use the
dotted 8th 16th 8th rhythmic pattern.
•!• Finally, let's address the long notes. Play the fermata d" in measure 9 while looking ata tuner.
Use lots of support, blowing pressure, and appropriate aperture size. Remember to make small
hairpin crescendos on long notes to sound strong and sustained.
•!• Do the same with the d" and g' in measures 12-14. Make sure the perfect-fifth interval is very
well in tune. When we play auditions, we're usually playing in large, empty concert halls that are
"boomy" acoustically because there aren't 2,000 concertgoers to dampen the reverberation. The
first strong sustained note will probably reverberate as we play the second strong sustained note.
Therefore, we need to take much care in tuning that interval.
•!• It can help to practice this excerpt on the open harmonics on the F horn. Remember to use all
the same internal movements. The principie is, if you can do this more challenging way of playing,
when you go back to B fiat horn using valves, it feels that much easier, and you'll fiow the air
more strongly.
-
144 •!• Wagner Gotterdammerung

ARTISTRY
•!• When I see 6/8 meter, I think of dance. Try to keep a dance-like feeling when you play this. I've
been told that at this point in the Ring cycle, Siegfried is in a pretty good place. The feeling is
strong and upbeat.
•!• To make the two measures before the Allegro more exciting, crescendo and direct the phrase
forward toward the e"'.
•!• Since, in performance, this solo is often played offstage, it's important to talk about intonation
and distance. Usually we need to tune our instruments higher when we play offstage. You may
need to push in your main tuning slide. Before you perform this, it's a good idea to find someone
onstage or in the audience who can give you trustworthy feedback about how your offstage pitch
lines up with the intonation of the orchestra onstage. Mark your "offstage tuning slide position"
with a pencil mark on the slide.
•!• To get into the right frame of mind, be come self-possessed and gather all of your mental, spiritual,
and physical power. Think of a time in your life when you've felt great strength, boldness, and
vigor. Go for it!
•!• Energy: Yay! and Hey!
•!• My adjectives: bold, happy, powerful.
Wagner: Gotterdammerung (short call)

Hom 1 in F
Floor:
Vcn.·ei: tseh tee tce tseh tseh leC tcc tcc tseh tseh tseh tee lee tseh tseh l<'e
Vi\'acc.
G
j' (sulla scena) lunga
3
lec tec tseh tee lee tee tcc tee tseh tseh thuh tseh tee tec tseh tseh tce
lec lee tseh tee tec lee tec lee tseh tee lec tee lee lee tseh tee tee tec tee tee tee tee tee tee tee ~ ~
Allegro (• ""•~')
ff

WAGNER DAS RHEINGOLD, PRELUDE: HORN 8

•:• This passage is all about controlling the air speed with vowels and jaw positions. Aspirate softly
with "h's" to go from note to note, yet maintain the legato.
•:• It works well to practice this "backwards"; that is, start with the d" in the fourth measure, then
add the b~' befare, feeling keenly the difference in tongue position between the b~' and d". Then add
the f' befare it, which I like to finger T23 . Keep adding notes until you work back to the first B~.
•!• I like to finger the f (second note) TO, for ease. Each note has a different jaw position from the
lowest note into the middle register. Finger-breathe with slurs to reinforce these natural
movements.
•:• Think "monkey face" and "bulldog" to set the embouchure and aperture in optimal shape for the
first B~. Lightly touch the back of your upper lip with the tongue as you say "thaw." Think of a
soft "th" sound as you say "thaw" very slowly for a soft front edge. Practice starting the B~ using
the One-Note Exercise (page 33) in the mp-pp range.
•:• Let's address the rhythm. Count out loud "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, S, 6," in the appropriate
tempo. It 's very important to subdivide into 8th notes, both when playing alone in an audition
and in a large orchest ra. It's the only way for all the horn players to stay together.
•:• Practice with a met ronome on 8th notes.
•!• We need to develop strong mental toughness for this kind of passage since it repeats so many
times. It's a Zen kind of exercise. Focus completely on vowels and jaw positions.
-
•!• To achieve softness, visualize an image of skim milk fl.owing through the aperture. It's especially
important that when we go up in register, the dynamic should not get louder. See how much you
-
can control the dynamics with the fl.owing dairy product or another image that works for you.
Remember that the tongue and glottis will naturally act as baffl.es for soft playing.
•!• Practice using jaw positions and vowels for the large slurs (as in measures 48-49) from the b~
-
to the f". It helps me to play the b~ on T1 and use my high embouchure (although my break is
usually around e') for more ease in getting to the f". Finger-breathe this wide interval and note
the natural tongue and jaw movements inside your mouth.
•!• Note that d is the third of the chord. Every time you play a d ' or d" (concert G) during this
opening E-fl.at majar section, bring the pitch down slightly so that the vertical intonation lines
up well with the rest of the horn section and orchestra.
ARTISTRY
•!• This is an amazingly original orchestration. Wagner created an aural image of the depths of the
Rhine River filled with mystery, maidens, legend, and Rhine gold.
•!• Try to play as smoothly as possible. Use all of the tools-vowels, jaw positions, points of articula-
tion, fl.owing dairy products, and finger-breathing-to make this as seamless as possible.
•!• My adjectives: fl.owing, warm, mystical, sensuous, golden.
•:• Your adjectives:
146 •!• Wagner Das Rheingold

Wagner: Prelude toDas Rbeingold: In moto tranquillo sereno, mm. l-54
Hom8 in E.
f1oor: - 3 -2 1 2 3 3 -2 -1 1
¡¡,• .,.¡ thaw haw haw haw huh huh heh thaw haw haw haw
17 In moto tranquillo, scren~o!.:.·-------~
3
p p -
2 3 3 2 1 l 2 3 3 2 1 l
huh huh heh thaw haw haw haw huh huh heh tl1aw haw haw haw
-
, 3 3 2 1 1 ? 3
hllh hub heh thaw haw haw haw hÜh huh heh
35 . ~
3
., 1 2 3 3
,
thaw ha~ baw huh huh heh hee beh huh hÜh
41
- - semprep
1 3 -1
thaw hce beh huh haw hce
- --

REFERENCES
Christensen, Alice. The American Yoga Association Beginner's Manual. New York: Simon and
Schuster, Inc., 1987.
Conable, Barbara and Conable, William. How to Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students.
Columbus, Ohio: Andover Press, 1995.
Conable, Barbara. The Structures and Movement of Breathing: A Primer for Choirs and Choruses.
Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc., 2000.
Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code. New York: Bantam Dell, A Division of Random House, 2009.
Cuddy, Amy. Your body language shapes who you are, [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://youtu.be/Ks-_Mh1QhMc. TED Global2012.
Epstein, Eli. Horn playing from the inside out: fznger breathing, [video file] retrieved from
http:/ / www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ArerPfHbkEk. June 2013.
Epstein, Eli and Iltis, Peter. MRI Horn Videos: Pedagogy Informed by Science, Episode 1: Introduction
to the RT-MRI Horn Project. [video file] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=LTMe38uOaT8. Recorded January 2016; posted June 2016.
Epstein, Eli and Iltis, Peter. MRI Horn Videos: Pedagogy Informed by Science, Episode 2: The Role of the
Tongue and Jaw in Pitch Placement [video file] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=7Cz5HoQlfCI. Recorded January 2016; posted June 2016.
Farkas, Philip, The Art of French Horn Playing. Van Nuys California: Alfred Publishing Company;
originally published by Summy-Birchard Inc., 1956.
Greene, Don, Performance Success: Performing Your Best Under Pressure, New York and London :
Routledge (Theatre Arts), 2002.
Iltis, Peter W., Medica[ and Scientifzc Issues: The Physiology ofBreathing, The Horn Call, February 2012.
Iltis, Peter W., et al. Divergent oral cavity motor strategies between healthy elite and dystonic horn players.
Journal of Clinical Movement Disorders. 2015;2:15. doi:10.1186/s40734-015-0027-2.
Iltis, Pe ter W., et al. Ineffzciencies in Motor Strategies of Horn Players with Embouchure Dystonia,
Comparisons to Elite Performers. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, June 2016.
Iltis, Pe ter W., et al. The Role of the Glottis in Horn Performance: A Pilot Study, Medical Problems of
Performing Artists, 2017; 32 (paper under review, pending acceptance).
Kageyama, Noa, Bulletproof Musician Blog Archive, How to Make Performance Anxiety an Asset Instead
of a Liability. Retrieved from http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/how-to-make-performance-
anxiety-an-asset-instead-of-a-liability, 2016.
Mathieu, W. A. The Listening Book. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1991.
Oshinsky, James. Return to Child: Music for People's Guide to Improvising Music and Authentic Group
Leadership. Goshen, Connecticut: Music for People, 2004.
Stanislavski, Constantin. An Actor Prepares. New York: Routledge, 2003. Originally published by
Theatre Arts, 1936. Translated by Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood, 1948.
Stanislavski, Constantin. My Life in Art. Cleveland: The World Publishing Company, 1966.
Originally published by Little, Brown and Company, 1924. Translated by Elizabeth Reynolds
Hapgood, 1948.
Thompson, Katrina R. Story for Debussy's Premiere Arabesque. Unpublished essay, 2007.
•!• 149
-....
-
-
FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .-...
We stand on the shoulders of those who carne befare us. This book and my work in general would not
be possible without the support of my family, friends, and colleagues. I'm indebted to my horn
teachers: Anton Ryva, John Simonelli, Herbert Pierson, Verne Reynolds, and Roy Waas; my great -
colleagues in the Cleveland Orchestra, notably Richard King and Richard Solis, who inspired me and
challenged me; my many students, who perhaps have taught me more than anyone about playing the
horn; my parents, Jean and Herb Epstein, who instilled in me a love and passion for music, andan
endless thirst for understanding how things work; the Music for People organization, which gently
opened my eyes to a hugely positive, creative, and humanistic attitude toward making music; and
my son, Adam Epstein, without whose support and help in technical matters and in setting the
manuscript, this book would not be possible.
Special thanks to the following people whose skills, talents and generous efforts assisted me greatly
in the production of this book: Robin Friedman and Hannah Davis for graphic design of the third
edition; my editor, Deborah Sosin; Rob Roy MacGregor for patiently showing me how to publish a
book; Valerie Morhaime; Charles L. Epstein; Jim Oshinsky; Martha Rogers; Randy Gardner; Katrina
Thompson; Barbara Conable and GIA Publications, Inc.; and Keith Underwood for his kind permission .
. ris P\ ·, Frahm J, Voit D, Joseph A, Schoonderwaldt E, Altenmuller E. Divergent oral cavity motor
strategies between healthy elite and dystonic horn players. Journal of Clinical Movement Disorders.
2015;2:15. doi:10.1186/s40734-015-0027-2
© 2015 Iltis et al. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
"How to Learn the Alexander Technique" by Barbara Conable and William Conable
© 1991, 1992, 1995 by Barbara H. Conable and William Conable
Distributed by GIA Publications. Inc.
7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638
www.giamusic.com 800.442.1358
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
"Return to Child: Music for People's Guide to Improvising Music and Authentic Group Leadership,"
written and compiled by James Oshinsky
© 2004, Music for People
Distributed by Music for People, P.O. Box 397, Goshen, CT 06756
mfp@musicforpeople.org 860.491.4511
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Thompson, Katrina R. Story for Debussy's Premiere Arabesque. Unpublished essay, 2007.
Used by permission.
Photo credits for snow plow, whale, orangutan, snake and wrenches: istockphoto.
Front cover graphic art: Robin Friedman

Front cover photo: Liz Linder
"About the Author" photo: Liz Linder
Back cover design: Robín Friedman
150 ·:·
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Acclaimed for his "glowing sound," "facility," and "lyrical
freedom," Eli Epstein is a sought-after horn player, educator,
and conductor. Epstein was second horn of the Cleveland
Orchestra (1987-2005) and horn professor at the Cleveland
Institute of Music (1989-2005). Epstein has appeared several
times as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the
Cleveland Orchestra.
Epstein left the Cleveland Orchestra in 2005, and moved to

Boston to devote more time and energy toward educational and
creative endeavors. He serves on the faculties of New England
Conservatory; NEC at Walnut Hill; NEC Preparatory School,
where he is Brass Chair and the Director of the NEC Youth
Brass Ensemble; and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Epstein
has presented workshops, master classes, and recitals at
conferences, conservatories and universities throughout the
United States, Canada, and Europe. Epstein's students have
won posts in more than 25 major orchestras in North America.
An active performer, Epstein has appeared on chamber programs at Jordan Hall, Severance Hall,
Tanglewood, Philadelphia's Academy of Music, Kennedy Center, Music Academy of the West, where
he was on faculty (2005-2013), and the Aspen Music Festival, where he served as principal horn of
the Aspen Chamber Symphony (2000-2012). Epstein has collaborated with the Borromeo and
Brentano String Quartets, and has served as guest principal horn of the Rhode Island Philharmonic,
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Saint Louis Symphony. Epstein performs with the Boston Symphony
Orchestra from time to time and has played on the BSO Community Chamber Concerts series .
As a conductor, Epstein has directed ensembles at New England Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of
Music, Music Academy of the West, Longy School of Music, Boston Conservatory (on his Inside Out
series at the Arlington Street Church in Boston) andEl Sistema in Venezuela.
Advocating the idea that music can be a meaningful and uplifting force in society, in 2009 Epstein
won Grand Prize in the Entrepreneur the Arts Con test for his Inside Out Concerts, and appeared on
Heartbeat of America with William Shatner. Drawing on years of experience as a performer, educator
and entrepreneur, in 2013 Epstein joined the NEC Entrepreneurial Musicianship faculty to teach
their survey course The Entrepreneurial Musician.
Orchestral Excerpts for Low Horn, Epstein's album released in 2014, was acclaimed in The Horn Call,
Journal of the International Horn Society (2015): "The commentary, always literate, cogent, practica!,
logical and methodical, embraces historical and technical fundamentals en route to providing a path to
the exaltation of artistry...Every performance provides a sonic paragon, a rubric worthy of emulation
by student and professional alike."
For more information, view eliepstein.com.
•!• 151
APPENDIX 1: HOW TO CHOOSE AHORN .....
Choosing a horn is a personal endeavor. We all have different sound concepts and physical attributes.
The instrument we choose will have an enormous impact on the kind of artist we ultimately become.
Choosing a horn is a process. Take. your time.
Here are sorne guidelines, specific actions to take, and questions to ask yourself:
•!• Find out the age of the horn. I don't like to consider horns that are older than 40 years (unless
they've been sitting idle in a closet).
•!• If this is a used instrument, have a reliable repairman look it over and test the compression of
the valves. If the valves are leaky, it's not worth trying the horn.
•!• Warm up on your own equipment, so that you have a solid and familiar footing to start out.
•!• Use your usual mouthpiece (to keep the number of variables low). Notice how deeply the mouth-
piece goes into the receiver of the mouth pipe. Sorne European-made horns have a deeper receiver
than "American" model horns. If the horn is old and well used, the receiver for the mouthpiece
will be worn and the mouthpiece will go in further. How far the mouthpiece goes into the receiver
affects the intonation and response of the instrument. If the intonation is too high, the manufac-
turer may be able to install an "American" receiver, or swap mouth pipes.
•!• Play a few easy scales on the new horn. Notice how the horn responds. Is it an easy response or
more resistant response?
•!• Test the intonation with a tuner. The third space e" should line up on both the F and B~ horns.
Compare the intonation ofF and B~ horns on each valve combination (O, 2, 1, 12, 23) and adjust
the slides. If the B~ side is clearly higher than the F side, try to tune with the B~ tuning slide if
there is one. If you can't reconcile the intonation, I suggest moving on to another horn.
•!• Venture into the mid-high range incrementally. Starting on middle e', play slow, articulated and
legato one-octave major scales ascending by half step. Notice how the high register feels. Is it
easier or more resistant than your current equipment?
•!• Explore the low register. Starting on middle e', play slow one-octave major scales, clown then up,
descending incrementally by half step. Notice ease or resistance, openness or stuffiness in the low
range.
•!• Test the dynamic range of the horn.
•:• Play four ffhalf notes on g' .
•:• Play four pp half notes on g'.
•:• Repeat this in all four octaves, g", g', g, and G.
•:• Notice how loud (and soft) you can play with core and control.
•:• How do you like the quality of the loud and soft dynamics on this horn?
•:• What is your preference of brassiness in loud dynamics?
(Sorne like a lot of sizzle, others like more core, still others somewhere in the middle.)
•!• Test staccato agility on the new instrument.
•:• Play Kopprasch No. 3 ata good clip. How does it feel and sound?
•:• Play Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel opening. How easy is it to produce clear articulation as you
change register and dynamics?
152 •!•
•:• Test legato qualities.
•!• Play the first lines of Kopprasch No. 22.
•!• Play Brahms Symphony No. 3, Poco Allegretto solo.
•!• Notice how easy or resistant it feels to make wide slurs.
•:• Test evenness of the registers.
•:• Play Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 first movement low horn tutti.
•!• Notice how it feels to play strongly in the low register and climb out of the basement into
the high register.
•!• Do the same with Wagner's Prelude toDas Rheingold.
•:• On a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the most comfortable, how comfortable does the horn feel to play?
•:• How clase is the sound to your ideal horn sound?
•:• Will the sound of this horn blend with your colleagues' sounds?
•:• Are there any notes that feel funny or don't center? (There should be no "funny" notes.) Are there
notes that are tricky? Sometimes the high b~" on Geyer-model horns are hard to play accurately.
•:• You need to decide what you're primarily using the horn for. (All-purpose high and low? Playing
high horn all the time? Playing low horn all the time?)
•!• You need to think about how the horn could help you compensate for weaknesses in your playing.
Do you need more help in the high register? More help with articulation? Etc.
•!• If you're serious about buying this horn, have a high level professional play it and give their
unbiased opinion. (They've tested many horns over the years.)
•!• The final and most important test is how does the horn sound and project in a large concert hall?
(It's impossible to tell when playing in a small practice space.)
•:• First, recruit a panel of a few listeners who are discerning professional musicians (not
necessarily all horn players).
•!• Secure onstage time in a decent concert hall.
·:• Bring three horns, your current equipment and two new horns you've chosen. Label
them 1, 2, and 3. Do not refer to them by manufacturer name. This is a blind test for
the listeners.
•!• The panel should be seated in the audience. Ask them not to discuss their opinions with
each other untillater.
•!• Ask one of them to record the proceedings (clearly labeling each track "horn 1," "horn 2" or
"horn 3") so that you can hear later what you sounded like in the concert hall on each horn.
•!• Play a short "program" that exhibits different playing qualities: lyrical, staccato, and power.
•:• A three-octave scale at mf

•!• Brahms 3, Poco Allegretto solo (or another lyrical solo)
•!• Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel opening (or another staccato solo)
•:• Shostakovich 5, movement 1, low horn tutti (ora powerful Tchaikovsky
tutti passage)
•:• Afterwards, have a discussion. Be open-minded and consider the responses of your panel.
•!• Have one member of the panel play the same program while you listen in the audience.
A worthy horn should feel good to play, feel honest and reliable, be in excellent mechanical shape,
project very well and have a beautiful sound in a large concert hall. It should assist you in becoming
the player you dream ofbecoming. You should be able todo everything well on this instrument, high/
low, loud/soft, and staccato/legato. You should feel inspired to play on this instrument. You should
fall in love.
·:· 153
INDEX
A breathing ..... .. ... ... .. ................... ..... ........................ ... .4
abdomen ..... ...... ............. .. ... ............... 6, 7, 8, 16, 37 abdominal muscles .. ... ..... ................ ............. 6
transverse abdominal muscle ................... 7 exhale ........................................................... 4 , 6
accent ............... .. .. .. ....................... ............ .............. 34 full breath ...................... ................................... 5
air-driven sound .......... .. .. .. ................ .............. .4, 8 "heather" .......... ...... .. ...... ....... ......... .. .. ........... 43
Alexander Technique .......................................... ..4 inhale .. .............. ................................ .. .. ........ .4 , 6
alveolar ridge .............. ............ .. .. ........ .... ........ 31, 95 intercostal muscles .. ... .... ... ... ........ ... ... .. .. .. ... .4
aperture .......... ........ ...... ......................... ... ..... ... 24, 41 pelvic floor ....... ....... .... .... ......... ........ ...... .. ... ... ..6
size ........................................ 14, 29, 37, 41 , 42 rib cage ... .. ... ..... .... ....... ..... ......... ....... .. .. ........ .. ..6
Aristotle ............................................................ 56, 81 ribs ..... ........ .... .... ......... ... ...... ............ .... ....... .. .. ... .4
art iculation .................... .. .. .. .. ..... 30, 31, 35, 38, 46 breath support ................................ 2, 4 , 6, 7
accuracy .. .............. ..... 17, 23, 24, 26, 30, 46 " bulldog" .................. ............ 14, 110, 128, 134, 146
" burrs" ..... ......... ....... .. .. .. ........... .... ............ ...... 33 buzzing ........ .. ........................... .................... .... 13, 34
front compression ...................... 30-33, 46
'ront edge .......... .. ........ ........ ... 30, 34, 35, 37
· scoop ing" .. .... ................ ...... .. .......... ...... 30,37
e
sforzand i .......... .............. .. ........ ...... .30, 35, 37 cavitation .. l4, 16, 17, 20, 24, 26, 27, 33, 40, 46
s·accato .................. .. .. .... .. .............. 30, 35, 36 centering routine .......... .. ...................... .. ... .. 58, 132
a-::- de . ........................................ .. ...... .. ............... 49 Christensen , Alice ... ................................................ 9
aud it ,ons .................................... .. .. .. ..... 64, 134, 144 Conable, Barbara ........ .... ...................... 2, 4, 17, 44
breathing ......... ....... .. ............ ... ....... ................. .4
mental toughness .... .. .... .................... ........ 65
metronome .......... ... .. ........................... ...... .. . 65 holding an instrument.. ........ .. ................ .. ... 2
pac ing ....... ... .......... .. ........... .. ... ............ ..... ...... 65
" panic practicing " ...................................... 66
preparation ................................................... 64
record yourself ........................................... 65
oral space ........ .................... .. ................... l7, 25
The Structures and Movement
of Breathing .................. .. .............. ............... 44
conductor .............................................. 2, 37, 38, 41
consonants .. .... ... .......... ............ .. ............ ........ 22, 34
-
"run-throughs" .. ..... ....... ....... .. ..................... 65
travel .............................. ..... ........... ... .... .......... 66 constriction ............................................................ 43
authentic expression ...... ............................ .... .. 70 Coyle, Daniel ...... .................................. .... .. .... ...... .. 51
basic feelings ............................................... 70 crevice place ...... .......... 32, 95, 106, 112, 124, 142
fire energy ............................................... 70, 71 Cuddy, Amy ........ .. .... ............................................. 59
he y! energy ...... .... .. .. .............................. ........ 71
story writing ................................................. 77 D
water energy 1 "oooo" ....................... 70, 71 descant horn ........ .......... .... ......... 98, 108, 116, 130
y ay! energy .......... .................. ................ ...... .. 71 diagrams
Front Compression and Shape of the
B Tongue on Articulation ...... .. .......... ........... 31
Interna! "Finger-Breathing"
baffle ......................................................... 39, 40, 42
Beethoven, Ludwig van Movements .......... .. ............................. ..... .... . 45
Fidelio Overture ................................. 54, 100 Lungs Resting and Fully lnflated .. .. ........ 5
"bells up" (Shalltrichter auf) .......................... 122 Mean Jaw Movement graph ................... 25
Bishop, Ron ............................................................ 14 Mean Tongue Movement graph ...... .. .... 20
"blasting" exercise ....... .. ............... ........ ......... .... 120 Oral Cavitation graph .......... .... .......... ...... . 20
Bloom, Myron .. .... .............. .............. .. ........ ...... ..... 112 Tongue Movement for the Harmonic
body mapping ............ ....... .... ...... ...... .......... .... ........ 4 Series .. ............... ...... ........ ........ .................. .... .. 19
Boulez, Pierre ..... .. ........... ........................... ....... ... l33 Vowel Comparison ...... ................................ 21
Brain, Dennis .......... ................. .... ................ ... .... ... 42 Vowel Ranges .................................... .......... 22
breath attacks .... ................ .................................. 35 diaphragm .................... 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 37, 39, 44
double-tonguing ........ .... .................... ......... 98, 102
dynamics .. .......... 6, 8, 10, 30, 35, 39, 40, 41, 42
154 ·:·
E F
Einstein, Albert ..................................................... 42 facial muscles ................ 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 29, 47
"elastic recoil" .......................................................... 6 Farkas, Philip ......................................... 39, 40, 132
embouchure .10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 24, 26, 41, 47 The Art of French Horn Playing .. .. .. ..... 39
anchoring the rim .................................. .. .. .. 14 finger-breath
beginning student.. ................................ 10, 11 articulated finger-breath ................. 43, 46
healthy embouchure .................................. 10 basic finger-breath .............. ,........... ... 43-44
high register .. ................................................ 14 slurred finger-breath .......... ....................... 43
low register ......... ...... ... ....... ........................... 14 finger-breathing ........ 15, 29, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48
major adjustments ............................. .. ....... 12 exhale .................................... ... .. .. .. ....... ... .. .... 47
middle register ...... ................ ....................... 14 high register ............ .. ..... .. ........ ...... ...... .. .. .. .. 44
minor aberrations ............ .. .. .... .. .... .............. 10 low register ................................................... 44
minor adjustments ...... .... .......... ........ ... ....... 12 MRI images .................................. .. ........... .. .. 45
rim .......................... ...................................... 10, 11 stealth practicing .. ...... .. ............................. 47
video recorders ............................................ . 11 whistling ................................................ .44, 47
endurance .. ....................................... ...................... 16 Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich ........ ........................ 122
excerpts "Fiexibility Run " .............................. .. ................... 94
Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 1...... 98 focus ........... ...... .. ....... ..... ............ .. .. ........ ... ............... 22
Beethoven Fidelio Overture ........ ......... 100 fp .... ... .......... ..... .. ...................... ........ ... .... ... ....... 37, 120
Beethoven Symphony No. 3 ................. 102 front compression ......... ....... ...... ....... ........... 30, 32
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 .... .... ........ 106
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 ......... ....... 108 G
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 .................. 110
Gardner, Randy ................... .. .. .... ... ........ ...... .. .vi, 62
Brahms Symphony No. 2 ......................... 112
"geophysical" ........................ .. .. ... ... .. ... .. ........ .... ... 114
Brahms Symphony No. 3 ......................... 114
Gewohnlich .... .... ... .... ... .. ... .... ... .. ... ........................ 122
Bruckner Symphony No. 4 ..................... 116
glottis ..................................... .... .. .. .... 35, 36, 40-42
Mahler Symphony No. 5, Movement 3:
vocal folds ....................................... 35-36, 42
Excerpt 1 .............. ...... .......... ............ ..... 120
Greene, Don .. .. ........................... .. ... ............... 58, 63
Mahler Symphony No. 5, Movement 3:
Excerpt 2 .............................................. 122
Mendelssohn Nocturne, H
A Midsummer Night's Dream ........ 124 Hartmann, Viktor ................. ... .. .......................... 128
Mussorgsky/Ravel hertz (Hz) ................................ ............. ..... ...... ....... . 18
Pictures atan Exhibition ........... ...... 128 Herzberg, Norman ........ ....... ..... ....... ................... 33
Ravel Pavane .............. .... ............ .... ............. 132 hesitation ................... ........ .............................. 30, 37
Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major ....... 130 hypermeter ............ .. ........ ........... 98, 108, 125, 130
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 ............ 134
Strauss Ein Heldenleben ......................... 138
Strauss Till Eulenspiegel ........................ 140
identifying the emotions in the music ......... 71
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 .. ............. 142
litis, Peter ............... ................. vi, vii, 6, 18, 20, 24,
Wagner Das Rheingold ...........................146
35, 37, 40, 45, 46
Wagner Gotterdammerung .................. 144
incisor ............................................................... .. ..... 26
exercises
inhale ......................................... .................... .. .. 4, 6, 8
daily exercises ............................................. 82
intercostal muscles .. ................. ................ 4, 6, 44
fps ........................................................... 37, 120
intonation ............................. ................... 41, 42, 152
isometric exercises .............. ... .................... 16
Jaw Position/Vowel Exercise ......... ... ..... 29
miniature staircase .................................... 33 J
One-Note Exercise ..................................... 33 Jacobs, Arnold ... .. .......... ...................................... 43
exhale ... .... .. .................. ............................. ... 4, 6 jaw movement ...................................................... 43
hissing sound .................................................. 7 jaw positions ............................... 12-14, 16, 24-30,
expression ................................ 22, 23, 30, 34, 35 35, 43, 44, 47, 96, 100, 128, 134, 138, 146
temporomandibular joints ...................... 24
Jones, Mason ................................................117, 142
·:· 155
K o
-
Kageyama, Noa .................................................... 58 offstage ..... .. ... .... .. .. ... ....... ........ .... .... ........ ......... ... .. 145
King, Martin Luther Jr..... ...... ....... ..... ... ... ............ 57 One-Note Exercise ....... 32, 33, 37, 106, 114, 116,
King, Richard ........ .. .... ...... .. .... ......... ..... ........ ... ..... 142 120, 132, 142, 146
L p
Landsman, Julie ............ .. .......... .................. ..... ...... .8 Padgett, Jaye ..................... .................................... 17
larynx .. .... ...... .. .. .. .............. .. ....... ............ ... ......... ...... 39 Parker, Charlie ... ... ......... .. .... ... .... .. .......... .. .... ... ... ... 70
legato articulation ............. 34, 35, 106, 124, 130 pavane .................................................................... 132
lip slur ............................................................... 24, 25 pelvic floor ........................................................... 4, 6
"lip trills" ................... ... ................. ...................... .. ... 27 pharyngeal muscles ........................................... 44
listening ... ................................................... ..... . 33, 55 pianissimo ............................................... 39, 40, 42
Liuzzi , Don ............. .. ............................. .. .... .. ... .... .. 64 pickup piece ......................................................... 124
long-tones ...... ........................................ .41, 84, 120 points of articulation .. ......... ........................... ... 30
long torsos ................................................................ 2 position
low register ............. 11, 14, 15, 24, 28, 29, 34, 37 bell ..................................................................... 2
lungs ....................... .... ... ..... ... ......... .... ........... .. ....... 4, 5 right hand .... ... .. ..... .. ... .. .... .. ....... ....................... 3
posture ...... .................. .. ... ......... .... .. ..... ..... ...... ... 1
M practicing ...... ..... ....... .... .. .......... ............................. 49
analyze ...... ... ......................................... ... .. .. .. 53
ah1 er Symphony No. 1 .................................... 65
artist side of your brain ............................ 55
rnanag 'ng performance anxiety
backwards ....... ............................... .. ... .... .. ... . 54
adrena li ne .. .... .... ...................... .. .... ... ............. 57
becoming your own best teacher ........ 50
bui lding courage ........................................ 63
change rhythmic patterns ........ .............. 53
centering ....... .............. ... .... ... ..... .... ... ....... ..... 58
critica! voices ...................... ......................... 49
defining our purpose ................................ 62
eyes closed ................................................... 54
dry mouth ..................................................... 59
finger-breathe .... ... ...................................... 53
"fight or flight " ........... ....... ......... ... .. ..... ........ 57
listening .................... ...... ...... ........ ..... .. ..... ...... 55
final thoughts ................ .. ... ..... .. ..... ........ ...... 63
Mathieu, W. A. .............................................. 56
heart rate ........................................................ 57
metronome ... .. ....... .... ... ........ .. ........ .......... ... 55
helpful self-talk ........................................... 60
mindfully .. ... .. ... .. ..... ..... ... .... .... .... ................... 54
mental rehearsal ............. .... ........................ 58
notebook ......... ..... .. .. ... .... ... .... .. ....... ....... ....... 52
perfectionism .......... ..... ............ ............ ... ... 62
perform the impossible .......... ........ ......... 56
power poses ................................................. 59
record ....................................... ............... .. ..... 55
reducing muscular tension .......... .. ......... 58
regularly ......................................................... 52
reducing our imagined sense of
self-teaching styles .... .. ............................. 49
danger .. ... .... ..... ...... ........................................ 59
slow motion ........... .. ... ....... .. ...... .. .. .. ............. 53
mantra .............. .... ..... ............................................... 13
timer ........ ... ... ................. .. ............................... 55
breathe, support, set, play ..................... 132
tuner ......... ......... ............................... ............... 55
Mendelssohn, Felix
unwind ............................................................ 52
Nocturne, A Midsummer
warm up ......................................................... 53
Night's Dream ...................... .45, 46, 76, 124
primary motor cortex ........................................ 30
meters ..................................................................... 128
pulsation of blowing pressure ........................ .37
"methods staff" ............................................. 95, 96
mistakes ............. .. .. ................... ... .... .. ...... ............ ... 56
MRI images .... .. ......... 5, 17, 19, 21, 26, 30-32, 35, R
36, 39-41, 45, 46 Ravel, Maurice
lung cavity ....... ... ........................ .......... .... ........ ... ..... 5 L'Enfant et les Sortileges ...................... 130
MRI study .......... .. ...... ..... vii, viii, ix, 17, 24, 25, 39 Pavane .................................................... 22, 132
muscle memory ................................ 12, 26, 33, 51 record yourself .............................................. 42, 65
myelin ....................................................................... 51 release .... .... .. ........................ .. .. ..... ............ ....... ....... 32
ribs .......... ....... ........................... .................. ............... .. 4
N Rilke, Rainer Maria ............................................. .48
Rowling, J. K ........................................................... 74
New England Conservatory ............. ....... 43, 151
Ryder, Wendell .......... ............ .. ............ .... ............... vi
156 ·:·
S u
Sachs, Michael ........................................................ vi Underwood, Keith ............................................... 43
scales ................................ ... ......... .................... 33, 90
"scoop" .......... ... .......... ....... ........... ...................... .... .. 37 V
Sebring, Richard ........................................... 65, 68
valve .... .. .............. ... .. .... ........... ................ .. ......... 39-41
security ................................................................... 40
vertical intonation ........................... 106, 124, 146
Shostakovich, Dmitri
visualization
Symphony No. 5 .......................... 28, 77, 134
Aspen, Colorado ................... ... ....... .......... .125
sit bones .............................................................. ....... 1
bow used in archery ................................... 12
sitting ......... .... ...... ... .................. ..... ... ............ ... ............ 1
"bulldog" ................................ 14, 26, 90, 102
slide positions ..................................................... 106
dairy products ............ ........... 37, 41-42, 102,
slurring
106-107, 112, 116, 132, 142, 146
"h" sound ............................. .......... ...... .. ........ 22
empty chair .................................................. 50
solfege ...... .... ...... .. ........ .. ............................... .. .. ...... 23
garden hose .................... .. ........ .. .... .. 10, 17, 18
Solis, Richard ..... ....... .. .... ..................................... 142
"monkey face" ..................... 14, 26, 90, 102,
spine ... ...... .......... ... .......... ... ..................................... 1, 2
110, 116, 120, 128, 134, 146
Stanislavski, Constantin ............................. 70, 121
pasta ............. ... ................. .. .. ... ......... ..... .. .37, 42
costume and scene visualization .. ........ 75
pencillead .. ............................ ........ 12, 86, 108
creative exercise ...................................... .... 74
popsicle stick .............. .. ........ ...... .. ............... 25
emotional memory ................... 73, 125, 142
room filled with a ir pressure .......... ...... .. 34
"Magic lf" .......... ....................... .. ............. 77, 121
ses ame seed .. ............................... 34, 37, 140
physical/emotional
snake's mouth .. ... ..................... .. ................... 15
body visualization ................... .. .................. 75
snowplow ..... .. .. ... .. .. ... .. ... .... ... .. .... .. .............. .. .. 7
Stockhausen, Karl Heinz ...... .. .. ............ ............. 39
stopper .... .. ... ... ........................ .. .... .. ............... 32
Strauss, Richard
tongue staircase ........ ..... ... ...... 110, 120, 140
Don Juan .......................... ............. ...... ......... 22
whale ... .. ...... ........ ..... ........... .. .... .... .... ..... ... .. 8, 16
Ein Heldenleben ..................... ll, 28, 65, 138
wrench set ............................ .24, 28, 86, 134
Till Eulenspiegel ...... 11, 28, 36, 37, 46, 140
vowels .......................... ..... l2, 13, 16-18, 20, 22-25,
The Structures and Movement
27, 33, 35, 44, 47
of Breathing .......................................................... 44
subdivide .............. .. ... 102, 106, 110, 112, 124, 135,
138, 140, 146 w
"surprise" breath ............................................... 108 Waas, Roy ............... .. ........ .. ..... ............................. 138
swelling habit ....................... ....... ........ ... .... .. ....... .. 24 warm-up .... ... ... ........ .......... .... ... ... ................. ... ..... .. . 81
swelling issue in slurs ......................................... 28 buzzing .......................................................... 82
Szell, Georg e .... ........................... ............. .. ........... 112 long tones ....................... ............. ....... .......... 84
mirror practice .... .. ............ ........................... 81
resting ............ ... ............... .. ................... ... .. ..... 82
T
short warm-up ................ ... ....... ...... ... .. ........ 93
The Talent Code .......... .......................................... 51
whistle ............................ ....... ....... .... ..... .......... .44, 47
temporomandibular joints ........................ 24, 26
tension .... .... .......... 2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 15, 37, 41, 43, 47
Thomas, Michael Tilson .................................... 142
tongue
anterior body ............................................... 30
front compression ................ 30, 32, 33, 46
retracted position ...................................... 20
upper edge .... .... ........................................... 30
tongue movement ........................................ ...... 29
tongue shapes ........................... 19-21, 24, 43, 44
"top of the tip of the tongue" ................. 34, 37
trachea ................................................................... 44
Tuckwell, Barry ....... .. ............ ... ...... ........ ... .... .... 3, 33
right hand adjustments ............................... 3
tuner .... .... ...... .......... .......................................... 42, 55
"twah" ..... ... ..................................................... ......... 28
•!• 157
-
1
{
Work with sound until you are absolutely amazed that

you can produce such a sound,
and it seems to you that you are just the
instrument through which the divine pied piper blows
the whisper of the incantation of his magic spell.
-VILAYAT INAYAT KHAN
--
EEP 100103
Horn Playing $19.95
from the lnside Out

A Method for All Brass Musicians
"Eli Epstein's crea tive, personal approach to horn "In these pages, Eli Epstein shares thoughts that ftow
pedagogy and music making is both innova tive and from his distinguished professional experience and
inspiring. His passionate, detailed approach gives deep reftection about his art. Epstein is a master
many interesting tools to help improve one's teacher and innovative musician who thinks outside
playing, and has the power to excite us to practice the box."
more intelligently and explore music more deeply." RANDY GARDNER
JENNIFER MONTONE Horn Professor, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of
Principal Horn, Philadelphia Orchestra Music; Author, "Mastering the Horn's Low Register"
Professor of Horn, Curtís Institute of Music and "Good Vibrations"
"With this book, Eli Epstein offers a terrific window "An overwhelmingly stimulating and productive
into his philosophical and practical approach to treatise ...which will yield positive inftuence on legions
playing music. Whether you are a beginner ora of horn players-students and professionals alike."
professional, information here can help make your PETERKURAU
playing better...This is an absolutely terrific resource: Horn Professor, Eastman School of Music
All brass players should have this wonderful new The Horn Call, Journal of the International Horn Society
book at the top of their practice stacks."
MICHAEL SACHS "One of the most substantial and significant horn
Principal Trumpet, Cleveland Orchestra method books to be published in years."
Professor of Trumpet, Cleveland Institute of Music JOHN ERICSON
Horn Professor, Arizona State University in Horn Matters
"Eli Epstein's exceptionally artistic and consistent
playing has been a real joy for me to hear for many "Clear, concise information on how to play music
years. His success as a teacher is well known. Now, on a brass instrument. Highly recommended for all
through this great new book, a much wider audience trombonists."
will be able to put his methods to work. Bravo, Eli!" RALPH SAUER
RICHARD KING Former Principal Trombone, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Principal Horn, Cleveland Orchestra
Professor of Horn, Cleveland Institute of Music "... Many of the ideas that Eli posited in the past were
really quite accurate and have been supported by the
"Mr. Epstein's book is the new Kopprasch. This is an evidence afforded by the MRI project. Eli's willing-
approach that covers every aspect of brass playing ness to adapt to new information provided by our
in a way that's systematic, easy to understand and research in Germany presents a stellar example of
easy to apply. When 1 approach m y instrument using how a true master teacher continues to grow...This
Epstein's positive, effective techniques, 1 find myself book, I believe, will be another classic."
more confident, more creative, and much more at
PETER ILTIS, PhD
ease in my chair." Professor of Horn and Kinesiology
ROBERT REARDEN Gordon College
Second Horn, National Symphony Orchestra
$19.95
Eli Epstein Productions ISBN 978-0-9854272-1-4
21 Brington Road 51995>
Brookline, MA 02445
www.EliEpstein.com
Front cover photo: Liz Linder

9 780985 427214

Horn Playin From The Inside Out El Epstein

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Horn Playin From The Inside Out El Epstein

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Horn Playin From The Inside Out El Epstein

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

A Method For All Brass Musicians

Part 1: The Basics

PART 11: Musicianship

PART 111: Power Warm-Up and Daily Exercises ....................................................................................81

References ............................................................................................................................................................ 149

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION

MRI Horn: The Inside Story

e e e' e" e"' e""

Part 1: The Basics •!• 1

OUR BREATHING APPARATUS

4 •:• Chapter 2: Breath ing

Front view resting, thoracic cavity Front view fully inflated

Side view resting Side view fully inflated

Top view resting Top view inflated

Part 1: The Basics •:• 5

6 •:• Chapter 2: Breathing

Here's a visualization that works well:

An un usual way to think about sup-

Part 1: The Basics •!• 7

I warm up every day in front of a big mirror on my

HOW WE BREATHE IN 15 HOW WE BREATHE OUT

8 •:• Chapter 2: Breathing

Part 1: The Basics •:• 9

In this section, we will explore the following topics:

•!• Understanding the hallmarks and principies of a healthy embouchure

HALLMARKS OF A HEALTHY EMBOUCHURE

10 •:• Chapter 3: Embouchure

INTRODUCING HORN EMBOUCHURE TOA NEW STUDENT

3. Keep the chin naturally straight, fl.at, and square.

Part 1: The Basics •:• 11

12 •!• Chapter 3: Embouchure

SETTING THE EMBOUCHURE: THE COUNTDOWN-TO-PLAYING MANTRA

Part 1: The Basics •!• 13

STARTING NOTES IN THE MIDDLE REGISTER

STARTING NOTES IN THE LOW REGISTER

Thinking "monkey face" softens the corners of the

14 •!• Chapter 3: Embouchure

The easiest antidote to this unhealthy situation is to be aware

Part 1: The Basics •:• 15

ACHIEVING THE "AIR-DRIVEN SOUND"

16 •:• Chapter 3: Embouchure

In The Structures and Movement of Breathing, Barbara Conable states:

INTRODUCTION TO THE VOWELS

Part 1: The Basics •:• 17

AN ORGANIZED SYSTEM OF VOWELS

18 •:• Chapter 4 : Vowels

Part 1: The Bas ics •!• 19

Oral Cavitation Ascending Harmonics Elite

20 •:• Chapter 4: Vowels

Elite player #1 Elite player #2 Epstein saying vowels

Part 1: The Bas ics •:• 21

SLURRING WITH THE VOWELS

22 •:• Chapter 4: Vowels

The body is shaped, disciplined, honored, and in time, t rusted.

Part 1: The Basics •:• 23

In this chapter, we will explore the following:

•!• How vowels and jaw positions work

Peter Iltis introduces the next graph: