I am 74 years old and have played horn for 60 years. Lately i have struggled with the weight of a double horn so bought a single "F" horn and rediscovered the joy of playing. I believe the single F is extremely under rated and wrongly described as a beginner's instrument.
Vindication!! It’s been many years since I’ve regularly played horn, but I used an F single for my entire time in school, despite my classmates moving onto double horns rather quickly. I still have that horn; I just need to take it to a repair shop to get it set up and cleaned and all that jazz. And everything you said in this video is absolutely true. Accuracy is a problem above third-space C, and particularly above high G, but it’s so much more free-blowing than a double horn and the tone quality is so much more old-fashioned in how it acquires that “edge” a lot quicker in the dynamic range. And it’s SO much lighter than a double, too.
Yes absolutely! If you can make it work, it's an absolute blast. I have a couple nee single F horns to showcase on the channel as well, new video soon!
I wholeheartedly agree with you about the tonal quality of an F Horn. Traditionally, before valves, when crooks were the only way to change the pitch of the instrument, players settled on an F because it was realised that it provided a beauty of tone - the dark, warm undertones and the bright edginess to the louder notes but still with that gorgeous background roundness. I used to play semi-professionally for many years on a Conn 28D. The F side on that was superb and I generally preferred it to the Bflat side. Sometimes it even went well in the riskier high stuff.
Hell yeah man! Single f horns are ideal for maintaining correct fundamentals. For me they are great for warming up and doing excercises to see if my technique is right. I too am attracted to it’s tonal qualities and when I was at undergrad we played on natural horns as well. And that was so incredible to hear the authentic sound for horn playing. It was much harder in some respects too with hand technique but a joy to learn and play. Can you imagine learning music back then? And hunting and all that stuff lol.
Yes totally! If you think this is cool, you should check out my more recent Vienna horn video! That’s so cool you got to play natural horn, I would love to get a chance to play it as well.
Andrew! I'm so glad I came across this video! You sound great on that horn! Hope your studies are going spectacular and can't wait to see how far you go, cuz...... You will! Wish you the best! Manny Collazo
Yes, I will try and play Pictures at an Exhibition! I love that piece. I think it's Catherine, am I right? :) Btw, I'm so sorry I haven't written it so long, I've been so busy😖
I am 74 years old and have played horn for 60 years. Lately i have struggled with the weight of a double horn so bought a single "F" horn and rediscovered the joy of playing. I believe the single F is extremely under rated and wrongly described as a beginner's instrument.
I agree! I’m so glad you’ve rediscovered your joy in playing horn, I hope you get many more years still to enjoy!
Me too. I'm 79 and still playing a single F as horn 2 in a good band.
Vindication!! It’s been many years since I’ve regularly played horn, but I used an F single for my entire time in school, despite my classmates moving onto double horns rather quickly. I still have that horn; I just need to take it to a repair shop to get it set up and cleaned and all that jazz. And everything you said in this video is absolutely true. Accuracy is a problem above third-space C, and particularly above high G, but it’s so much more free-blowing than a double horn and the tone quality is so much more old-fashioned in how it acquires that “edge” a lot quicker in the dynamic range. And it’s SO much lighter than a double, too.
Yes absolutely! If you can make it work, it's an absolute blast. I have a couple nee single F horns to showcase on the channel as well, new video soon!
Single F’s are so squirrelly. I couldn’t go back to that! God Bless you!
Hahaha😂 , yeah, I guess something about the challenge squirelly-ness is attractive to me. Fun times😊.
The sound is glorious when it hits just right. Perhaps though, a more fruitful route would be getting a Vienna horn. Grad school in Vienna? 🧐
@@kennethbrush7300 Yeah totally. Omg that would be pretty amazing! I honestly have thought about that from time to time :D
I once found a squirrel family living in my horn. Could that be the reason?
@Greg Monks hahaha, too funny😂
Seriously the music you played made me think of dawn and the first glimpse of sunshine :D
That's really the idea actually! I was playing music from Strauss' Alpine Symphony, which has a "Sun" theme in it, very beautiful stuff :))
I wholeheartedly agree with you about the tonal quality of an F Horn. Traditionally, before valves, when crooks were the only way to change the pitch of the instrument, players settled on an F because it was realised that it provided a beauty of tone - the dark, warm undertones and the bright edginess to the louder notes but still with that gorgeous background roundness. I used to play semi-professionally for many years on a Conn 28D. The F side on that was superb and I generally preferred it to the Bflat side. Sometimes it even went well in the riskier high stuff.
Hell yeah man! Single f horns are ideal for maintaining correct fundamentals. For me they are great for warming up and doing excercises to see if my technique is right. I too am attracted to it’s tonal qualities and when I was at undergrad we played on natural horns as well. And that was so incredible to hear the authentic sound for horn playing. It was much harder in some respects too with hand technique but a joy to learn and play. Can you imagine learning music back then? And hunting and all that stuff lol.
Yes totally! If you think this is cool, you should check out my more recent Vienna horn video! That’s so cool you got to play natural horn, I would love to get a chance to play it as well.
Andrew! I'm so glad I came across this video! You sound great on that horn! Hope your studies are going spectacular and can't wait to see how far you go, cuz...... You will!
Wish you the best!
Manny Collazo
Thank you Manny! I hope you are doing well!
Great. Which Mouthpiece are you using? Laskey 775F
Thanks! I use a Holton MDC on the King single, and a Laskey 75G on the Lanstro, with a detachable Osmun LS75 rim on both mouthpieces.
@@andrewstump6138 Thank you so much.
I have Jupiter french Horn. Any suggestions which mouthpiece is best?
May I have one video of you playing Pictures At An Exhibition?
Yea bold of me ask for one XD
Btw do you know who I am? >:3
Yes, I will try and play Pictures at an Exhibition! I love that piece.
I think it's Catherine, am I right? :)
Btw, I'm so sorry I haven't written it so long, I've been so busy😖