Suitable French horn mouthpiece

GaryBT · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:05 pm Post subject: Suitable French horn mouthpiece

I am an moderately good amateur trumpet player who plays in a community band and a community orchestra. I am interested in learning to play the french horn to fill in when needed in the orchestra. What size french horn mouthpiece should I buy? My regular trumpet mouthpiece is a Schilke 15.
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kehaulani · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:19 pm Post subject:

As a trumpeter/French hornist, I've played a number of mpcs. but keep coming back to the Schilke 30, the original Farkas model. You might give it a try.
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mafields627 · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:25 pm Post subject:

The standard is a Holton Farkas MDC....kind of like the ubiquitous Bach 3C. I demo a lot for the horn players in my beginning band classes and I like something a little wider, like a Bach 11.
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Crazy Finn · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:49 pm Post subject:

mafields627 · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:59 pm Post subject:

Richard III · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 2:01 pm Post subject:

Take a look at the Denis Wick Paxman mouthpieces. Not expensive and very responsive. When I started playing horn again, I tried to match the diameter with my trumpet mouthpiece. It worked for a short time. Here's the issue. With the inherit instability of horn due to the close harmonics, a larger diameter piece really helps stabilize the sound and tone. I went a little larger in diameter for horn and everything really came together.

If you want specifics, I was playing a Curry 7 size trumpet mouthpiece, matched it with a Wick Paxman 9. But later increased it to a Wick Paxman 5.5 size. Now comes the other side of the coin. After playing many months on horn and mellophone, I've increase the diameter of the trumpet mouthpieces to a size Curry 3. Not the same diameter, but it works for me.
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stumac · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 2:03 pm Post subject:

I have been doubling on French Horn for 20 years, the best horn mp I have found is a Halsted-Paxman-Chidel 24 with an AX18 rim, very comfortable with a similar feel to a trumpet rim.

Regards, Stuart.

GaryBT · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 2:44 pm Post subject:

stumac · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:12 pm Post subject:

For several years I sat next to a player that played transposed horn parts on an Eb Tenor horn, even giving him an old V cup tenor horn mouthpiece instead of the C cup he was using the sound just did not blend, I eventually convinced him to go back to Trumpet to the relief of the other horn players.

I play on the Bb side of a compensating horn, the only difficulties I experienced for a while was the change in fingering going between the two instruments.

Be prepared for a lot of donkey work, currently we are rehearsing Ravel Bolero, the 2nd horn (my chair) has 132 bars doubling the side drum on the one note in 18 bar sections alternating with the 4th horn.

Have fun.

Regards, Stuart.

GaryBT · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:47 pm Post subject:

Stuart (stumac), do you have a fingering chart for a compensating french horn. I am assuming that the use of the thumb key is the opposite of a true double horn: Open on the higher notes (above second line G) and engaged for the lower F side notes.
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Antoine Courtois Cornet (unknown model)
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stumac · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2017 11:57 pm Post subject:

Just Google French horn fingering chart, there are plenty on line, I do not have one.

I don't think there is a hard and fast rule for the thumb trigger, my first compensating horn was a French Selmer, in F, trigger depressed goes to Bb, My Alexander 102ST the trigger linkage can be moved to move each way, because of arthritis in my left thumb I leave the trigger in Bb, press for F.

The main thing to watch on the Bb horn playing F parts is the second line G is very out of tune (1st valve), Better to play it open on the F side.

Regards, Stuart.

Andy Cooper · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 8:44 am Post subject:

To a certain extent, it depends on what part your are playing. 2nd and 4th usually get the low notes and as I remember, 1st and 3rd get the higher register.

I used a Bach 10 which had a wider than normal rim, then had a custom mouthpiece made up with a trumpet rim. Consider a mouthpiece with a wide rim since it will moderate your trumpet player approach to the horn.

Richard III · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:07 am Post subject:

Richard III · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:10 am Post subject:

furcifer · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:31 am Post subject:

Schilke 15A4a, and play all the horn parts up an octave (or two). That'll show 'em.
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cheiden · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:45 am Post subject:

I bought a Faxx Farkas MC mouthpiece that worked out just fine. As I recall it was pretty inexpensive. Sam Ash advertised price is around $24. FWIW I use a Bach 3C rim on my Bb and a Yamaha 14F4 on the flugel and the transition to the French Horn piece was not at all unreasonable. With just about a month to acclimate I was able to play the Horn from the pedal register to the Bb above the staff which allowed me to play a production of Les Miserables. I believe it was an old Conn 8D that I borrowed from a local school for the run.
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