In a message dated 03/15/2004 5:59:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: is the Eb horn bad, too? Or is there a magical quality about Horn in F? I doubt that in the early days of natural horns, teachers would have insisted on beginners playing on the F crook only. Plus, you change the inherent pitch base of the horn every time you depress a valve... So should students play all notes open??? You went a little too far there. There is a reason why the horn has become written in F. It sounds the best, plain and simple. As for "I doubt that in the early days of natural horns, teachers would have insisted on beginners playing on the F crook only" of course they wouldn't have. That's not what these people are saying at all, the people back then were using the resources they had, as they are now. It is just generally more accepted that it is fundamentally better for a student to learn on a single F over a single Bb. While there are some advantages to playing a Bb, they are mostly for advanced players to get a slight edge on playing fast licks and for note accuracy. Eventually the student will move to a double horn. Why should that pose as more of a challenge? A student should feel like he is improving his playing by switching to a double, not hindering it because now he has to be annoyed by the F side. Learn the hard way first. It will make it easier in the long run.
Michael Scheimer, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Student _______________________________________________ post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] set your options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
