In this video lesson, Expert Katherine Liesener teaches how to use training methods for learning difficult French horn pieces.



Transcript: KATHERINE LIESENER: "Hi! I'm Katie and I'm here on behalf of expertvillage.com to talk about the best way to improve on a piece of music as a French hornist. So as you been playing French horn for a while you will likey be playing groups of other people and there are going to be passages in certain pieces of music that would like give you trouble. You are not going to get better at those passages by simple pounding away at them and trying to play them over and over if they are giving you trouble. The best thing to do in practice is to start by slowing it way way down and that is so much more effective then trying to play it as in its regular tempo and flubbing it every time. Bring the tempo way down so it is nice and slow, so it is manageable for you and practice it that way first keeping a study time. Maybe that passage nice and slow. If there is a particular part of a passage that gives you trouble go ahead and practice it over and over and over to get the feel for it. And so forth whatever it takes to really slow a certain section down and get it right. Once you have got it down at a slow tempo you could gradually build it back up so it is a little bit faster. And faster. It will get easier and easier until you are at the tempo where it should be and that is the most effective way to practice a passage of music."

1. How to Play French Horn: Getting Started
2. How to Hold the French Horn
3. How to Use Mouthpiece Pressure on a French Horn
4. How to Use Embouchure & Lips on a French Horn
5. Sounding Notes on a French Horn
6. How to Play a French Horn with Complex Fingerings
7. Understanding Volume Dynamics on a French Horn
8. Changing Pitch With Embouchure on a French Horn
9. How to Adjust French Horn Intonation With Slides
10. Hand Stopping the Bell on a French Horn
11. Adjusting French Horn Intonation with the Hand-in-Bell Technique
12. Stopping & Muting on a French Horn
13. Slurring Notes on a French Horn
14. Legato Tonguing on a French Horn
15. How to Play Staccato Notes on a French Horn
16. How to Play Accenting Notes on a French Horn
17. How to Play Glissando Notes on a French Horn
18. Emptying the Spit Valve on a French Horn
19. How to Oil the Valves on a French Horn
20. How to Grease the Slides on a French Horn
21. French Horn Practice Tips
22. French Horn Training Methods
23. How to Play the French Horn Standing Up

In this course, eHow Expert Katherine Liesener gives 23 video lessons on How To Play the French Horn. Learn basic tips and techniques for playing this brass instrument, including how to hold the horn, form proper embouchure, and changing pitch using your lips, the rotary valves, or by putting your hand in the bell. Also learn some intermediate French horn skills involving orchestral music, like how to play slurs, legato, glissando, staccato, and accent notes. Finally, get some practical care and maintenance tips for your horn, as well as some basic guidelines for creating a practice routine.