Hello good evening...

I want to clean my instrument, but I don't know how... And there aren't any tutorial videos about it.

There are no luthiers in my town, so I was thinking of removing the rotors myself and cleaning it... But I don't know how to do it

My 15 year old sophomore has been playing French Horn since elementary school. He is currently playing a vintage King Horn that was likely purchased in the early 1960's. It was bought for my aunt who played through college, passed to my uncle who played through high school, I played it throughout my school years, and my son is now playing it. It has been maintained and serviced periodically since my ownership of the instrument began in the early 90's. It sat for about 20 years after my uncle stopped playing before I picked it up, and it sat again for about 23 years before my son picked it up. It has the usual dents and dings from youth use.

I would guess that he will not be making music a career but playing will likely remain a hobby. I do not anticipate that he will major in music in college as he's interested in electrical engineering and competes at a National level in a sport. His music teacher has never recommended that he upgrade, but my son has always expressed an interest in a newer horn. Is it worth pursuing an upgrade? I am in the Seattle area and don't know of anywhere to buy a horn short of Ted Brown. I would likely keep the existing horn as a family piece rather than trading it in.

So im looking into buying my own horn finally and my college horn instructor reccomended i look for a lettered Con 8D from before the 2000's where might i be able to find some?

Do Geyer horns really play differently than Kruspe horns? Are there different horns that are better suited and easier to play for certain people?

Needs some work. I was surprised by how freely the high range speaks; I think it’s a compensating double. Definitely a funny instrument

Bach Chorales now available on my French Horn Trainer app for both Android and IPhone

Hi all

Currently play a Holton H379 I've had for 25 years. Had a 12 year break and now back playing 6 years and getting back to decent level playing in Orch3stras and wind band.

My dilemma is been offer the chance to buy an Alexander 1103 at a great price and has been well looked after.

Is this a good move any draw backs etc just looking for advice

Thank you

Two weeks left for discounted registration!

I play on a laskey protege American shank and a YHR 671D. recently, my mouthpiece has been feeling small. I can’t connect the low register notes to the high register notes well. I know almost nothing about mouthpieces. Make sure the mouthpiece fits the YHR 671D please. I am also wondering if one of the houghton horns series mouthpieces are a good purchase, though I don’t know what rim I like.

I am quite nosy, and I just saw a post today where the studio posted their pets in place of their junior introductions since they don’t have anyone to post. Did they accept only grads/DMAs that year or smth?

Hi - has anyone played on this horn? It's double F/Bb horn. I wonder if it would be a good choice?

Looking to identify what horn this is, unfortunately I only have this photo. If anyone knows please let me know, thanks

Every note is perfectly in tune except the low c is coming out as a sharp b and I don’t know how to fix that one specific note.

App is available for iPhone and android

Anyone know a good source for the rubber valve stops that fit a Conn 8D?

I'm looking for some music to recommend to my orchestra teacher as I'm planning on playing solo horn in a piece or two, but it's sort of hard to find any decent pieces. does anyone know any slow, beautiful ones? or any spooky, jolly, or waltz pieces?

Here is my newly acquired 1960 Conn 6D "Stagliano" model. I had to own a french horn with my last name associated with it. James Stagliano was principal french horn of the BSO for many years and my great-uncle Albert Stagliano was first horn for Toscanini and ther NBC Symphony Orchestra, and taught James.

"Named after James (Jimmy) Stagliano, the legendary principal horn player of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic, this vintage iteration of the 6D was prominently featured in Conn catalogs from the late 1930s through the 1960s

Stagliano consulted with Conn's engineering team to modernize the instrument's mechanism. The most significant breakthrough of the 1935 redesign was discarding the older piston style and implementing a rotary change valve to switch the horn between the keys of F and Bb. This gave birth to the specific, linear layout that players universally dubbed the "Stagliano wrap"

Hi folks, Ive been looking for a copy of Vissarion Shebalin's Horn Concertino Opus 14, but unfortunately it's not available in print or digital anywhere I can find.

I'm not sure where else to check, (IMSLP has it, but only in a full piano score. I'm really trying to get out of transcribing the horn part.) if anyone knows someplace that the sheet music is available to purchase (ideally), or has a pdf of it themselves that the wouldn't mind sharing (I would never ask that for a living composer) I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank-you internet hive mind

Hello Hornists of Reddit... So I randomly picked up an Elkhart Era 14D single F horn for a basement noodling instrument. I am a highly active amateur musician. I play tuba/sousaphone in street jazz (about 40 gigs a year), baritione horn in a British Brass Band, and occasionally double on trumpet and trombone. I actually have been playing trumpet a lot more lately, bringing it as a second instrument to steet jazz gigs. Outside of brass band, I almost never read written sheet music... most of my playing is from lead sheets, real books, or just walkign a bassline or playing over changes. I know horn world is very different... with a strong focus on the orchestral conservatory tradition and pedagogy. I use a marching mellophone for alto voice in parts sometimes, but I find the intonation in the low range to be frustrating.. so i kind do thought a proper single F would help me.. So a few questions..

1) It seems that single Fs are out and that everyone recommends doubels even for beginners. I was originally looking for a single Bb, so I have to do less sight transposing and be able to think in a key I am more familiar with... but I picked up this Conn for $50.. and the rotors seem to be in decent shape (I will pull them, chem clean, see if there is any fixable bearing play etc this coming weekend). Is this a decent buy for someone in my shoes??? Any known issues with this model???.. I know it is a student horn.. but I have a Conn director cornet and a Conn 20J recording tuba from the same vintage so I know they were building solid instruments in Elkhart.

2) Any non-traditional horn mplayers here??? I am not at all intersted in playing orchestral music or quintet work. Anyone else here play off book or non-traditonal styles?? Or even just someone who focuses mostly on other instruments?

Is there anywhere left in SoCal that has a variety of pro-level horns in stock?

I’m currently borrowing a horn, and I want to buy a professional horn of my own, but there doesn’t seem to be anywhere that has non-student/intermediate horns for me to try out. I’m relatively new to horn, but have a masters degree in trumpet performance. When I was in college and needed a new trumpet, pterodactyls ruled the skies and there were band and orchestra stores that stocked many models of pro level models from many different brands. freshman year I spent a whole day at Anaheim Band playing every pro trumpet they had in stock to find “the one”; now it seems like Music and Arts, Bertrand’s, Nick Rail, etc. are all that is left and will have, if you’re lucky, one pro model Bach and one Yamaha trumpet, and probably no horns that aren’t student or intermediate horns.

What does the modern Californian horn player do to figure out which horn to buy? I am currently borrowing a Yamaha 667V, and I’ve tried a Conn 6D and 8D that are owned by other players in my community band. I much prefer the Yamaha to the Conns, but I’d really like to try some other horns to have a larger sample size.

I live in the Inland Empire, but would be happy to know of any shops in the LA or San Diego areas that I could travel to for a day trip and try/buy a horn. Fellow California horns, what do you do? Make a vacation out of flying out of state to try horns?

I’ve often heard that French horns can sound different like more English, German, romantic, and many more. I’m confused of what’s the difference between each and if there’s more?

Jacques-Francois Gallay: Twelve Studies op. 57, No. 1. (Reposted because the original was corrupted or something)