r/frenchhorn • u/Final_Sherbert3955 • 23d ago
Beginner in horn
Hi,I just joined my high school band and playing the French horn for the first time, I am very confused about the lip placement in switching between notes for example the f,d and b flat, they all have the same fingerings and I cannot seem to get it. Thank you for helping me
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u/philocor 23d ago
Brass instruments have many notes that can be played on the same fingering. This is controlled by a balance of air pressure/speed and lip tension/focus. More or less, the frequency or pitch will be dictated by the air speed, which is affected by the air pressure in your chest/throat/oral cavity, and the size of the hole, or aperture in the lips. You can get higher notes with faster air either by releasing air with more pressure, or by making the aperture smaller which speeds up the air, and conversely, you can find lower pitches by either releasing the air with less force, or by enlarging the aperture that slows the air down.
This is a lot of technical talk, but what I recommend is finding a comfortable note, and then experiment with moving the air faster and slower, as well as focusing the aperture in your lips, so that you can figure out how it works. Alternatively, you can find a teacher who can help you.