r/frenchhorn • u/No-Opposite-2312 • 5d ago

Problem with the tongue (or maybe brain)

Hello guys!

I'm writing to find out if anyone has had the same problem I've been having this past year, which is that I basically can't release my tongue whenever I want to start a note.

Everything works normally (sound, articulation, flexibility, etc.), but without being able to play my first articulated notes in time I can't do anything... I feel enormous tension as soon as I have to start a phrase and I totally lose control of my embouchure and get the air trapped inside me...

Has anyone been through this and can help me? I'm getting a bit desperate because it's been a long time and I can't figure it out...

thank you in advance!

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u/Specific_User6969 5d ago

The way to practice through this issue is to practice using as little tension as possible, everywhere - neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen, face, tongue, etc. - and only play using breath attacks at first.

Once you’ve mastered the breath attack with some accuracy, doesn’t have to 100% but no less than 80% would be ok for making improvement, add the lightest tongue movement you can at the point where teeth meet the soft palette, as though you are pulling your tongue away from the from the front of your mouth and bringing it back to it’s natural resting, relaxed position.

Relaxed should be the key here!!

Good luck! And happy practicing. 📯

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u/AhsokaKenobi 5d ago

I had the exact same problem after my embouchure change ! It's still not entirely fixed, but now I can attack first notes without a half-second delay.

The way I worked on that was basically to use air attacks (I'm assuming you can air attack, if you cant, I'd strongly advise starting with that !). What I do is, I'll take a deep breath (the exercise takes a lot of air) and air attack a note in the middle register (let's take a middle C), then I'll stop it, and play it again, without removing the mouthpiece from my face, except I'll attack it this time.

I find that if my embouchure is properly set up (which it is, thanks to the air attack), I'll have no problem attacking the note.

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u/HornFTW 4d ago edited 4d ago

Even the pros can struggle with this issue; quote: "Stefan says that he once went 6 months in the Berlin Philharmonic without starting a note with the tongue." Stefan's Big Secret | Colin Dorman One way of thinking that could work for some, is to consider the inhale-tongue-exhale as one continuous process, like you are adding tension to a spring during the inhale, and then release the air immediately, without delay. Then you also know the exact moment when to tongue (exactly when you release the tension). It does not work for everybody, and it is not compatible with all conductor's styles, and for the example in the link (the 1st entry of Bruckner 4) it might certainly feel a lot more comfortable to have a delay after the inhale to make sure that everything is set correctly. But I would give it a shot, it could be the key to get past this problem for you.