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A Horn Player's Study Guide

by Thomas Bacon

Level 5

Study at Level 5 (if not already at Level 4) should be under a master teacher. If at a conservatory or university, the student should select the school itself based on the strengths of that teacher. In choosing a teacher, there are many important questions to consider:

• Does this teacher help me play better?
• Can this teacher help me overcome all of my weaknesses on the instrument?
• Is this teacher open to many ideas and styles of playing, or is there only one way to do things correctly?
• Do I respect this teacher as a person as well as what he or she has accomplished professionally?
• Does this teacher have the necessary experience, wisdom, and contacts to guide me towards the goals that I want to achieve?
• Does this teacher inspire me to be the best that I can be?

Continue developing and refining the practice routine to achieve ease in all areas of playing. Not only is it important for maintaining the abilities that we have achieved, but one of the best ways to fix fundamental problems is in basic exercises -- musical calisthenics -- some of which we might have learned at Level 1 or 2.

During Level 5, the player should:

1) develop range to four octaves with consistent tone at all dynamics throughout the range;

2) become proficient in sightreading, and be able to transpose and read different clefs at sight;

3) be fluent with lip trills, hand stopping, multiple tonguing, and flutter tongue, and be able to use these techniques easily;

4) have an understanding of music theory and be able to analyze different musical forms;

5) study music history and understand different periods and styles and be able to perform them appropriately.

RECOMMENDED READING

Farkas -- The Art of Brass Playing (now available through Wind Music)

Schuller -- Horn Technique

LEVEL 5 - ETUDES AND STUDIES

Gugel/Gumbert -- 12 French Horn Etudes

Pottag-Andraud -- 335 Selected Melodious and Progressive Technical Studies, Books I & II (the "Blue Book" & the "Red Book")

Schuller -- Studies for Unaccompanied Horn

LEVEL 5 SOLOS

Beethoven -- Sonata, opus 17

Beversdorf -- Sonata

Busser -- Concert Piece in D

Gabelles -- Concertino

Horvit -- Circus Suite

Mozart -- Concert Rondo, K.371

Mozart/Sansone -- Sonata VI

Strauss, Richard -- Concerto, opus 11

Uber -- Sonatina

Verdi/Bacon -- Caro Nome from Selected Songs Vol.2

LEVEL 5 HORN ENSEMBLES

DUETS

Bach, J.S./Miller -- Brass Duet Notebook, Vol. 2

Bach, W.F./Miller -- Brass Duet Notebook, Vol. 1

Franz -- 100 Duets - Book 2

QUARTETS

Bacon, editor -- 88 German Quartets

Gallay -- Grand Quartet

Handel/Martinet -- Music for Royal Fireworks

Richter -- Six Pieces for Cors de Chasse

Wagner/Wilcox -- Siegfried's Funeral March

OCTETS

Bach, J.S./Oldberg -- Prelude

Bach, J.S./Shaw -- Prelude and Fugue in a minor

Verdi/Martinet -- Manzoni Requiem

Levels: Intro | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six