by Gabriel Betancur

Many horn players are unaware of the use of the body at the exact moment of playing the instrument. Awareness of what happens inside our bodies during playing (specifically, the function of the respiratory system, the muscles that form the embouchure, and the different possibilities for using the tongue) is a factor of great importance necessary to optimize articulation. We, as horn players, do not have the ability to directly visualize the activity of the elements which influence the production of articulation and sound (while a pianist, for example, can see in the position of the hands, posture, and other body movements and physical actions that may interfere with articulation).

We have, in general, two types of articulation: tonguing and slurring. To tongue, as required for performance, refers to the action of the tongue to separate individual notes; we can use the tongue to start or even stop the flow of air. To slur means to connect two or more notes wherein the first note is the only one which is tongued, and the remainder of notes in the slurred grouping are played with a continuous airflow without the interruption of the tongue.

The tongue is responsible for controlling the airflow (or output), whether fast or slow. Tongue position is an individual case, because different placements of the tongue generate different types of attacks, and tonguing has a great variety of effects.  When we use a thick (wide) tongue, the sound is warmer; if we use a thin (narrow) tongue, the sound is brighter.

Among the various ways we use the tongue, one of the most common faults is the method of tonguing between the lips. As the tongue draws back, it moves in the opposite direction of the airflow, and this use of the tongue prevents the most natural passage of air, thus losing sound projection, potentially creating strange noises in the sound, and resulting in unclear articulation. In such cases, the reaction of the tongue in a quick staccato is slow because it requires a long movement inside the mouth. To simulate this, say several times quickly the syllable "la;" then say quickly the syllable "thoo." We quickly realize the clumsiness of the syllable "la" and the lightness of the syllable "thoo."

The use of syllables depends on the interpreter and his language. Philip Farkas, in his book The Art of French Horn Playing, page 49, refers to the attack using the syllables "too" for a more marked attack and "doo" for a softer attack. David Bushouse in his book Practical Hints on Playing the French Horn, page 9, uses the syllables "toe" and "doe." In Collected Thoughts on Teaching and Learning, Creativity, and Horn Performance, Douglas Hill says that, in general, brass players ought to use the most common consonants "t" and "d" to the beginning of the note but after the air is released we include the vowel quality of the tone such as "tah" or "dah," "toh" or "doh."

There is further discussion between some composers and horn players about what syllables should be used for attacks. John Humphries mentioned this in his book: “Punto recommends “daon” on a strongly tongued note, “ta” for staccato and “da” softly tongued notes in Adagios. Dauprat agrees with this in theory, but then points out that in practice the issue is irrelevant as tonguing and speaking are mutually exclusive. Domnich suggests “tou” or “dou,” but Gallay disagrees, saying Duvernoy’s “tu” is the only acceptable syllable."[1] 

To identify the position of the tongue, we take the two simple types of articulation, that of the soft attack where we use the letter "D," then "T" for a more pronounced attack. In the attacks with "D" and "T," the tongue maintains almost the same contact with the palate, the only difference being that the attack with "T" creates tension as the tongue touches the palate while "D" does not.

Analyzing the attack during music of a more leisurely tempo, we can see that it occurs when we remove the tongue from the palate, pulling it in a downward direction to allow the air to flow between the lips, using the tongue as a valve. To develop the attack as fast as possible, it is necessary to use a legato “doe” syllable which requires less time for each new attack.  

Another important aspect to consider in articulation is double- and triple-tonguing. Players develop multiple tonguing normally for groups of notes in fast tempos. This consists of using the normal “T” attack alternating with the pronunciation of the consonant “K” from the middle of the tongue. The principal reason for multiple tonguing is to allow the air to pulsate rapidly. The syllables we use for multiple tonguing are "tu-ku tu-ku," but for more fluency and better connections between each articulation, we can use the syllables "tug-gut tug-gut." However, this type of attack creates difficulty with the clarity of sound and, if not properly executed, also in executing the articulation. Douglas Hill contributes to this topic asserting, “The tongue going back and forth, rather than up and down, causes the k syllable to be too far back in the throat, while the t strikes [too] far in the front. This slows down the action and separates the articulations, which causes an uneven air pulsation at the aperture with the guttural k sound usually much less precise than the t.”[2]   

For a more specific discussion of the use of the tongue for articulation and control of dynamics while taking into account the correct management of air, we will briefly review nine common techniques regularly utilized in performance.

1 Staccato

We relate the attack of the note to the syllable "tuh," with the "h" used to create the resonance of the note. To articulate a consecutive group of notes, we use the top of the tip of the tongue to touch between the root of the teeth and palate, repeating this action only for the next note. The air flow is not stopped abruptly; it is only interrupted by the movement of the tongue upward and downward.

2 Staccatissimo

The action of the tongue is the same as in staccato, but we use the syllable "tu" and stop the air pressure immediately after a short puff of air, almost at the moment the note begins to sound, thus obtaining a dry sound. It is important not to use the syllable "tut" to get a good staccatissimo attack, since the "t" at the end closes the lips with the tongue, and results in an unclear sound and weakened projection.

3 Slur

The first note played after breathing is always articulated by the tongue. This is necessary to start the lips vibrating. The following slurred notes are controlled by the air and the continuity of the vibration of the lips. If air flow is stopped, the vibration of the lips also stops, causing a break in the legato. The lips are vibrated by the air column, and a good legato requires that the air flow never stops between notes. There is a very common problem associated with slurred intervals: as we make the jump to get to the next note, we push the air causing an accentuation of the second note. This problem is created by inconsistency of the air flow. For a good legato, we need a continuous air flow and consistent air compression to reach each note.

4 Legato tonguing

Here, the tongue is used in conjunction with the lips. When the slur is upward, the tongue should be in the bottom of the mouth for the initial pitch, forming the vowel "o;" and for the second note, the tongue moves to the position of the vowel "e," with this last position creating a smaller passage for easier air compression. For the downward slur, we employ the opposite order: the vowel "e" for the first note and "o" for the second. The air works just like in the slur, as explained above. Depending on the range or the distance of the interval, the vowels "o" and "e" vary in their position. For the higher notes, the tongue should be more arched and upward than in the mid-range.

5 Pianissimo

To develop a good pianissimo, it is important to understand that a smaller amount of air travels through the lips. The player should not breathe too deeply (as for a long phrase). But, of course, a constant air speed must be maintained, and the pressure against the mouthpiece should be controlled in order not to inhibit the sensitivity of the lips’ vibrations.

6 Fortissimo

The diaphragm must be supported with full intensity to give the necessary force to the air stream while embouchure tension contributes only a little to the process. A big fortissimo depends largely on the air capacity of each performer. If we try to exceed our lung capacity, pitch will be affected, and we lose projection and the center of the tone.

7 Sforzando

The sforzando attack is made by completely sealing the air column, with the tongue placed very near the aperture, maybe even touching the lips (but not protruding between them), and the diaphragm “shoves” the air while the tongue releases sharply.

8 Diminuendo 

The most important aspect of making a gradual diminuendo is the correct use of air. The speed is maintained so that the pitch does not drop, but the quantity of air should decrease. When we want to create a pianissimo decrescendo, we must avoid increasing the pressure of the mouthpiece against the lips so that the vibrations do not stop.

9 Crescendo

The player must increase air speed with the aid of diaphragm support to arrive easily at the volume desired. Embouchure control also contributes to the stability of the sound.

[1] HUMPHRIES, John: "The Early Horn: A Practical Guide," page 66.

[2] HILL, Douglas: “Collected Thoughts on Teaching and Learning, Creativity, and Horn Performance,” p. 2001.

What better way to start the new year than by announcing six more featured artists for IHS 55! All are well-known players and teachers from all over the world, and we are looking forward to meeting them, sharing with them, and, of course, listening to them play.

The BBC Music Magazine says of Ursula Paludan Monberg: “The Danish horn player..., thoroughly in command of her instrument, produces a miraculously smooth and agile line with secure tuning.”

Born and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Andrew Bain has held positions and soloed around the world, including across Australasia, Europe, and the United States where he settled as principal horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2011.

Since receiving degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and SUNY Stony Brook, Jeff Scott has enjoyed a career as a studio, chamber, and orchestral musician, performing in Broadway shows and with ballet companies, touring with various commercial artists, and recording for film, classical, pop, and jazz genres.

At the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2019, Yun Zeng, at the age of 19, became the first ever gold medalist in the brass category and the first Chinese gold medalist in the instrumental categories. In 2022, he became principal horn of Staatskapelle Berlin.

Since 2017, Jean-Christophe Vervoitte has initiated with musician friends—members of Les Arts Florissants, the Orchestre de Paris, and the Ensemble Intercontemporain—a collaboration of chamber music in the framework of the programming of the Philharmonie de Paris. Since their creation, these chamber music concerts have considerably enriched the range of themes offered, and the public has given these concerts an enthusiastic welcome.

A native of Vancouver, B.C., and our first Canadian featured artist so far, Allene Hackleman has been principal horn of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra since 2004. Allene is a member of the Canadian National Brass Project and has performed with this group at the Festival de Lanaudière and at the Toronto Summer Music Festival. In 2015, Allene was invited to teach masterclasses at the Musikacademy in Belgrade, Serbia. She currently teaches at the University of Alberta.

You can read more about all the featured artists at www.ihs55.org/artists.

To register for IHS 55—and to take advantage of our early-bird offers—visit www.ihs55.org/rates-registration.

Mouthpiece Placement, My Embouchure, and Yours

by Jeff Scott, IHS 55 Featured Artist

In my playing and teaching career, I’ve thought a lot about embouchures. It’s a fancy word for a simple thing: you put the mouthpiece on your lips, and you play. How could such a simple thing be so complicated?

I went through college and graduate school questioning my mouthpiece placement and mouthpiece size. I am African American, with fleshy lips, particularly my lower lip. I tried to position my mouthpiece the way my teachers suggested, but it never felt good. It just seemed impossible to get enough of my lower lip inside the rim of the mouthpiece. I have this distinct memory of my mouthpiece sliding down my upper lip as I tried to play and reposition to two-thirds upper, one-third lower.

Finally in my doctoral study, a saint entered my life: the late Jerome Ashby, Associate Principal Horn of the New York Philharmonic from 1979-2007. Mr. Ashby did two things for me that changed my life as a horn player.

First, he found a mouthpiece that worked for me. Mr. Ashby gave me a mouthpiece with a much larger interior dimension which allowed for more of my lower lip to fit. Most importantly, this extra space allowed the “sweet spot” of the embouchure, the aperture, to resonate (buzz) freely. I played a note, and it was like the heavens opened and revealed themselves to me! The right mouthpiece and rim made an enormous—and immediate—improvement in my horn playing.

Mr. Ashby also validated my technique. My setup is unconventional. To that point, in all the books on horn playing I’d read, I saw nothing on this topic. Mr. Ashby was the missing chapter that gave me confidence in my horn playing; he encouraged me to play like me.

My cardinal rule of embouchure now is this: be comfortable. Of course, some students come to me with a setup that is destined to cause problems. A typical scenario: a student has the mouthpiece too high (almost entirely on the upper lip) or too low (almost entirely on the lower lip). Such a student will typically have a discernably stronger and weaker range, combined with limited flexibility. A very slight adjustment to bring the mouthpiece higher or lower can work wonders in this situation. But it must be slight. Big changes create discomfort, and discomfort is the enemy of good horn playing.

I used to look at Philip Farkas’ book A Photographic Study of 40 Virtuoso Horn Players’ Embouchures and think, “None of these embouchures looks like mine.” But we all have different sized lips, different mouth shapes, different teeth settings. So, I have some advice for young horn players: find comfort. You may not set up the same way as your teacher (I certainly tell my students not to try to look like me when they play), and that is ok. If the comfortable spot for your embouchure is somewhat off center, that’s probably all right; some of the best brass players I know play a little off center. Also, what you see in the mirror when you play, and what your teacher observes when you play, does not tell the whole story. Things may look very different inside the mouthpiece than they look on the outside.

If you have a huge struggle to play low or high, you may need to make a change, but it should probably be a small change. Don’t be radical since that will take you away from comfort. If you do need to move the mouthpiece to a new position, you may have a temporary setback in accuracy, range, or endurance, or maybe all three. Work slowly to build back your comfort.

Talk with your teacher about mouthpieces. There are very few mouthpieces out there that feel comfortable to me, and you may have the same experience. I’m working with a mouthpiece maker right now, developing a prototype of a mouthpiece that feels perfect for me. But we’re all different. One thing is for sure, though: a mouthpiece that doesn’t fit your mouth will give you constant grief. 

If you feel bad when you play the horn, you probably won’t sound very good. Work with your teacher to find comfort. Your lips should fit against the mouthpiece in a way that makes the instrument feel like it is a part of you, the way your head feels when it hits the pillow!

Once you have that all set, get practicing!