By Orlando Afanador Florez
The diverse pedagogical and academic materials for the teaching of the French horn can be approached in several ways according to the technical level to which they have been developed. My work, "Daily Practice: Technical Exercises for the Learning of the French Horn" has been created for application as pedagogical material for teaching horn at the NEOJIBA State Youth Orchestras and Children’s Orchestral program in the city of Salvador, Brazil. The method has been used as an important improvement tool in many foundational areas, such as the development of a better, more-centered tone quality, articulation, flexibility, and different rhythmic patterns combined with major scales, all of which allow the unification of the teaching criteria used in the program.
This method features specific technical exercises, for both beginning and intermediate levels, which can be combined with other methods by well-known teachers to allow the students from NEOJIBA to achieve better technical advances on their instruments while performing in various orchestras and formation centers.
Since my arrival in the program, I have been working specifically on the development of the French horn school. One of the goals is for more children and young people to know and play the horn. To this end, the idea formed for having pedagogical materials which could be a reference in the different classes of instrumental technique, at the different levels of the program, thereby unifying the parameters and expectations for teaching the instrument.
Initially, the technical exercises were explained orally; however, writing these exercises helped with their understanding and practice by the students. As the classes developed, these exercises, Chromatic and Major Scales, along with other practice books, have become a fundamental part of the horn class.
Thanks to these written exercises, students have practical material as well as an elementary guide to technique created for the program which allows measurable progress in the playing of the instrument.
“Daily Practice: Technical Exercises for French horn learning” has become the primary method used in the NEOJIBA program for teaching the horn.
YouTube Links:
Sample of a class from NEOJIBA
Horn Ensemble from NEOJIBA
Horn Ensemble from NEOJIBA
Book Cover
Exercise for developing tone
Exercise for developing flexibility
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