Pre Warm Up
Exercises for preparing the mind and body for practice
Mindfulness
Breathing
Fundamentals
Play exercises from each category daily
Buzzing
Flow
Flexibility
Sound
Scales
Vocalises
Technique Building
Rotate exercises into routine as needed
Accuracy
Trills
Articulation
Range
Power
Hand Stopping
The term “Daily Dues” is borrowed from Charles Kavalovksi (Principal horn of the Boston Symphony from 1972 through 1997). For most advanced players, a daily routine is essential for warming up, developing consistency and improving technique. A good routine will also provide a solid technical foundation that will provide greater confidence under pressure and allow for intuitive, creative music making while performing. 20 to 30 minutes is usually enough time to review all the fundamentals necessary to play well. Ideally most of your practice time will be spent working on actual music: etudes, solos, orchestral excerpts and repertoire for upcoming lessons and performances. At the end of your routine, you should feel in peak form, not tired or tight. A routine that takes a long time and is exhausting to play should probably be shortened and/or simplified.
Many players prefer a structured, repetitive routine (like the Farkas Warm Up from The Art of French horn Playing); many prefer to improvise a warm up (i.e., “noodling”). A daily routine that works well for me has been to collect several exercises that cover the basic skills needed to play well and create variations from day to day for greater variety. While the routine always feels familiar, every day is slightly different.
Some good questions to ask before adding an exercise to your routine might be:
1. Is the exercise engaging and interesting to play?
2. Does it address one or more specific skills that need to be maintained or improved?
3. Can the benefit of performing the exercise be measured qualitatively in your own playing?
3. Are there etudes that develop the same skills while being more musically satisfying to play?
4. Does the exercise feel good or does it cause fatigue?
An effective daily routine might include fundamentals in the following areas: Breathing, Buzzing, Flow Studies (unimpeded movement of air through the horn), Flexibility, Sound Meditation (long tones) and Scales. If time allows, the end of the daily routine might include a rotating selection of 2 or 3 exercises that focusing on specific areas of concern (trills, high register, low register, stopped horn, articulation, accuracy, or power.) I suggest playing exercises for only a few minutes in each of these categories (though a slightly longer, slower warm up may be necessary after a vacation or when the lips are feeling stiff or tired). After checking in on all fundamentals, a short, easy vocalise or lyrical excerpt is a great way to “warm up” the creative side of playing (i.e. tonal shading, phrasing, musicality). Feel free to experiment with any exercise that you enjoy playing and have gotten positive results with. You should also try modifying exercises to better suit your needs or compose some exercises of your own. If boredom starts creeping in to your routine, try switching the order of exercises, create variations, or find new material.
Several of the exercises in this collection (especially the warming up portion) are to be played open harmonics. A key to the valve combination for each transposition is below. Avoid playing notes outside of your comfortable range. Straining with forced, harsh sound lead to bad habits or injury. Staying efficient and working just past your comfort zone will eventually lead to extended range and control. Speed is less important than sound and precision (especially when practicing scales). Always be thinking of ways to make every exercise sound better and feel easier to play. Even at the highest level of technical ability there is room for improvement.
Many players prefer a structured, repetitive routine (like the Farkas Warm Up from The Art of French horn Playing); many prefer to improvise a warm up (i.e., “noodling”). A daily routine that works well for me has been to collect several exercises that cover the basic skills needed to play well and create variations from day to day for greater variety. While the routine always feels familiar, every day is slightly different.
Some good questions to ask before adding an exercise to your routine might be:
1. Is the exercise engaging and interesting to play?
2. Does it address one or more specific skills that need to be maintained or improved?
3. Can the benefit of performing the exercise be measured qualitatively in your own playing?
3. Are there etudes that develop the same skills while being more musically satisfying to play?
4. Does the exercise feel good or does it cause fatigue?
An effective daily routine might include fundamentals in the following areas: Breathing, Buzzing, Flow Studies (unimpeded movement of air through the horn), Flexibility, Sound Meditation (long tones) and Scales. If time allows, the end of the daily routine might include a rotating selection of 2 or 3 exercises that focusing on specific areas of concern (trills, high register, low register, stopped horn, articulation, accuracy, or power.) I suggest playing exercises for only a few minutes in each of these categories (though a slightly longer, slower warm up may be necessary after a vacation or when the lips are feeling stiff or tired). After checking in on all fundamentals, a short, easy vocalise or lyrical excerpt is a great way to “warm up” the creative side of playing (i.e. tonal shading, phrasing, musicality). Feel free to experiment with any exercise that you enjoy playing and have gotten positive results with. You should also try modifying exercises to better suit your needs or compose some exercises of your own. If boredom starts creeping in to your routine, try switching the order of exercises, create variations, or find new material.
Several of the exercises in this collection (especially the warming up portion) are to be played open harmonics. A key to the valve combination for each transposition is below. Avoid playing notes outside of your comfortable range. Straining with forced, harsh sound lead to bad habits or injury. Staying efficient and working just past your comfort zone will eventually lead to extended range and control. Speed is less important than sound and precision (especially when practicing scales). Always be thinking of ways to make every exercise sound better and feel easier to play. Even at the highest level of technical ability there is room for improvement.
Open Harmonics Key
Horn in C = F13
Horn in D♭ = F23
Horn in D = F12
Horn in E♭ = F1
Horn in E = F2
Horn in F = F0
Horn in G♭ = B23
Horn in G = B12
Horn in A♭ = B1
Horn in A = B2
Horn in B♭ alto = B0
Horn in C = F13
Horn in D♭ = F23
Horn in D = F12
Horn in E♭ = F1
Horn in E = F2
Horn in F = F0
Horn in G♭ = B23
Horn in G = B12
Horn in A♭ = B1
Horn in A = B2
Horn in B♭ alto = B0