Good posture allows for maximum efficiency, ease and resonance while playing. Playing while standing is ideal for utilizing the full lung capacity and volume of air. Once you have gained enough upper body strength to hold your horn comfortably in the standing position, it's a good idea to practice standing up for part of your practice session especially during the warm up. In terms of stage presence, standing is ideal for solos (recitals or concertos) and many chamber music settings. Advanced players should learn to play just as well standing as while sitting.
That being said, most of our playing life (especially if you play in an orchestra) is done while sitting. With this in mind, try to assume a "standing position" from the hips up while seated making sure to keep your spine long. Whether sitting or standing, your body should be positioned at your maximum height without straining. Keep your upper body relaxed and supple and imagine there is a string pulling you up like a puppet. Keep your feet flat, your sit bones parallel to the floor and your upper body straight but angled very slightly forward. While your tailbone (coccyx) can touch the back of the chair, your back shouldn't be flush against the chair back. Slumping, crossing your legs or leaning back into your chair while playing will cause the torso to be compressed and expansion of the respiratory system to be inhibited like water dribbling out of a crimped garden hose.
With the body in position, the next step is to bring the horn your lips. Many students develop a habit of setting the horn on the leg leaning towards the horn (going to the horn). It's much better to set your body in the best possible playing position and then bringing the horn to you. If you need to rest the horn on the leg, make sure it's far enough down the thigh so that you don't have to strain your neck or upper body to reach it. It might be helpful to set your right foot on a box or other raised object. The bell should be angled away from the body, not into it.
For most players, playing off the leg allows the horn is the most ergonomic position. Though this is not often possible for younger players or people with weak upper body strength, most players should eventually aspire to play off the leg with playing on the leg reserved for situations where a darker tone color or quieter dynamics are needed.
The mouthpiece should reach the lips with a slight downward pivot in alignment with the overbite. The lead pipe should be pointing at a downward angle. There should be comfortable, supportive pressure on the lower teeth and minimal pressure on the upper teeth. Avoid positioning the mouthpiece flush against both the sets of teeth and pointing the lead pipe straight out.
The left arm and hand, the player should be in the most relaxed (but not collapsed) position possible. Curve the fingers slightly over the keys (like a pianist), and keep the fingertips in contact with the keys at all times.
The position of the right hand in the bell is a crucial element for intonation, tone color, range and many other aspects of playing. It should be thought of as an extension of the horn.
The hand should be inserted into the bell in a vertical position, as far as it will go without forcing. The hand should be slightly cupped, and the fingers held together so that no air can pass between them (think of a princess waving her hand). The thumb should be in a relaxed position reaching towards the second joint of the index finger.
The horn should rest on your thumb and index finger, which should be supple. The bell sits on a triangle shaped by the upper part of the index finger, the body of the hand with the thumb as the hypotenuse. The hand supports the bell while directing the air column away from the body. Avoid playing into the body as a stuffy tone will result. Think of the air column extending beyond the end of the bell with the hand and body forming two parallel walls through which the tone must pass.
If the hand is placed palm up (horizontally) the air column travels into the body and compromises projection. It's also impossible to use this hand position while standing or when quickly to stopped horn. It's also much harder to adjust the hand for intonation or tonal changes.
That being said, most of our playing life (especially if you play in an orchestra) is done while sitting. With this in mind, try to assume a "standing position" from the hips up while seated making sure to keep your spine long. Whether sitting or standing, your body should be positioned at your maximum height without straining. Keep your upper body relaxed and supple and imagine there is a string pulling you up like a puppet. Keep your feet flat, your sit bones parallel to the floor and your upper body straight but angled very slightly forward. While your tailbone (coccyx) can touch the back of the chair, your back shouldn't be flush against the chair back. Slumping, crossing your legs or leaning back into your chair while playing will cause the torso to be compressed and expansion of the respiratory system to be inhibited like water dribbling out of a crimped garden hose.
With the body in position, the next step is to bring the horn your lips. Many students develop a habit of setting the horn on the leg leaning towards the horn (going to the horn). It's much better to set your body in the best possible playing position and then bringing the horn to you. If you need to rest the horn on the leg, make sure it's far enough down the thigh so that you don't have to strain your neck or upper body to reach it. It might be helpful to set your right foot on a box or other raised object. The bell should be angled away from the body, not into it.
For most players, playing off the leg allows the horn is the most ergonomic position. Though this is not often possible for younger players or people with weak upper body strength, most players should eventually aspire to play off the leg with playing on the leg reserved for situations where a darker tone color or quieter dynamics are needed.
The mouthpiece should reach the lips with a slight downward pivot in alignment with the overbite. The lead pipe should be pointing at a downward angle. There should be comfortable, supportive pressure on the lower teeth and minimal pressure on the upper teeth. Avoid positioning the mouthpiece flush against both the sets of teeth and pointing the lead pipe straight out.
The left arm and hand, the player should be in the most relaxed (but not collapsed) position possible. Curve the fingers slightly over the keys (like a pianist), and keep the fingertips in contact with the keys at all times.
The position of the right hand in the bell is a crucial element for intonation, tone color, range and many other aspects of playing. It should be thought of as an extension of the horn.
The hand should be inserted into the bell in a vertical position, as far as it will go without forcing. The hand should be slightly cupped, and the fingers held together so that no air can pass between them (think of a princess waving her hand). The thumb should be in a relaxed position reaching towards the second joint of the index finger.
The horn should rest on your thumb and index finger, which should be supple. The bell sits on a triangle shaped by the upper part of the index finger, the body of the hand with the thumb as the hypotenuse. The hand supports the bell while directing the air column away from the body. Avoid playing into the body as a stuffy tone will result. Think of the air column extending beyond the end of the bell with the hand and body forming two parallel walls through which the tone must pass.
If the hand is placed palm up (horizontally) the air column travels into the body and compromises projection. It's also impossible to use this hand position while standing or when quickly to stopped horn. It's also much harder to adjust the hand for intonation or tonal changes.