Question: French horn tonguing!.!.!.!?
okay!.!.
i've been playing the french horn for about a year and a half now (i used to play trumpet) and i'm in 8th grade!.!.from the start when i was playing trumpet and our teacher was teaching us to tongue for the first time, they explained that your tongue should strike the back of your front teeth and such!.!.the problem though is that i could never get that so I always started with my tongue at the top of the roof of my mouth!.!.!.
now, as I'm getting older and andvancing in my playing, it seems as if i can't play as lightly and as quickly as i should!.!.!.
i also think i'm using my whole tongue instead of the tip of it!.!.!.
please help if you have any good information because high school tryouts are in a couple of months and i really could use some tips!.!.thanks! :)Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
You've got to practice slowly and surely and start from square one to eliminate the bad habit!. The tip of your tongue should strike the top of the back of your front teeth, meaning it hits right at the gumline!.
Get out your method book and start at the beginning!.
Practice the easiest etudes going slowly and surely and work your way up on the metronome speed!. You need to go slow enough to be conscious of your tongue's articulation, then speed it up once you practice being aware!. You need to do this for a least a month to break the bad habit!. Once you get to the 8th/16th note sections in your method book with successful articulation, you'll be in a good place!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I'm a music teacher!.!.!.
The bottom line is when you teach yourself bad habits, you have to break them or they will progressively get worse and hurt you!. You know how to play it right, you explained it!.!.!.
For HS auditions, you probably will not have a hard time if you're by yourself!. It's not an instrument with a lot of competition, so your odds are better!. I majored on oboe and never had an issue getting into music school or on auditions, just because the odd balls just do not exist any more!. Are you assigned a song, certain scales!? Play your heart out!. I always gave my playing a special intention that will put emotion into a piece (like remembering the death of a relitive or a beloved pet)!. Believe it or not if someone can get you really Angry too that day, you will play with much more emotion and focus!. If you mess up, keep going!. Judges want to see how you handle bad situations!. It they tell you to change something, don't think you did it wrong!.!.!.they want to know if you can follow directions!. I also had a very bad habit of swearing when I didn't like what I did!.!.!.If you do that or stop!.!.!.don't!.Www@QuestionHome@Com