Hey guys and gals I just got my first French Horn it says YHR-567 on but I dont know what it means or anything about it or even how to play a brass instrument.I can read music from playing piano but thats it. So any advice what so ever would be a great help.
Thanks
Zara

Hello any help at all would be good. I can just about get some sounds but they dont sound like proper notes so PLEASE HELP!!

Wow, it`s great to see someone who attacked the French Horn before the Trumpet! That`s what I did a few weeks ago... Firstly, I`d suggest that you always keep you lips moist, and try to wear chapstick while not playing, so you lips wont get cracked and start bleeding when playing.
Secondly, remember that the FH is in the key of F, so dont try to tune it with the piano, but you`ll have to step down 4 notes, meaning that the FH`s F will be the piano`s C.
For the embouchure, I heard that you should try to frown a bit, without straining your neck, and that`ll probably be difficult at first but you must strengthen the muscles.
Always practice long tones, high and low. I would suggest trying low notes first, and they will be hard but after much practice, it`ll probably get easier.
I think I`m using the same FH as you, (Yamaha right?) and mine has no spit valve, so always take out the tuning slide thing that`s closest to you (in the middle) and turn the horn upside down and get the spit out.

Sorry I couldn`t provide professional help or anything, I`m a beginner just like you.
I hope some of this helped you!

Thanks Riki your advice was really helpfull, the advice about the chap stick is really good cause before that my lips kept getting really dry. Anyway better go practice

Nice to know I could help... after all I had a hard time starting

You've picked the right insturment my friend! I'm no expert, but ive been playing for a descent amount of time. I would definatley suggest getting some sort of book, or a teacher...The french horn isn't really something easily self-taught, unless done correctly... but I can give you a few tips!

First off, if you are indeed a beginner, i would start off on your mouth piece not connected to the horn. Play onto it until you feel that your making a sound comfortably, then try making a siren noise (start low, then gradually get higher). This will get your lips adjusted. (by the way, the mouth piece is centered on your lips, covering the top part of your top lip. This is vital for a good sound.)

Second, breathing exercises can help a ton. I can give you instructions if u email me at melzi3@yahoo.com

Find some fingering charts, and work on scales(when i first began, I found the Yamaha beginner french horn books to have great fingering charts!). As these are what you should focus on before attempting any piece.

Also, posture is key. Make sure your feet are flat on the ground, back up straight,and hand in the correct position in the bell...(hand in the position that you would shake someone's hand, firm, supporting the horn in the upper part of the bell.)

hope this helped! Email me if you have any more questions

the yhr-567 is the model of your horn. it's classified as an "itermmediate" student horn, in the geyer wrap. i havent heard anything particularly bad about this horn.

Getting at least a few lessons would a good investment of your time (and money).

There are numerous books and every teacher has a different favourite but they all start playing written C (below the treble clef, E, G on the F-side of the horn with no fingers down. These sound F, A and middle C on the piano - not what another poster stated. Most teacher recommend starting a standard mouthpiece positioned with a little more upper than lower lip and all the red inside the mouthpiece. Many extremely good horn players dont use a standard setup but its a good place to start. You need to tense the lips slightly to cause them to vibrate at a high frequency to play the higher notes - pushing air out faster also helps and this usually means making the opening between the lips smaller to conserve air!

French horn is a difficult instrument to teach - many of us have suffered from inadequate teaching and consequently if you want to play properly get a french horn teacher NOT a brass teacher.

Hey, to whoever posted before me - my French horn teacher is a trumpet teacher and I think I'm doing fine!
Um, yeah, you should probably get some lessons and get a fingering chart or buy a book.
Just keep in mind when you tune to the piano that the French horn C is a piano F

Lucky you, but see if you are still doing fine when you try more difficult things. There are things that are just completely different about horns that need extra attention other instruments never dream of.