I'm a French horn player. I've been playing for 5 years. For the past several months, I've been playing mellophone and this past week I've started French horn again because marhcing band is over. When I've been playing lately, I'm having some problems. One of them is when I play loud, my pitch either "flubs" and goes to another partial, either up or down. It's very aggravating. If you have any pointers, please let me know! Thank you!

Switching from mellophone to Horn; yes it is the season isn't it.
Some of the things I see most often that cause what you are describing are:
1) Angle of instrument
2) Need to relearn partial relationships
3) Mouthpiece change/feel

More in depth -
1) When playign mellophone we tend to use more pressure on the upper lip while we march. Try to relax when you play and remember to apply opposite pressure. When going higher tip your horn down ever so slightly. When going lower raise the leadpipe angle just a little bit.
2) You have been marching with an all Bb, or all F instrument. When you come back to the Double horn you have two instruments with different sets of harmonics. You need to relearn them. Send me a PM and I will email you a basic exercise to relearn them.
3) If you were using a mellophone mouthpiece and are going back to a hon mouthpiece there will be a resistance change. Take the time to relearn what each note feels like. Example: Play a 2nd line G for about 3 or 4 seconds, make sure it is correct and 'experience' what it feels like. Then play it three more times for 2 seconds each, learn what it FEELS like to play the note.

Thank you. I tried that today in class and it seemed to help more. During the marching season, my band director had me use my French horn mouthpiece and adapter. Idk why he did, it made my lips go shot so easily. Oh well he must know best I guess. Thanks again!!!

No. Band Directors do not know best.
For the most part Band Directors are average generalists.

Next year you should use a mellophone mouthpiece made for french horn players. I forget who has the specific one I am thinking of but I will find it and post it for you. It's not very expensive and you will get a much better sound.

Adaptors do allow you to use a certain mouthpiece in a given leadpipe/mouthpipe, however, you do not get the proper venturi effect and in turn you will not get the best sound and you will be working harder for it.

I'm glad my suggestions helped you.I'm happy you posted to let me know.

Feel free to ask if more questions pop into your head.

Here are some other thoughts (paraphrased) on switching from Mellophone season to Horn season from Dr. John Erickson at ASU.

The biggest initial problem is articulation, especially on the low F side, with a close runner up being the “break” in the low range, especially the area that you can’t even play on mellophone. Also I was not breathing as well as normal, the mellophone seems to take less air.

I believe that my playing mellophone mostly with mouthpieces that had a very close to my normal inner diameter helped a great deal, as did working out a “mello” warm-up that kept me centered as much as possible in the same place as on horn.

.... a mouthpiece that is very horn friendly be used. mouthpiece choice becomes the most critical issue, especially during a school year. I would like to think that there is a mouthpiece out there that can make everyone happy. There is a market for one to be sure. important thing with any of these is hitting the right rim and inner diameter to be horn friendly.


<Added>

The mellophone mouthpiece I was refering to earlier is the Curry 1HTF.

For many years the 'Mello 6' was the go to mouthpiece. But it is not made anymore, and quite frankly, based on what Dr. Ericson has said about the Curry, the Curry is by far your best bet and will help manage the transition back to Horn in the concert season.