I'm trying out for Region but my music has notes that I can't hit right away. It has a really low A and then there's a high C which is giving me trouble cause it sounds so pinched at airy/bad just not good tone at all. I need some good advice on how to hit the high C with good tone cause I start loosing my tone on the high B. Finally I need advice on how to hit the A 3 octaves below the high C.
Thanks

If you are tightening your lips to get the high C, then we have a problem. You need to re-learn how to play high notes. And there is probably not enough time for that befroe your audition/tryout.

Remember to play higher you need to increase your air speed and make the aperture smaller. As the aperture gets smaller and the air speed gets faster the pressur increases, so you need more mass to hold the small aperture steady. Which means you need more lip mass to go higher (don't smile to go higher). My range goes to the Bb above the high C you are talking about. Also slightly tilt the horn leadpipe down as you ascend, not upwards.

Low notes - patience in half steps. Do slow chromatic scales with the range of an octave. Move down in half step increments. C to C and back up. D# to D# and back up. D down to D and back up. etc. Eventualy the lips will learn to go lower. Remember to push out the lower jaw just alittle as you descend and place less pressure on your lower lip and more on your upper lip.

Thanks I'm using the balance embouchure by Jeff Smiley and I can already hit the High C with no problem but with what you've said you were right.

As for the low notes they're actually coming out quite nice, but i'll still keep doing your advice with the lows its really working quite nicely.
Thanks

To get down to the 2nd A below the staff, I always start on my low F under the staff (1st valve) Then just go down chromatically. 1st, trigger 2nd, trigger 1st, trigger 1st and 2nd, trigger 2nd and 3rd, trigger open or just plain open, trigger 2nd, trigger 1st, then finally trigger 1st and 2nd. Mwala!! The low A! LOL

***NOTE!!!*** To help you get lower EASIER, shift your mouthpiece more to the top half of your embrochure! I'm not sure why, but it helps ALOT!

Hope that this has helped!!!
~FrenchHornPlayer93~

For both extremes of the range, there's simply no substitute for a good warm up and good old fashioned practice. BE will help you understand the mechanics involved in the extreme ends of your range, but developing that good horn tone is something that just takes time.

I second what John says about warming up. A harsh, rushed warm-up that contains too many high notes will only stiffen the lips and roughen the tone. A good warm-up starts in the middle, contains lots of rests and expands slowly and gently to the upper and lower registers. Never rush through a warm-up.

I got a lot of help with my tone from a teacher that taught me not to push beyond the "sweet spot." There's a certain "sweet spot" we all have that's often missed as we push too hard in our efforts for a bigger stronger sound. Listen carefully to yourself and don't try to force the tone with too much volume, too much air, etc. Your best tone, your "sweet spot", is often a whole lot closer and easier than you realize. Think "gentle." Think "easy does it."

For the low register, time on the horn is essential. I can take time off my horn, maybe weeks at a time, come back and play a high C, but the low register is like a good speghetti sauce, it needs time to "simmer" to develop the flavor. Try to be as consistent in your practice routine as you can. Not too much, not too little. One or 2 hours every day of the week will do way more for your chops than the same amount of time crammed into two or three days a week.

Valerie Wells
http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/

haha i laughed when i shifted my mouthpiece more to the top half of my embrochure cause it actually does help out. Don't really know how but it does for the low notes especially while hitting the low F to the pedal C.

Wonderful! We never know unless we try and experiment!
Valerie Wells
http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/

My instructor once told me -absently - about how 4th horn players in orchestras (who apparently get all the very low notes) sort of... put their bottom lip underneath the mouthpiece, like what you were talking about before with moving the mouthpiece to the top half of your embouchure, although my instructor had a special name for it.
I use the technique now to get anything lower than an E below the staff, and it makes things way more reliable.

--Not sure if that's cheating or not...

When playing French Horn - - - - CHEAT whenever you can. You need every advantage you can get. You would be surprised what some professionals do to get an advantage on playing any given passage. It's not cheating, it's using different tools. A carpenter needs more than just a hammer or a saw. Just make sure it sounds good.

about how 4th horn players in orchestras (who apparently get all the very low notes) sort of... put their bottom lip underneath the mouthpiece,

This is very interesting to me. As you know I promote The Balanced Embouchure, The technique described above is actually the recommended technique for learning to play double pedals in the Roll-Out exercises, but guess what? It doesn't work as well for me as a more traditional 2/3-1/3 set up! For me the lower register is most solid and fat if I keep my regular set up and simply pucker both lips forward, like a smoochy kiss. But I recognize that for many, if not MOST horn players, moving the mpc up and rolling the lower lip so far out that it's like you say, "under the mpc" is the key to a big fat montrous low register.

We're all different.

Valerie Wells
http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/