Okay, sorry, I know a mellophone isn't exactly a french horn, but it's the closest thing to it, so I'm putting it on this forum. Anyway, I am a freshman, and have been marching and playing mellophone for 2 months now. I am doing a good job, I memorize music quickly, I march pretty good for only a freshman (it's in my blood, lol), and have been doing alright with the switch from oboe to horn. I still have a little trouble with the higher notes, but a senior in the horn section said that's fine, and a little practice will fix that up real quick. My problem is volume. I think I play loud enough, but my section leader, let's call him Jeff (because that's his name), says I need to be louder. He says something about it coming from the stomach. Well, here's the problem. I don't know how to do that. Here's another problem. I'm in the elite choir for freshman. Isn't there something to do with the stomach when you sing? Can I get a little help here?

Well, aren't you in a spot? Mellophones are becoming popular again for marching bands. In a way it is good to see. After all they do serve a purpose. Playing loud on the mellophone is not as easy as it might seem, especially since you are coming over from the oboe and not another brass instrument. The ability to play loud comes from a combination of support, air efficiency, relaxation, and frequency sympathies. You must also consider the fact the some mellophones will only play so loud based on contruction. All that being said here is what I would recoomend for you if you want to play louder.

1st - don't try too hard. Often when people try really hard to play loud they end up with the opposite. The reason is when they try hard they scrunch up the neck and shoulders and compress the chest.

2nd - The simplest, and unfortunately you will find this boring at first, exercise to give you over the forum is long tones. If you can do these with a big clock that has a second hand you can see it will be great. Start on a medium range note and play medium loud (mf)hold the note for 15 seconds. While you are holding the note listen to your sound and feel what your lips, jaw, shoulders feel like. Use as little pressure as possible to keep a good sound. Make small adjustments and see what changes happen to your tone. Your goal is to produce the nicest sounding tone you can. After 15 seconds rest for 10 seconds and move up a half step. Continue this upwards and then start on the original note and down using the same routine. You should eventually feel a relaxed sensation.

The next day do this same routine but do it playing the notes as soft as your can. When you think they are soft try and play a little softer. The same thing applies as far as having a good tone.

The next day play as loud as you can without cracking the sound or getting an edge to it. You still want to sound good.

Eventually you will learn what it feels like to relax and play loud.

As far a using your stomach and supporting I disagree with what most people might say. Your diaphram muscles will do what they need to do so don't worry about them. What you can do to improve your tone is work on expanding. Have a freind or family memeber help you with this; find where your ribs come together in front put your finger on the spot and go down about four fingers and place a fist right there. While you play (long tones, scales, music, anything) have your helper push on this spot. Your goal is to keep the fist from coming in. A lot of people teach allowing the stomach to come in slowly during this exercise - don't - keep the fist out the whole time. This will help in the production of a good full sound.

And think about and remember this. When you buzz your sound is not a result of your lips slapping together. If you pinch or push your lips together you will get a tight small sound. The buzzing sound actually comes from your lips compacting the air stream. It's like clapping. The sound of the clap is the sound of the air compressing between your hands, not your hands actually hitting each other. So keep your lips apart a little and imagine your are buzzing your lips on the stream of air.

Hope this helps a little.

From what I'm learning in my private lessons in college is that higher notes require faster air and more air through the horn. When he says your not playing loud enough it may be that your not playing with enough air. Also being confident helps, play it like you really mean it and don't worry about what other people may think. I was warming up at a parade the other week and couldn't quite hit the F at the top of the staff, well I could but it was rusty sounding. Of course I was the only one playing so I did not want every one to hear me so I was not playing with confidence.
But this one guy in my section told me to really hit them like I know where they are so I did and I played with more confidence and it worked. During the parade we have a section of measures with high F and I nailed them pretty much every time.

It also helps to make sure you are warmed up before attempting higher notes.

try putting the middle of your tounge a little higher in your mouth. It's just using less space, which means the air goes faster, and you don't have to actually blow out more air.

Also, work on your range. On really high notes, you have to be loud to get them. It's VERY hard to have a soft high note, they must be belted out, just like in choir to get them out. Once you can play high notes loud, work your way down the scale, keeping just as loud.

As for the whole choir thing, I was taught a couple of different things. One of my choir directors told our choir about how she had a vocal coach once that helped her get the high notes by actually buying glass plates, and the coach had her try to throw them down and break them as she hit the high note.
Another thing (that doesn't include shattering glass) is just try to get it into your mind that all your energy and force is in your stomach. (I can't beleive I'm going to say this, but...) You know how in karate movies, when they have 'HU!' things when they are fighting? Try actually useing that. Try to get your chest and stomach into it, and it should help. Now if it isn't high notes that are your problem, or just certian notes in general, also try to use the frame of mind that you don't want your voice where you can hear it, you want it where your director can hear it. I practice this at hoe by singing to my finger really close to my face, and singing to it, and then straightening my arm out, and singing to it from there, and there should be a difference, in volume, and it should be less airy. Then I pick something it the room to sing to that is farther away than my figner and once again it should have the same effect on your voice.

I hope I helped!!