Customer Reviews

The Art of French Horn Playing

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Philip Farkas's book is still the best. May it long be published! (Perhaps I speak prematurely. I have not yet seen Verne Reynolds's new book on horn playing, published by the Amadeus Press.)

There are a few areas where I would like to see it brought more up to date, though. In the chapter devoted to maintenance, Farkas advocates using valve oil for lubricating the valves. That is out of date advice that I religiously followed and quickly wore out my valves' bearings, which made them clack within a couple of months of purchase of the horn. Nowadays, the better advice is to lubricate the upper and lower bearings with key oil, which has much more lubricity than valve oil, and to use valve oil strictly between the rotor and the casing as a space filler, administering the oil through the valve slides. Ever since I started searching for it in 1959, I never did find Linen Cuttyhunk string, but I think technology has moved ahead and what's now available will outlast that string manyfold. Slide greases have also improved greatly, and I don't think anyone seeks out gun grease for slides anymore. (I still use Marvin Howe's old favorite: wheel bearing grease.)

In his chapter on embouchure, Farkas included nearly everything. But he omitted mention of the levator and depressor muscles, the ones that bare the teeth, without whose participation it is impossible to form an aperture, so essential to tone and response. He was obviously using them-- I am sure I see that in the photograph of him playing-- but he might have been unaware of it. The mouthpiece also forms part of the horn player's embouchure. The angle between the mouthpiece and the face isn't quite perpendicular with the horn (or with any brass instrument) because there would otherwise be no way for the upper arch of the lip aperture to form, since the levator muscles are at the side of the nose and do not act on the center of the upper lip.

Nobody seems to take his advice about fingerings. Practically everyone is sure Farkas has ordered everyone to switch from the F horn to the Bb horn at G#/Ab. He did no such thing. He designated the region between G#/Ab to C as an optional area. Many need to reread that section. There is one place, though, where he was a little too arbitrary, and I wish he hadn't influenced people. He advises against ever using the third finger alone to play A on the grounds that trilling to the Bb above it would cause a cross fingering. That's true, but a third finger A is the only one that would make a trill from G# to A possible. He could have gone more into how fingerings need to be selected by what will facilitate playing, beyond what he discussed about the section about the switch from the F horn to the Bb horn and vice versa. Maybe Farkas didn't want to complicate things too much.

His chapter on tonguing emphasizes the need for accuracy. But as for gaining speed, alas! it hasn't helped me much. What he is describing sounds perhaps like a controlled flutter tongue. My tongue just won't cooperate with his instructions, or anyone else's, so I use double and triple tonguing (neither one mentioned in this book but mentioned in his Art of Brass Playing) for successions of sixteenth notes after around 104 beats per minute. I've inquired around, and I've found I'm not alone in this.

His recommendations about breath control appear to collide with those of the school of Arnold Jacobs, the esteemed tuba player also of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and whose teachings about breath control are now sacred among most brass players. In no way would Mr. Jacobs agree to Farkas's proposition that the throat hold back air during soft playing or any other. I'm still trying to sort that one out. A veteran trombone player from that orchestra told me once that Farkas could not have been following his own advice in the matter.

Another area where others might disagree with Farkas is about how to phrase sixteenth notes. I saw a school of thought about that in Keith Stein's book, The Art of Clarinet Playing, in which that author advocated making a slight crescendo through the weak sixteenth notes, so as to make the note that falls on the beat a goal note.

The rest of the book is indeed strong. The use of double exposure to show hand position in the bell was a stroke of brilliance. His warmup routine is a real lip and accuracy builder. The recommended etudes are outstanding, as well. It's too bad, though, that Erwin Miersch's book of etudes wasn't out back in 1956. Farkas must have surely liked it when it appeared. His advice about intelligent practice is unique; I don't know why other method books, even ones for other instruments, don't lay it out so simply. His advice about stage fright is also wonderful, though I think a musician should also consult Barry Green and Timothy Gallwey's book The Inner Game of Music, which adds to what Farkas discusses.

I refer to this book CONSTANTLY as a guide for practicing, and playing. I've also recommended this book to all of my horn pals. It covers (and explains) everything: tuning, warm-up, embouchure, transposing, hand placement, etc. with helpful pictures. If you're serious about horn playing, this is a MUST in your library of books -- leave it in your music folder!!

This book made me! Farkas' book is the most complete guide to playing horn I have ever read. It offers everything from lip position to advice for stage fright, and the BEST warmups you can ever use. Play his warmups for about half an hour every day, and in a month I guarantee you'll see results. This book made me the performer I am, and I can't emphasize enough how valuable it is to a horn player on any level. Buy it; it's well worth it!

This is still the best of all horn instruction books. I have used it for nearly 40 years and find new things in it every time I refer to it. As the other reviewers say, every horn player must have it, along with the Dennis Brain CD's.

"Art of French Horn Playing" by Farkas is a must and bible for horn players. Never seen a book so complete with problems and SOLUTIONS discussed

This book was suggested to me by my horn lesson teacher and boy was she right on! I had so many questions because I've only been playing for 4 years and I still had so much to learn and know. I love the warm ups and all the information given. This book is truly the best horn book ever. The Horn Society calls it "the bible of french horn playing" and I agree 100%!

As a Horn teacher for many many years, this is required text for all my students. The "manual" for Horn playing.

This book is just fantastic. In the first half an hour of reading, Farkas explains an incredible amount of information that is all completely relevant to the playing of the French Horn. He offers his own suggestions on technique and plenty of pointers, especially offering new fingerings and explaining why they exist. He explains the history of the horn and explains why players have to do what they do (ex. Hand placement, fingerings, etc). Really interesting and helpful. The included warm ups have become my daily routine and are extremely helpful. Excellent book, the only thing I disliked is that this text is quite outdated in its horn maintenance instructions.

A wealth of information. Techniques, warm-up scales, alternate fingerings, transposition, practice music to improve different areas such as range, intervals, pitch. Learned about this from a horn player in the Dallas Symphony when I was in high school, found it very useful when I played with the Guam Symphony, and used it regularly when I returned to playing after several years of absence. Given it to young players across the US and overseas.

This book is my favorite of all time-- and for a teenager, that may seem strange. I have played horn for about four months, and this is my reference for any issues from technical problems, to practice advice, to encouragement and warnings. Philip Farkas speaks in a way that I love-- he offers frank advice and talks to the reader in a voice that clearly states that he is a fellow hornist, a friend helping a friend. His tone is clear, honest, and very distinguished-- I found it very encouraging that he does not speak to the reader in a condescending way. I am extremely encouraged that he offers such a wide variety of advice, though I do question some of his techniques, such as sitting while practicing and advising not to hold the horn "free". I do agree with his preference of a dark, mellow tone, but I believe that can be achieved while holding the horn free if the right hand is in the correct position. Furthermore, Mr.Farkas's book is the bible of french horn and should be commited to memory by each and every hornist that is serious about this art.