big phan

I have found Yamaha to be a very dependable horn, but often they can sound too bright and "tinny." I understand they make their horns with a fair amount of zinc, the reason for the brighter sound. Zinc tends to rattle more and doesn't have the same resonance of some other metals. King doesn't. It seems that king horns may have been a little less consistent in the way they were made and so you could have a line of 10 horns with 10 different problems. However, more recently King seems to have settled on a much better developed model. The sound that can be attained from a line of King horns is much warmer than that of a line of Yamahas simply due to the fact that they are made differently. King may have better projection, but it is projection that is better rounded. I would prefer a line of Kings(Phantom Regiment) to a line of Yamahas.

yeah. . .but ya gotta relax first! Relax, Breathe, Dah, and you can make any sound you want.

David Tippett. Great teacher. I have never met anyone who knows how to get a brassline off the ground like Dave. He was one of the reasons the Glassmen got so big so fast in the early ninties.(if my chronology isn't off. . .)

I agree that straight on is never something that you can do ALL the time. But to switch back and forth between up and down also ends up developing your embouchre wrong. I try to play straight on/leaning towards downstream for the most part because I find I can get more resonance and can play more relaxed. Even at the higher octaves, for me, if I think about playing downstream, I am able to relax better. Maybe the whole jaw-jut idea helps to develop the upper initally, but to get consistent tone and a good quality sound up high, I have to play down a little. Just my two cents.

Consistensy is bloody hard. I still suck most days. It seems to me that there is not much you can do to control when your crappy days are. However, there are things to notice. Colder, dryer days are harder to get a clear tone on. They also tend to tire your lip out faster. I don't really know what to tell you. Beyond just keep trying. Most Top 12 corps, it seems to me, will recognize the fact that you are working at it and improving and usually a couple of cracked notes won't get in the way of them understanding your ability.

I have just posted these on Ebay if you want to cross-reference. . .

Yeah. I found in playing them(french horns) that they have a sound that doesn't stick out ever, even when you want it to. If you want the french horns to play a line that should come out, it takes the rest of the ensemble holding back a little to make sure it is heard. However, the low range on a horn is fantastic. Big, warm, dark. It's way less like an alto trumpet, compared to a mello. I'd love to see a junior corps start marching a line of those and mellos, to get the fuller, warmer sound. I really like the mellophone, but I think the french horn can create a more dark sound.

JD Shaw definitely is responsible for the awesome euph/mello runs. I talked to him in August about the show and arranging etc. and he definitely is intimately aware of what individual sections like to play most! As well as being a phenomenal horn player he is definitely a great arranger.

I played Marching French Horns for seven years, and found a couple of things. The notes are sometimes harder to slot because the slots themselves are closer together. However, the Horn itself has a much darker, warmer sound than a mellophone. If you want a more symphonic sound, a more rounded sound, marching horns are the way to go. Also, however, playing at louder dynamics is pretty difficult. A marching horn is harder to get a focused, loud sound out of than a concert horn, and often the louder dynamics will spread and get blatty if you don't pay attention. They are not bad horns, in my opinion. It's just a matter of choosing what style you are looking for.

hahahahaha! you're right. My bad. I was thinking from the transposition to the concert pitch. sorry. :P

For the arrangements I've been doing, here's the ranges I try and work within for the most part(to play relatively comfortably): Sopranos - F5 - C7ish (below F5 can end up being a pretty fat sound and unless that's what you want is pretty gross sounding) Mellos - F4 - D or E6(mello parts transpose up the fifth, not down) Baris - Bb3 - G/A4(there's usually no need for a bari to go below a Bb in the bass clef Contras - Bb2 - Eb3 This may seem pretty limited, I know, but it has worked pretty well for me . . . so far.

I have become the proud owner of a line of nine used silver Yamaha Marching Horns, all in really good playing and aesthetic condition, (model: YHR 302MS) cases included. If you would be interested in one or any of these, e-mail me at ahaig886@hotmail.com. Be happy to provide you with specific info on these(I do have pics of them).

JD Shaw, the arranger for PR, is also the horn player for Boston Brass. Does that count?

That's how I was starting to feel after it started raining hard in Allentown. I had driven six hours with four friends to see it and I was gonna be ###### if I left cause of rain.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Go phantom!

As a fellow "newbie" I can see where you are probably getting frustrated. People are wicked passionate about the activity they love and their opinions seem to be, in most cases, absolutely right, bar none. I am with you, however, in that nothing you said was extremely offensive or inciting some form of anger. People who don't recognize that, <**> <**> <**> . Please. I mean, come on. And it is true that each of these corps brings a form of talent to the playing field, whether it be in the visual, the brass, the guard, whatever. Each corps has their strong point, and people need to recognize that. For the USMC, that strong point is just them being what they are, the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. And in my opinion, those men and (4) women are for the most part, stronger individuals and a better ensemble because of what they have gone through together. They aren't there to be BD or SCV or the Cavies or anything but what they are. The more open-minded people can be about this activity, the better these sorts of discussions will go.

Two things: pitch-bending, and pedal tones. Pitch-bending will help you get a center of tone on each partial. That way if you play a scale you hit the center of each note rather than being on the flat side all the time, a tendency for beginning players. Pedal tones will help strengthen your chops in general. Also, if you have a good low to middle range, your upper range will slot in easier. Just thoughts from a trumpet turned french horn/mellophone.

Camel, did you watch the same Magic show I did? You would have put them fourth? Why? I think that the score that they got was accurate. The review above is right on in saying that the only part to remember was the rum and the plank. They didn't do anything else. Just my opinion. Above the Crossmen and Spirit who are both working really hard at their shows and do a much better job?

Cause SCV fans want their corps on top right now. Bummer. I'd like to see SCV on top, but it doesn't seem to be panning out that way. I also think that people are recognizing the fact that SCV's show concept is stronger than BD's. That says something to people. If people can follow what is definitely going on, its easier to connect with. People like it more and want it do score better.

There is so much extra s$^# floating around this particular board, its hard to tell what the real issue is. BD vs SCV. We're talking about two corps that have very, but not completely different approaches to the activity. SCV focuses very hard on the visual, BD on the musical. I think people agree on that? To compare BD's visual to SCV's, SCV wins hands down. Conversely, to compare BD's musical to SCV's, BD kicks some serious #$%. BD is looking for a sound that is completely different from SCV's. Look at what they are playing. To have a symphonic brass sound playing blues would make absolutely no sense. Same applies to SCV's sound. To have them sound like a "big band" as someone said, would be totally inappropriate for Scheherezade. I do agree thought that SCV needs more lower brass sound. Speaking of which, they are marching no euphoniums. I am wondering how much of a difference that is making to the overall sound. In general, BD is executing more consistently at a higher level than SCV. Right now. As SCV continues to clean their show, I think it will become apparent that they have a stronger production as well as a more talented corps. I think. Only the next two weeks will tell. Just my opinion. . .

I just got my first horn in Nov. of this year. I play the french horn and got an Alexander 206C. If you want to call Sibelius playing something I play that too, but. . . there it is. Youth equals not a lot of instruments. Hey, you can only play one at a time anyways. Why do you need more than one? :P

I couldn't agree more about the Cadets show. Doesn't make any sense. Bach and Jethro Tull? How do those fit together? In all seriousness where is the link? What are they trying to piece together? It's beyond me. As for BD. . . well, now we know that there are two trumpets who can play high and loud. What else do we know? Ummmm. . .they can march, sort of, I guess. Help? GO SCV! Bring it on!

Thanks, Sean. Nice review. I haven't seen a ton of competitions yet this year, but am planning on going to Allentown so its nice to have an idea of what to look at in each corps. I HAVE, however, seen and Boston and the Bluecoats recently and question wether you should have Boston placed so high. I LOVE the concept, but the execution is just too sloppy for me to put them over the Bluecoats. Just my opinion. Thanks, though.