French Horns

[Vanguard Rich]

A friend of mine asked me the questions below, and since I haven’t seen any threads on this, I thought I’d run this on both the DCI and DCA Forum Sections as dual threads, as the questions pertain to both groups. Are any DCA Competing Corps still using French Horns as a major middle voice instrument these days? (And not just specifically for a solo, either) I for one haven't seen any for quite awhile now. If they are, who is still using them, and if no one is these days, who was the last Corps to use them as such, and when did they stop using them? I know the Cabs Alumni Corps are using them, as well as others, but these questions are directed at Competing Corps.

Please correct me here, but I believe that French horns were dropped because of the difficulty in playing them in today’s programs, primarily due to the mouthpiece utilized? And other factors, such as intonation difficulties with the instrument itself as well while performing?

Answers, please!!

[G-horns]

A friend of mine asked me the questions below, and since I haven’t seen any threads on this, I thought I’d run this on both the DCI and DCA Forum Sections as dual threads, as the questions pertain to both groups. Are any DCA Competing Corps still using French Horns as a major middle voice instrument these days? (And not just specifically for a solo, either) I for one haven't seen any for quite awhile now. If they are, who is still using them, and if no one is these days, who was the last Corps to use them as such, and when did they stop using them? I know the Cabs Alumni Corps are using them, as well as others, but these questions are directed at Competing Corps.

Please correct me here, but I believe that French horns were dropped because of the difficulty in playing them in today’s programs, primarily due to the mouthpiece utilized? And other factors, such as intonation difficulties with the instrument itself as well while performing?

Answers, please!!

Renegades used King K-60's up until recently - I think they had 'em in '06. Don't know if they're on the field this season. I'm not sure if SoCal Dream ever used them, but I know that Mike Nash (a.k.a. Darkman) knows how to drive one. I don't recall any other corps using them.

As for mouthpieces being to blame, I've see too many mellophones with adaptors and frenchie mouthpieces. Yes, marching with a frenchie mouthpiece does take some practice, but if you know what you're doing it can be done.

Intonation is an issue with mellophones, too. So if you can drive a mellophone, you can probably handle the intonation issues of a decent frenchie.

There's nothing like the sound of a line with two frenchie parts plus a mellophone part on top.

[J.C.]

A friend of mine asked me the questions below, and since I haven’t seen any threads on this, I thought I’d run this on both the DCI and DCA Forum Sections as dual threads, as the questions pertain to both groups. Are any DCA Competing Corps still using French Horns as a major middle voice instrument these days? (And not just specifically for a solo, either) I for one haven't seen any for quite awhile now. If they are, who is still using them, and if no one is these days, who was the last Corps to use them as such, and when did they stop using them? I know the Cabs Alumni Corps are using them, as well as others, but these questions are directed at Competing Corps.

Please correct me here, but I believe that French horns were dropped because of the difficulty in playing them in today’s programs, primarily due to the mouthpiece utilized? And other factors, such as intonation difficulties with the instrument itself as well while performing?

Answers, please!!

1999 was the last year that the Kilties marched French Horns.

[Martybucs]

The one thing you'll notice with most marching french horns is that they sound best when the player's feet are perfectly still!

We had them in Buccaneers and for a couple of years had french horns, alto, and flugel provide the mid voice. In a horn line rehearsal the french horns sounded good. Put them on the field and you would have thought the cracks must be part of the song, there were so many of them.

[Robert Kirby]

The one thing you'll notice with most marching french horns is that they sound best when the player's feet are perfectly still!

We had them in Buccaneers and for a couple of years had french horns, alto, and flugel provide the mid voice. In a horn line rehearsal the french horns sounded good. Put them on the field and you would have thought the cracks must be part of the song, there were so many of them.

Before the Great Melt-down of June/July, Cincinnati Tradition had 4 mellos and two Frenchies this year. With the Frenchies playing distinct parts from the mellos.

Robert

[Vanguard Rich]

The one thing you'll notice with most marching french horns is that they sound best when the player's feet are perfectly still!

We had them in Buccaneers and for a couple of years had french horns, alto, and flugel provide the mid voice. In a horn line rehearsal the french horns sounded good. Put them on the field and you would have thought the cracks must be part of the song, there were so many of them.

I've always loved the sound frenchies produced in an ensemble setting. I just can't imagine anyone marching around a field playing one of these things, without cracking notes all over the place, as you have so noted. And I've always wondered how these guys did it back in the '60's without doing the very same thing. As you have suggested, "STAND STILL & PLAY" is probably what did it for the most part. IMHO, the hardest brass instrument to play WELL.

Thanks for all of the comments, everyone!!

Edited August 1, 2008 by Vanguard Rich

[TomPeashey]

I too am an original French Horn Player... look at post #1 in historical under Guess Who... but I was also one of the first Mellophone players (1966)... despite intonation challenges, the brilliance of the outdoor sound and the ability to march and maintain your embroucher was the end of the French Horn era...

Believe me, I lament this... I got to play the haunting strains of "Black Saddle" on the French Horn... it was never quite the same on any other instruments as it must have a darker sound than mellophone...

Reality being what it is and the quality of today's instruments... Mellophone is a good thing... oh yeah.... LOUD is GOOD too!

[Vanguard Rich]

I too am an original French Horn Player... look at post #1 in historical under Guess Who... but I was also one of the first Mellophone players (1966)... despite intonation challenges, the brilliance of the outdoor sound and the ability to march and maintain your embroucher was the end of the French Horn era...

Just what by buddy suspected.

[Scerpella]

I've always loved the sound frenchies produced in an ensemble setting. I just can't imagine anyone marching around a field playing one of these things, without cracking notes all over the place, as you have so noted. And I've always wondered how these guys did it back in the '60's without doing the very same thing. As you have suggested, "STAND STILL & PLAY" is probably what did it for the most part. IMHO, the hardest brass instrument to play WELL.

Thanks for all of the comments, everyone!!

I actually prefer the sound of FHs over Mellos which I believe in most hands are anything but mellow. FHs blend much better with the ensemble than mellophones. And I can recall in my junior days that the FH line was trucking along pretty fast with everyone else and managing to still sound pretty good. And they managed to do it in a high mark time setting! Its one thing to decide in a particular year the program might be too much for FHs but the way the activity has collectively ditched the horn is unfortunate. Its a color in the tapestry of sound which is very much missed.

Edited August 1, 2008 by Scerpella

[eveinot]

I've always loved the sound frenchies produced in an ensemble setting. I just can't imagine anyone marching around a field playing one of these things, without cracking notes all over the place, as you have so noted. And I've always wondered how these guys did it back in the '60's without doing the very same thing. As you have suggested, "STAND STILL & PLAY" is probably what did it for the most part. IMHO, the hardest brass instrument to play WELL.

Thanks for all of the comments, everyone!!

Very simple way of doing it, just like most other issues (but not specifically drum corps). They practice, and perfect. Things then were made to perfect and last forever, and they probably took the same approach with music. they didn't take the mentality of "if it ain't broke don't fix" and used "practice makes perfect"