What is the HARDEST brass intrument to play?

[l2elic]

HORN! stupid hard to get those partials.

[mellopet]

Definitely horn, although more than partials. I have worked with buzzing and singing and such that they arent really a challenge anymore, but tuning is a big challenge for me, just on individual notes. They vary too much! I think partly it is from being a trumpet player, where somehow the pitches are all more stable. Also in general all of our horns hear sharp at our school- it doesnt really matter where the tuning slide is they still play sharp. Or overcompensate and bend down everything and get a really bad tone quality.

The other thing that bothers me about horn is how hard it is to move rotary valves compared to piston (is that what theyre called).

[mikemey]

Yes, piston on a trumpet, rotor on a horn.

It's much easier, IMO, to play fast lines on pistons than rotors.

[gohorns]

definately horn. what other instrument can you play a scale without putting any valves down? plus you have to play it with your left hand, which is difficult for many people because they are either used to playing with their right hand or are right handed to begin with. and i love my Conn 8D.

[leadsoplove]

I agree with most that the horn is the hardest brass instrument, but when it comes to marching and playing, I think that changes things a lot. I know that with those crazy awesome runs and all that mello can't be easy, but I guess I'm probably a little bias to saying that the lead sop role is probably one of the toughest. Let alone the size of the mouthpiece and all (I don't approve of cheaters!!!!), the sheer air pressure needed for some of that stuff is pretty crazy. I'm open to arguments on this one, I don't want anyone to take offense or anything!!

[mellobecka05]

french horn is undoubtedly the toughest horn to play...especially if you play a double horn (which, unless you're in the 6th grade, you will), because you have to make an adjustment every time you switch sides of the horn to keep the tone consistent...also, the partials are a little bit funky and harder to hear, at least for me, but, then, i switched from flute to mello to french horn, so what do i know?

[elphaba01]

"Hardest Brass Instrument":

French Horn Bugle. And: If you think the marching French Horns of "today" are a tough haul, you should have tried to push quality sound out of a 1950s-1960s model, complete with sandpapered tuning slide for chromatics.

Elphaba

[ECJ_Tuba]

Trombone is the hardest instument to play. You have to have a very good ear to hear every pitch on the instrument, in a sense its never right in pitch, your ears are the instument. It has no set way to get every single pitch right on every single time unless you develope a good ear.

Edited April 28, 2004 by ECJ_Tuba

[ducttapedgerbil]

Hardest brass instrument for someone to play???

MY Mellophone.... because I pity the fool that tries to take it from me; it ain't gonna happen.

[ravedodger]

Trombone is the hardest instument to play. You have to have a very good ear to hear every pitch on the instrument, in a sense its never right in pitch, your ears are the instument. It has no set way to get every single pitch right on every single time unless you develope a good ear.

Actually the bone is on par with most other brass instruments. You have seven positions. Muscle memory should get a player about as close to the desired pitch as any instrument with valves does. Valved instruments are not dead-on either.

Edited April 28, 2004 by ravedodger