Horn Care
As you know, the horn has a lot of tubing, many slides, and some fairly complicated rotary valves. It is very important that you take good care of it. When there is a problem with your instrument it affects you and the rest of the band. Like all brass instruments, the French horn has some basic oiling and cleaning that is necessary to keep it running smoothly. The following is a general guide. As always, check with your band director first and see if she or he has other instructions for you.
Start with a clean mouth
As with any wind instrument, always start your practice session with your mouth freshly rinsed with water. You not only want to rid your mouth of food particles, but also need to remove any sugars that could clog the valves up or encourage bacteria growth.
Drain slides regularly
Unlike a trumpet, the horn does not have water keys ("spit valves"), and you must drain condensation from the slides themselves. Here are some great ideas on how to do that from renowned horn teacher and player, Roxanne Haskill:
1. Take the mouthpiece out, tilt lead pipe over toward the floor. Most will come out.
2. Clear the other, smaller slides one by one early in the rehearsal. As you have breaks, drain just the big main slides.
3. Take the mouthpiece out, then hold your horn like a steering wheel. Then, steer your "car" to the right, making several turns, eventually it will come out the bell.
Oil the valves
The horn's rotary valves are more complicated to work on than normal trumpet valves. However, you can oil them quite simply by doing the following:
1. Depress the valve key of the valve you want to oil.
2. While holding the valve key down, remove the slide associated with that key.
3. Begin moving the valve key up and down while adding a few drops of oil down the tubing that is permanently attached to the valve.
4. Replace the slide.
5. While there are a number of valve oils available, Roxanne Haskill recommends Blue Juice valve oil.
Start with a clean mouth
As with any wind instrument, always start your practice session with your mouth freshly rinsed with water. You not only want to rid your mouth of food particles, but also need to remove any sugars that could clog the valves up or encourage bacteria growth.
Drain slides regularly
Unlike a trumpet, the horn does not have water keys ("spit valves"), and you must drain condensation from the slides themselves. Here are some great ideas on how to do that from renowned horn teacher and player, Roxanne Haskill:
1. Take the mouthpiece out, tilt lead pipe over toward the floor. Most will come out.
2. Clear the other, smaller slides one by one early in the rehearsal. As you have breaks, drain just the big main slides.
3. Take the mouthpiece out, then hold your horn like a steering wheel. Then, steer your "car" to the right, making several turns, eventually it will come out the bell.
Oil the valves
The horn's rotary valves are more complicated to work on than normal trumpet valves. However, you can oil them quite simply by doing the following:
1. Depress the valve key of the valve you want to oil.
2. While holding the valve key down, remove the slide associated with that key.
3. Begin moving the valve key up and down while adding a few drops of oil down the tubing that is permanently attached to the valve.
4. Replace the slide.
5. While there are a number of valve oils available, Roxanne Haskill recommends Blue Juice valve oil.
Grease the slides
You will need to remove your slides often to drain them, and it is therefore very important that they are well greased.
*CAUTION! If your slide will not come out easily, do not force it. Please show it to your band director as it may need to
be removed by a professional repairman.
However, if it will come out fairly easily, the process is not hard.
1. Remove the slide. Only remove one slide at a time so you don't get them mixed up!
2. Put a little slide grease on your finger and wipe it around the slide that fits into the horn.
3. Replace the slide, wipe off any excess grease.
You will need to remove your slides often to drain them, and it is therefore very important that they are well greased.
*CAUTION! If your slide will not come out easily, do not force it. Please show it to your band director as it may need to
be removed by a professional repairman.
However, if it will come out fairly easily, the process is not hard.
1. Remove the slide. Only remove one slide at a time so you don't get them mixed up!
2. Put a little slide grease on your finger and wipe it around the slide that fits into the horn.
3. Replace the slide, wipe off any excess grease.
Polish the horn
Your horn has a beautiful, large bell and lots of tubing. Keeping it bright and shiny is simple. Just take a polishing cloth and wipe it. Some cloths have a special polish built into them, in which case you would follow using that with using a clean, dry normal cloth.
Your horn has a beautiful, large bell and lots of tubing. Keeping it bright and shiny is simple. Just take a polishing cloth and wipe it. Some cloths have a special polish built into them, in which case you would follow using that with using a clean, dry normal cloth.