PrettyT

Hey I used to play awhile back, and i'm thinking about getting into it again. I had an intermediate horn before. My question is what's the difference, rather what types of changes should I expect when comparing an intermediate/professional horn.



aaron

rowuk

A student horn is designed to not cost very much. A pro horn is designed to have superior playing characteristics. An intermediate horns qualities are dependent on the concience of the manufacturer. If we use Yamaha as a good example, all the horns are in tune and give good results for the projected group. The student horn does not have the ultimate sound quality, but is very easy to play, even if you don't practice much. The pro horns take more effort to play but have a far superior response and sound quality. The sound projects well and the discerning player doesn't have anything to complain about. The intermediate horns, well, they don't have the sound qualities of the pro horns but require somewhat more advanced breathing technique than the student horns. My preference for my students, if money is an issue, a used pro horn. The intermediate instruments can be "grown out of" with just a year or two of serious practice.

__________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

Dale Proctor

I'll add that for a good, experienced player, the best pro horns are actually easier to play. That's one of the measuring sticks I use when sampling a different horn - how easy does it do the "hard stuff"? Student horns (should) play easy for beginners at their stage of development, but sure don't play easy for someone in a pro situation. It's said that a great player will sound great on just about any horn, but the better the horn, the easier it becomes to sound that way.

__________________
"Brass bands are all very well in their place - outdoors and several miles away." - Sir Thomas Beecham

Olde Towne Brass
www.otbrass.com

Brass Band of Huntsville
www.brassbandofhuntsville.org

Richard Oliver

Aaron,

Here's a great link that answers your questions quite well.

When I started playing about a year ago, I followed Mr. Donaldson's advice and wound up with a very nice Bb that's almost as old as I am and a lot prettier!

http://www.dallasmusic.org/gearhead/

Happy Practicing,

Richard Oliver