Switching Trumpet Players to French Horn via Mellophone

Who

This process benefits band directors transitioning trumpet players to French horn in school or community ensembles, particularly middle and high school students struggling with trumpet’s demands but showing musical aptitude.

What

The challenge is helping trumpet players who strain with the instrument’s high notes and tight embouchure switch to French horn, which has a different embouchure and complex fingerings, using the mellophone as an intermediate step to ease the transition.

Why

Trumpet’s high back pressure and tight embouchure, required for high notes like high G or C in pieces like Sweet Caroline, cause strain, frustration, or poor tone for some players, as noted in The Art of Brass Playing. French horn’s looser embouchure and lower back pressure reduce physical demands, but its harmonic series and fingerings are challenging. The mellophone, with trumpet-like fingerings and a horn-like embouchure, bridges this gap.

Where

The transition occurs via:

• Mellophone: Uses trumpet fingerings and a conical bore, mimicking horn’s embouchure.
• French Horn: Requires a looser, two-thirds upper lip embouchure and new fingerings.
• Embouchure and Air Support: Adjusting from trumpet’s tight buzz to horn’s flexible lip control.

When

Apply this process in:

• Marching Season: Introduce mellophone to leverage familiar fingerings in pieces like Sweet Caroline.
• Post-Marching Season: Transition to French horn by late season for concert repertoire like Holst’s First Suite in Eb.
• Struggling Students: When trumpet players show strain or disengagement but musical potential.
• Ensemble Development: To strengthen the horn section in band settings.

How

To transition trumpet players:

1. Start with Mellophone: Introduce mellophone during marching season, using trumpet fingerings (e.g., open for written C, concert F) to ease physical demands, as per The Art of Brass Playing.
2. Adjust Embouchure: Guide students from trumpet’s centered one-third/two-thirds or 50/50 placement to mellophone’s looser, horn-like two-thirds upper lip embouchure via long tones.
3. Teach Horn Fingerings: By mid-marching season, introduce French horn fingerings (e.g., C fingered 1-2 on F side, open on Bb side), starting with middle-range notes (e.g., middle G to C).
4. Use Bb Side: Leverage the double horn’s Bb side for high notes (e.g., high C) to simplify fingering transitions from mellophone.
5. Use a Tuner: Check pitch (A=440 Hz) to ensure horn’s low back pressure doesn’t cause instability.
6. Incorporate Repertoire: Assign simple horn parts in First Suite in Eb by late season to build familiarity.
7. Share Success Stories: My 9th-grader thrived on mellophone, transitioned to horn, and is now student-teaching after a music education degree. An 11th-grader, average on trumpet, excelled on mellophone and played with the Texas A&M Fighting Texas Aggie Band.

Conclusion

Switching trumpet players to French horn via mellophone leverages familiar fingerings and a horn-like embouchure to ease physical demands. By introducing mellophone in marching season, teaching horn fingerings post-season, and adjusting embouchure, directors transform struggling trumpeters into confident horn players. Success stories, like my 9th-grader’s journey to student-teaching and an 11th-grader’s Texas A&M performance, show this approach strengthens ensembles, enhancing the band’s sound.