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Horn placement

Posted by Klaactu on 2/14/2021, 6:19 pm

What is the logic in placing the horns to the conductors left with the first horn closest to the audience? Every good band I was in placed the horns in the middle of the band with the 1st horn to the left of the section, the idea being that the rest of the section could hear the 1st horn and use his/her performance as guides in style, tone, intonation, tuning and dynamics. I have never been enamored with this Wind Band title as if we are trying to validate ourselves as something more musical or important than a band. I am a band director: not a symphonic winds director, wind ensemble director, or what ever fancy name you want to call a BAND.

Re: Horn placement

Posted by Froghorn on 2/16/2021, 12:26 pm, in reply to "Horn placement"

I grew up playing where the horns were in the middle of the band, second row behind flutes and with trumpets on risers behind us. We never had issues with being heard. Personally not a fan of horns too far towards the edge to the conductor's left, and also not a fan of the reflectors behind the bells.

Re: Horn placement

Posted by So you can hear on 2/15/2021, 7:35 pm, in reply to "Horn placement"

So that the audience can hear them more easily. I will put first horn inside while learning a piece so the others can hear them better, and then I flip the order a month or so out from the contest so they are heard more than the weaker horns. Smoke and mirrors trick from spending my whole career so far teaching MS NV or HS Sub NV bands.

Re: Horn placement

Posted by DesertJazz on 2/15/2021, 8:45 am, in reply to "Horn placement"

The only reason I've ever seen the outside horn being the principal was if the horns were so bad you only wanted them heard... I guess if you had a true beast section it might get you more volume with the principal on the outside left.

Personally I haven't/probably won't ever do it that way. I treat my horns like I do flutes, principal on the conductors right so that the rest of the section can easily hear and guide to them.

Re: Horn placement

Posted by old guy on 2/18/2021, 7:30 am, in reply to "Re: Horn placement"

Centered horns blend better but if they are a small soft section being covered by the band I have seen it work for some bands. Some stages project any players close to the front stage edge and make horn placement on the outer left less than ideal.

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