so ds has just told us he wants to play french horn. help!

[crumpledinside]

Ds is nearly 8 and still has his baby teeth at the top. I have said that when his adult teeth come through he can have lessons in a brass or woodwind instrument of his choice. At the moment he plays violin and recorder and he is quite a musical kid.

For ages he'd been saying he wanted to take up the clarinet. Then he heard a fantastic horn solo at a concert and fell in love! I play clarinet myself so I know what's possible at what age and how hard it is. I know nothing about brass instruments and don't know if an 8 year old can pick up a horn - he'll be 8.5 when his teeth are through, or how hard it is or even the basics of horn embouchure.

Can anyone provide some advice on what's possible at this age or whether he should start on a different instrument?

[duchesse]

And you shouldn't ever actually push the horn hard enough against your lip to cause any damage to the teeth. If you're pushing hard enough to damage front teeth you won't be developing a good embouchure and any decent teacher should pick that up.

[1805]

Good grief! YOU SHOULD NEVER BE PUSHING THE MOUTHPIECE ONTO THE LIPS.

I teach french horn from year 3 upwards no problem. It's up to the child.

Strictly speaking AB grade 4 upwards should be taken on a full size horn rather than a junior/kinder/small/double wrap horn.

Where is the evidence for brass playing damaging developing teeth by the way? I'd like to read it.

[FastLoris]

It's just what a highly regarded player and teacher (ex-London colleges teacher, etc.) told me when I phoned him to ask about starting my daughter. I'm not a brass player at all so I don't have an opinion either way.

I think his point about the pushing on the teeth was not that they SHOULD do it (obviously), but that they WOULD do it while starting out.

But TBH I've heard and seen so many contradictory ideas on this stuff from different people that it wouldn't surprise me if he were wrong. And he possibly didn't have much experience with little ones, having been a professional freelancer and teacher of more advanced students for most of his career. He may have just been parrotting some received idea that he'd never had cause to look into.

So do you think there would be any problem with my daughter starting now, at seven-and-a-half? She got her front teeth very early, at five. Alternatively it's been suggested to start her on either an Eb tenor horn or a cornet and then change to french horn. What do you reckon?

[1805]

tbh, I used to be of the opinion that teeth should be properly established, but over the course of teaching (beginners to music college) over the last 12 years, I have come to the conclusion that it is fine. One pupil came to me with no top front teeth whatsoever (already been playing a year) and she was fine, and her teeth grew fine and everything was fine! I currently have a pupil with a false front top tooth and he is fine too!!!

I used to play pro until I had a bad childbirth and had to take a year off from playing, and dh still plays pro and also teaches, so we have plenty of experience to call on!!

So, this is my advice....

1. If you live in a brass band area, start on Eb horn. if not, start on french horn, or whichever you fancy!
   
2. If you're worried about her teeth, leave it a bit longer.
   
3. Aim for slow but controlled progress (on french horn) to begin with.
   
4. No harm in waiting a few years - makes no difference in the long run. (we started our eldest child in year 4)
   
   hth.

[pigsinmud]

Dh teaches brass. He always used to think he couldn't teach children before they got their adult front teeth. He still follows that rule for his pupils (although he is not sure if there is any truth in it) but he teaches our own dc4 trumpet and has been since she was 6. At 7 she is still waiting for her adult teeth [ Her teeth seem fine and of course with dh teaching her she has the perfect embouchure!