French horn for kids

Information on french horn for kids

Are French horns for your kids?

A French horn is a brass instrument made of more than 20 ft. of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. It is the third highest sounding instrument group in the brass family, below the cornet and the trumpet. It is one of the most difficult standard orchestral brass instruments to play, but many believe that it produces one of the most wonderful sounds in the wind family of instruments. Famous French horn players from Australia include Geoff Collinson, who plays the principal horn for the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra.

Why should your kids play the French horn?

• French horn players are in high demand
  If you're looking for kids activities that are truly rewarding in the long run, you can let your kids learn how to play the French horn. Few people play the French horn, so there are plenty of opportunities for your kids to win scholarships by playing the instrument. There are also many orchestras or music groups that are in need of French horn players.
• Better cardiovascular health Playing the French horn exercises the lungs and requires kids to develop deep breathing.
• Increases memory capacity Activities for kids that involve music allow kids to exercise their memory, especially when kids are required to play instruments like the French horn, which is mostly used for longer and harder to memorize classical pieces.
• Improves team skills
  The French horn is usually played in an orchestra or in a marching band, together with players who use other orchestra instruments like the trumpet, saxophone, trombone, and the clarinet. This helps your kids build their team skills.

In order to get your kids interested in the French horn, you can opt to let them take French horn history for kids. Today, we can normally see horns being played in orchestras, but they used to be objects made from shells and horns used for signalling, particularly in hunting.

Get your kids to start playing the French horn!

Many confuse the trumpet from the French horn. Trumpets are smaller instruments that bend twice into an oblong shape, while the tube in a French horn coils into a circular shape, which comes out in the shape of a bell at the base. Trumpets are also generally higher pitched than French horns.

Given the size of the French horn, it may be difficult for some kids to handle. Younger kids require long arms in order to hold the horn properly. It is most ideal to wait until your children are older, generally around 8 to 9 years old, so that they can hold the instrument comfortably. Toddlers can practice with smaller instruments like the flute.

It's a big decision to purchase a French horn for kids, since a regular French horn starts at around $730. If possible, you may try renting a French horn to see if your child becomes dedicated to learning and playing the instrument well. Music teachers will usually advise you regarding your child's progress, helping you assess if he or she should be given his or her own instrument.

When choosing a music shop, it's tempting to purchase ones from the internet, but it's highly unadvisable to do so. Your child must be able to hold the instrument first and listen to its sound quality before purchasing an instrument. You can opt to try out music equipment from a store and purchase it online later, but it's still more advisable to try an instrument first before buying.

There are also many types of French horns, like the single French horn, compensating horns, and double horns. It's best to seek professional advice from a teacher to learn which horn is best suited for your child. Since the instrument is also difficult to learn, try to enrol your kids in formal lessons to let him or her develop good habits when playing as early as possible. To learn more about teachers that offer French horn lessons for kids, check out our ActiveActivities directory for more information.

Get your kids to start playing this unique instrument today!