Articles - Houghton Horns

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If you’ve heard of Pythagoras at all, it’s probably because of his most famous contribution to basic geometry: a2+ b2= c2. But did you know that Pythagoras did more than just write a cool...

Want to be the best section leader ever? Here are some tips! Listen to your band director. Congrats on being section leader! Your job is to lead your section to play its...

We caught up with James Nova for July’s edition of 20 Questions. Jim is Second/Utility Trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Brass Area Coordinator and Adjunct Trombone Faculty at Duquesne...

Buying a new instrument for yourself is a ton of fun, but helping someone else choose one can be nerve-wracking. How can a teacher guide a student to find the...

Have you ever heard people throwing around words like ‘backbore’ and ‘rim contour’ and wondered what they mean? Here’s your guide to the anatomy of a horn mouthpiece. Material of...

Listed in order from largest to smallest. The larger the bore, the bigger and less focused the sound. Why do the bore sizes increase as the width of the mouthpiece...

Bb Trumpet: If you are in middle or high school, studying music in college, playing professionally, or are simply a trumpet enthusiast, you likely have a Bb trumpet. It uses piston valves, which reroute the air through...

At Houghton Horns we use a very sharp razor blade to precisely trim bumpers, so only try this at home if you are comfortable shaving 1 mm slivers of material...

This month we feature Amanda Collins, Assistant Teaching Professor of Horn at the University of Missouri School of Music. Ms. Collins is a graduate of the Peabody Institute Preparatory (certificate),...

Single Horn: Single horns are found primarily in F or in Bb. In many parts of the U.S.A., beginners start on a single F horn, mostly because these instruments require a...