Off the Leg

Phillip Farkas believed that, like cellists, French Horn is an instrument that is played sitting. He was all about the bell resting on the right leg. How do I know this? Because my teacher studied with Farkas, and I attended a master class where he also said it.

Nowadays horn players are lifting the bell off the leg. One main reason is posture and height, but I was always able to maintain a good posture with my bell on my leg. But more and more I see players sitting with the bell off the knee. It's a different experience. It puts different pressures on both the right and left hands. Also, it puts the sound in a different direction, which means you have to listen a little differently.

But, as I'm one who doesn't want to be left behind, it's time I took the bell off my leg for good.

So far it's set me back a little, but I'm catching up. The right hand is fine (though going to hand stopping does take an extra second). The left hand is taking the bulk of the strain. I have a duck's foot, which is supporting the weight of the horn for me. Honestly, I don't know how people do it without one! I've seen the straps that some folks use, and I've tried one for a while but it drove me nuts.

Oddly, taking the bell off the leg does give me a feeling of being a little more in control of the instrument. A French Horn can feel big and unwieldy sometimes. This makes it feel a little more compact.

So that's my latest endeavor. If I can think of anything else to set me back or potentially ruin my playing, I'm sure I'll give it a try! Maybe next I'll try playing on one foot!