Tip: Plumber... Every Horn Player's 2nd Job

  Now anyone that has ever performed with a French horn player knows that they would probably make one of the worst plumbers of all time. With all those pops, drips, and gurgles they most likely bring to mind memories of your high school marching band's drum-line. Now how do we avoid this problem? By properly emptying our horns constantly thorough practice time, rehearsals, and concerts.

  Before I discuss the best method to empty the horn I wanna give a tips to make this a bit easier for everyone.

     - Make sure all your slides are properly lubricated so they move freely and easily. It'll save you money on "elbow grease" and help avoid the clanking during a recording.

     - A couple drops of rotor oil, any light oil really, down the leadpipe and maybe the Bb slide as well. This is so the inside of the pipes have a thin layer of oil, thus making the water drain out easier.
     - If you have time before playing it's smart to take out all the slides and shake them a bit to make sure there's absolutely no water in any of the before you begin. On a side note, whenever you remove a slide, make sure you press down the levers that correspond with that slide. That "popping" sound means your ruining the airtight on your slides. 


  Now for the process of empty your horn quickly and thoroughly...

1. Close your right hand in the bell and blow through the mouthpiece. This is to warm your horn up and also to hear where the water might be.
2. Now make sure your mouthpiece it securely in your horn. I advise not putting it on a stand or on your lap because I see them roll off and land on the floor constantly.
3. Turn the horn so that the water in the rotor slides can run down into the rotors. Compress the 3 levers so that the F side water can run in, then push down the trigger so the water from the Bb side does the same.
4. Rotate the horn about 3 times without anything pushed down, until the water runs out of the bell.
5. Turn it over and empty out of the main branch tuning slide and any others that your horn is notorious for. Mine has a habit of having the water getting stuck in the loops of the 3rd F and Bb slides.

  Some last things I'd like to say about this is to make sure to watch your bell so it doesn't bang into anything. If you have any spit-valves it's okay to use them during practice and rehearsal but I find that they can be very distracting during performances. 

  Finally, there's been this great new invention called the JoyKey. It allows the water to drain right out of the horn while you play. This means the end to emptying your horn constantly throughout your life and it won't change the sound of your horn. The only downside to them is that you'll need to get them installed and then replace the wicks whenever they get too old, which can depend on the acidity of your breathe.
  Interview: Andrew Joy on the JoyKey