You want your child to be well-rounded, and you’ve found some promising instructors. You are ready to take the plunge and select an instrument.
You can already imagine the screeching of a beginning violin player grating on your nerves, so you opt for a brass instrument instead.
But which should you choose, the French horn or the trumpet?
This post explores the characteristics of both instruments, the pros and cons, and considerations when choosing an instrument.
Table of Contents
- Should I Play the French Horn or Trumpet? Getting Familiar With Each Instrument
- Is Trumpet or French Horn Harder?
- Should I Play the Trumpet or French Horn? A Look at the Pros and Cons
- Consider These Tips When Choosing To Play the French Horn or Trumpet
- Choose Northwest School of Music No Matter Which Instrument You Choose: Our Team of Instructors Is Ready To Help You Get Started
Should I Play the French Horn or Trumpet? Getting Familiar With Each Instrument
To make an informed decision on which instrument to play, a musician needs to be familiar with them. Comparing characteristics is a good starting place.
Characteristics of the French Horn
Sound
The sounds produced by the French horn are characterized as rich and warm. Although it’s a brass instrument, the French horn has a similar timbre to woodwinds.
Described as expressive, the French horn is known for its smooth, velvety tone and its ability to blend well with woodwind and brass instruments.
Depending on the techniques used, French horns can create quiet, muted notes or brilliant, loud ones. Its sound is rounded and full.
Range
The French horn can produce a wide range of sounds, which is one of its most distinguishing features.
The French horn is versatile, producing sounds across four octaves (a series of eight notes in a musical scale), whereas most brass instruments have notes across three octaves. Skilled musicians can extend the range beyond four octaves.
Musical Genres
Musicians can use French horns for a variety of genres. It can produce notes that align with classical music, film scores, jazz, and potentially rock and metal music.
The French horn is primarily utilized in orchestras and concert bands, but there may be other opportunities in marching bands, brass quintets, or ensembles. Chances to perform solo may arise for skilled musicians.
Technique
The French horn’s sound is produced by buzzing the lips into the mouthpiece. The pressure put on the mouthpiece affects the starting pitch and tone.
To produce quality sounds, the lips and tongue must be applied to the mouthpiece correctly, called embouchure.
Proper embouchure is having the lips positioned so that two-thirds of the upper lip and one-third of the lower lip are inside the mouthpiece. The lips should be relaxed and puckered with the corners of the mouth held firmly together.
To produce high notes, the tongue must be arched and touching the roof of the mouth. The position of the tongue is lower for lower notes. Breath control is necessary for keeping the tone steady.
Pitch (how high or low the note sounds) is controlled by an adjustable air column.
The left hand is used to operate the valves which are used to adjust the pathway of the air. Each valve essentially adds or removes sections of tubing to the air column, allowing the musician to produce different notes.
The right hand is kept inside the horn using a technique called hand-stopping. Hand-stopping allows the musician to control the pitch or partially block the sound, producing expressive notes.
Characteristics of the Trumpet
Sound
A trumpet’s sounds are characterized as bright, brilliant, and exciting with notes that sound high and piercing. The trumpet is used to convey joy and triumph.
Although the notes are usually bright and upbeat, the trumpet can also produce notes that are mellow and soft.
The timbre, or unique sound quality, essentially its voice, is often described as brassy.
Range
The trumpet is known for having the highest pitch of all brass family instruments, but it is capable of playing a wide range of frequencies, making it versatile too.
The trumpet typically covers three octaves, but skilled musicians using special techniques may extend that range on both ends.
Musical Genres
Trumpets are largely used in classical and jazz music, but they can be found in blues, rock, pop, and folk music.
Trumpets are used in many ensembles such as symphony orchestras, jazz ensembles, marching bands, and even Mexican mariachi bands.
Performance opportunities for trumpet players include orchestras and bands because the trumpet’s sounds are vital to their music. Recording studios seek trumpet players for different music genres, and there may be opportunities for solo performances.
Trumpet players are more common than French horn players, but both offer opportunities for aspiring musicians.
Technique
Playing the trumpet requires the musician to vibrate or buzz their lips as they blow air out into the mouthpiece.
The lips, tongue, and facial muscles work together to produce sound. Proper embouchure is when the mouthpiece is centered on the lips and the red of the lips is fully inside the cup. The lips should be relaxed, but firm. Overly tight lips won’t allow musicians to produce accurate notes.
The trumpet typically has three valves the musician presses to control the notes. Each note requires a specific combination of fingerings.
The pitch of the trumpet is controlled by a tuning slide. When the slide is pushed out, the pitch is lowered and pushed in, it is raised.
The right hand is primarily used to hold the bell and to support the instrument. This helps with adjusting the intonation of the notes and affects the timbre.
The left hand is used to control the valves and the slides on the trumpet, which is essential for producing accurate notes.
Is Trumpet or French Horn Harder?
Amongst musicians, the consensus is that the French horn is more difficult to play than the trumpet. Here are some reasons why:
- Wide range of notes: The musician will have to learn the proper embouchure to produce each note.
- Pitch: The French horn can produce a pitch higher than can be written on sheet music, making learning more difficult.
- Fingering: The French horn’s fingering system is more complex.
- Sound production: It is easier to produce quality sounds on a trumpet.
Many musicians can transition easily from playing the trumpet to the French horn, but the reverse is not so simple.
Whatever instrument you try, the music educators at Northwest School of Music are ready to help you become a proficient musician in their programs.
Should I Play the Trumpet or French Horn? A Look at the Pros and Cons
Trumpet Pros and Cons
There are both positives and negatives for learning the trumpet.
Pros:
- Easier to learn: Trumpets are known as good beginning instruments to learn.
- Widely available: Trumpets are easy to find to purchase or rent.
- Good for solo playing and band settings: Nearly all compositions can utilize a trumpet, making performance opportunities widely available.
- Wide range of music genres: Trumpets provide more options for the style of music.
Cons:
- More difficult to get scholarship money: There are more trumpet players than French horn players, making achieving a scholarship harder due to the number of applicants. Additionally, trumpets are viewed as easier to play, so musicians may not be seen as having as much talent or dedication as musicians of more difficult instruments.
- Higher notes are harder to learn: Higher notes require a tighter embouchure and are closer together, making them more difficult to play.
- Physical challenges: Musicians with braces or physical limitations may find getting proper embouchure harder.
French Horn Pros and Cons
French horns also have positive and negative aspects.
Pros:
- Richer tone and wider range: French horns create beautiful, expressive sounds and produce a wider range of notes.
- More rewarding roles in orchestras and ensembles: The French horn’s design allows it to make the music feel more complete.
- Less competition: There are fewer French horn musicians, so spots in ensembles and competition for scholarships are significantly less. This could lead to more scholarship money and performance opportunities.
Cons:
Physical demands: Proper posture and breathing techniques are required for quality sound and can be difficult for musicians to maintain.
Harder to learn: Embouchure is unique and more challenging because the wider range makes learning all of the note combinations more difficult.
Requires dedicated practice: The French horn requires the musician to make minimal changes to produce different notes and tones, requiring more practice time.
Less versatile: The French horn is versatile in its range of notes, but it’s mainly used in orchestras and classical music.
More expensive: The French horn is a complex instrument that requires more skill and time to manufacture, increasing cost.
Consider These Tips When Choosing To Play the French Horn or Trumpet
Try Both
Nobody says you have to choose ONLY one. Try them both out over a short period to decide which one you like the best.
Each instrument is a different musical experience. If you like the first instrument you try, you may like the second one even better. You don’t want to get locked into one instrument without exploring other options.
Once you become proficient, you can enjoy the benefits of learning a second instrument, including expanding your creativity, musical repertoire, and versatility.
Consider Your Musical Style Preferences and Goals
When picking an instrument, consider the type of music you want and the opportunities you desire.
Do you like jazz? The trumpet would be a great choice. Would you prefer to perform in an orchestra or band? Either instrument could work. Do you want solo opportunities? The trumpet may give you more. Are you working toward a scholarship? French horn may be the way to go.
Once you have the answers to these questions, your decision will be easier.
Evaluate Available Playing Opportunities
Learning to play an instrument on your own is one thing, but being able to play with others enhances the experience. Are there opportunities to play with groups near you? High school band/orchestra? Community opportunities? Church? Etc.
If you do have opportunities to play with others, consider which instrument would be needed in these groups. Are they missing a French horn player? Do they already have three trumpet players? These factors may help you decide.
Be Prepared To Practice
No matter which instrument you choose, it’s going to require devotion to practice. You can’t become good at something without allocating time to it.
While musicians are unique and have their own goals, it is standard practice to dedicate at least 20-30 minutes a day to practice and increase to 30-60-minute sessions as you gain proficiency.
Practice builds stamina and quality, creating a solid foundation to learn more complex techniques.
Lessons with trained professionals typically include a 10-15 minute warm-up to practice tones, scales, and mouthpiece buzzing. This is followed by foundational exercises to practice scales in different keys, fingerings, and range and breathing exercises. Finally, you will practice songs and performance skills followed by a cool down.
It is recommended that beginning musicians take lessons weekly. If you will be performing, you can also anticipate rehearsals before performances.
Research Instruction Opportunities in Your Area
The best way to learn an instrument is with a qualified, experienced instructor. You might want to play the French horn, but if there aren’t any instructors in your area, that might be challenging.
When searching for an instructor, look for these qualities:
- Strong educational background in music
- Experience teaching students of all levels
- Ability to inspire and nurture musical growth
- Teaching style that aligns with your learning style
- Patience, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude
You want an instructor who makes lessons engaging and who can help you grow as a musician.
Choose Northwest School of Music No Matter Which Instrument You Choose: Our Team of Instructors Is Ready To Help You Get Started
Whether you are looking for private lessons, group lessons, or lessons for littles, at Northwest School of Music, our instructors have the passion, the education, and the experience you need to begin or continue developing your music skills.
No matter what instrument you choose, we offer a wide variety of programs to help you reach your musical goals. We want to help you make your music dreams a reality.
