Basic Supplies
This page contains the essential supplies each French Horn player will need. The list goes from most essential, to less essential, but if you are serious about playing the horn, these are all items you are going to need. The bottom of the list has some recommendations for buying your own horn and mouthpiece, but whatever you are borrowing from school or your local music store is probably a good place to start.
The list below provides a picture of each item, a brief description, and links to purchase each item. The links provided are to purchase the items on Woodwind and Brasswind and Amazon, but feel free to find these items at other online stores as well as your local music store. Be sure to check out Video Lesson 15 to see the proper ways to use these items to best care for your instrument.
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Poperepair.com is also a great one-stop-shop for all your French Horn supply needs. Click the button below to go to this website and purchase all of the items below there as well.
Supplies List
Rotor Oil
Rotor oil is essential to making sure your valves and levers are working properly. Get yourself in the habit of oiling your valves on a regular basis. Apply a few drops (not too many) to all of the moving parts. There are two types of oils, synthetic and petroleum distillate. Both are fine, but I recommend synthetic. It's a bit more expensive, but I think it works better. Whatever you do, don't mix these together! Whatever oil comes in your horn case will probably work fine, but some recommended brands are: Holton (petroleum), Hetman (synthetic), and Superslick (petroleum).
Pure Lanolin
(tuning slide cream)
Use this for all of your tuning and valve slides to keep them from getting stuck. A little bit goes a long way! Pure lanolin works great and is cheap. One container can last a lifetime. Other slide creams can work too, but horn professionals recommend pure lanolin. Whatever you do, don't use vaseline!
Hand Guard/Strap
Have a left hand guard can help you grip and hold our horn easier with the left hand. It can also protect the lacquer of your instrument from your sweat. Getting one with a velcro hand strap is even better. These come in different sizes so make sure you get the one that will best fit your horn.
Mutes
There are three main types of mutes a horn player will need: straight mute, practice mute and a brass/stopping mute. The most common mute you will need when playing in band or orchestra will be a straight mute, so I recommend starting there. A practice mute is good to have around to practice at home so you don't disturb your neighbors too much. Hold off on buying a brass/stopping mute until you are in a more advanced stage of playing.
Mouthpiece
Whatever mouthpiece came with your horn from school or your local music shop is probably a good place to start. The most important thing is that your mouthpiece is CLEAN and has NO DENTS. Average/medium sized cups are good for beginners. As long as it has a smooth rim, circular shank, and average features it will work fine. Some brands to consider are Holton, Yamaha and Bach.
French Horn
Of course you will need a good instrument in working condition to become a great player. If you are on this website then you probably are already using a French Horn from school or you are renting one from your local music shop. As long as they are working properly, those are good ones to start on. If you are serious about buying yourself a horn, then you probably want to buy a double horn. Some good brands to look at are Holton and Yamaha. A good beginner double horn will start at around $3,500.
French Horn Case
Having a good case for your instrument is essential fo keeping safe and in good condition. Whatever case your horn came with is probably fine, just make sure there are no holes or broken zippers or latches on it. If you want a slightly fancier case that is lighter and easier for carrying, check out Gator and Protec brands. Just make sure you get the right case for your horn depending on if you have a detachable bell or not.