Trumpet to Horn
Scroll through this page to see the similarities and differences between trumpet and horn to get you started on your new instrument.
Comparison Chart
Trumpet
The Trumpet mouthpiece is more C-cupped and longer than a horn mouthpiece with a thicker rim.
French Horn
The French Horn mouthpiece is more V-shaped and narrow with a thinner rim.
Embouchure Comparisons
Trumpet
Forming a Trumpet embouchure is similar to a French Horn embouchure. You will still buzz your lips with firm corners, but your lips are more even on a trumpet embouchure.
French Horn
For a French Horn embouchure, your upper lip will come over your lower lip a bit more and more of your upper lip will go into the mouthpiece. Your resting embouchure shape should look like a diamond.
Horn Angle & Mouthpiece Placement
Trumpet
On the Trumpet, the lead pipe and mouthpiece should be at a downward angle of about 15 degrees. The mouthpiece should be centered between the upper and lower lip.
French Horn
The French Horn mouthpiece and lead pipe need to be angled down at about 35 degrees. You should have about 2/3 of the upper lip and 1/3 of the lower lip inside the mouthpiece. Anchor the mouthpiece on your bottom lip and rest it on your top lip. You want to avoid pressure on the top lip as much as possible. The biggest thing to remember is to get the French Horn mouthpiece higher on the upper lip than on trumpet. The higher the better!
Mouthpiece Comparisons
Clefs
Both the trumpet and the French horn read in treble clef, so understanding your notes should be rather easy. However, you will need to keep in mind that the horn is pitched in F where as the trumpet is pitched in Bb.
Trumpet & French Horn
