Brass in Color

French Horn Book Two of the Brass in Color Beginner Method Series uses a color-coded tablature (Color Fingerings) to help students learn the fingerings of the French horn and apply them to notes in the Low Range.

The Low Range begins with the note C notated below the staff, and the remaining notes of the Low Range are presented in a descending chromatic order and end with the notes Gb/F# that are also notated below the staff. For each lesson the notes of the Low Range will be introduced relative to the notes of the Middle Range, and these notes will correspond with the Color Fingerings. In this way students will be able to see how the same fingerings are used to play different notes on the French horn.

In addition to learning the notes of the Low Range, students will be introduced to the music concepts of slurs, eighth notes and scales.

Standard music notation has also been included with each lesson to help the instructor know which notes to play, and to teach students how to read the notes as they match them with the fingerings of the French horn. Breath marks, articulation, dynamics and tempi are not noted in the lessons and may be added by the instructor as needed. Also, key signatures are not used so that students will focus primarily on listening and learning the fingerings associated with the notes.

This beginner method series for French horn also has a companion website: (www.brassincolor.com)

On the website you will find audio for each lesson as well as different activities, videos and other resources to help students learn to play the French horn.