Rams, cows, goats and antelopes are creatures that provide us with some of the oldest musical instruments – horns. Our course will introduce you to the world of this oldest means of communication over long distances. You will learn to identify horns from different animals, learn their sound and techniques for making simple and more complex sounds. You will hear stories from the top of Ochodzita and find out if the tale of Wojski playing the horn is realistic.
Author: Joszko Broda
Lesson 1 Basic information
Why is Ochodzita an unusual mountain? At what age can you start playing the horn? Primary use of horns. What is the basic sound of this instrument?
Lesson 2 What is a horn?
About the instruments provided by different animals. What are the types of horns? What sounds can be made from the horns? On the cultural flows of the borderland. What was the function of horns in ancient communities? Communication at a distance – the importance of various signals. The presence of horns in different cultures.
Lesson 3 Horn from a cow and horn from a ram
Horns on the remarkable Ochodzita at sunrise. Can a ram’s horn be straightened? How does such an instrument play? Between the hall and the salah – language as a carrier of culture.
Lesson 4 Middle Eastern horn
On how it is possible that horns from the Middle East are present in Poland. About the beautiful shape of the instrument and its unique sound. Musical codes and talking to echoes.
Lesson 5 Curly, long, mottled horn
Ochodzita, pigeons and sunrise stories. Wojski’s horn and its sound. Can the sound of a horn surprise sheep?
Lesson 6 How to get the horn?
Where can you buy horns?
Lesson 7 How to store horns?
What is the most delicate part of the horn? How do you make a cover out of paper and sticky tape to protect the mouthpiece? What does it mean to go for a walk with a horn to Poland?
Lesson 8 How to hold?
Horns with and without a mouthpiece. On why it is important to have a stable posture and a firm grip. Why not walk while playing the horn? About securing the mouthpiece while playing. About controlling sound with the hand.
Lesson 9 How to blow the horn?
How should the lips be puckered? How to warm up and relax your lips? Exercises to do before you start playing the horn. Horn-blowing technique. How do you get the sound out? Why learn to play two horns at the same time? What is most important when learning music? What can replace the horn when performing initial exercises?
Lesson 10 Breathing
Producing a single sound that is controlled from start to finish. Playing long tones of the same pitch.
Lesson 11 Breathing
Searching for the next sound by means of a change in air pressure. Holding the second sound. Playing sounds alternately. How many sounds can be found on one instrument? Changing the sound by changing the position of the mouth.
Lesson 12 Breathing
On the role of the lips in horn playing. Practice making sounds. What can be done in the area of one sound? How does the space bring out the sounds of the instrument?
Lesson 13 How to control the sound?
How do you lower the pitch with air pressure? How do you adjust the pitch with your mouth? Adjusting pitch and tone with the palm of your hand. Modulation and vibrato. How far does the sound of a horn carry? On the propagation of a sound wave.
Lesson 14 Horn, Wojski and Mickiewicz
About how Adam Mickiewicz very adequately described Wojski’s game on the horn. An attempt to recreate a scene from “Pan Tadeusz.” In search of echoes.