If you don’t have a private lesson teacher or oboe coach, you might know nothing about English horn! This is a quick-start guide to English horn including some of the notes that are downright annoying to play, so you’ll know that it’s not just you that struggles with them.
Anatomy of an English horn
You’ll notice some obvious differences between oboe and English horn: it’s size, it has a bocal, the bell is a funny shape.
Fingering Chart
You’re in luck: the vast majority of fingerings are the same from the oboe to the English horn. For trills and third octave notes, I’d recommend referencing the Woodwind Fingering Guide
Reeds
(pic of English horn reed with tubing next to an oboe reed)
Sorry, you can’t use oboe reeds to play an english horn. English horn reeds are larger and made on a staple that slides onto the bocal. Many English horn reeds have wire on them, but not all reedmakers use wire. Many English horn reeds come with a little bit of plastic tubing on the bottom of the staple to help it stay on the bocal more firmly. (Yes, you can remove the reed from the bocal with your mouth if you press hard enough with your mouth!)
If you can get English horn reeds from the same manufacturer you typically get oboe reeds, it’s going to be a good experience playing. My go-to recommendations are: Bocal Majority and Wildflower reeds for English horn reeds.
Neck strap or other support system
Most English horn players will use some kind of support system because the instrument can get heavy when you’re playing for a long time! Neck straps, harnesses, and support pegs can be found to help you feel comfortable while playing.
What it feels like to play
The English horn is larger, so it needs more air to play. If you find yourself puffing often when you play the oboe, you probably won’t need to puff very often when you play English horn because more of your air can go through the reed. You’ll need to increase your air support in the second octave even more than when playing oboe.
Transposition
The English horn is in the key of F, which means that your fingered D will not sound like a D. You can use a tuner to identify the concert pitch you need to play (play the fingered note and look at what letter pops up). If you’re trying to play a part written in concert pitch, play down a 4th from the written note.
Tuning
Just like the oboe, we don’t tune by moving the English horn reed. We also do not tune by adjusting the position of the bocal. The bocal should stay all the way into the well at all times when playing. Rather, use the same voicing method that you use to tune yourself when playing oboe.
In rehearsal, your tuning A is a fingered low E. If you tune to a Bb, you’ll use a fingered low F.
Quirky notes
While each English horn is different, there are some universally mediocre notes on the English horn that you can be aware of and prepare to work on:
Low E natural - notoriously unstable and prone to cracking. This note needs the correct reed/bocal combination and lots of practice to play softly and with control.
High Ab, B, C - these notes are highly influenced by the brand of bocal and reed used. They can be unstable and need just the right amount of air support to prevent cracking, especially when decrescendoing.
Parting words of advice:
If you are going to play English horn soon, get a reed ASAP and start practicing just as you would practice your oboe. In fact, if you can alternate between practicing only oboe and only English horn on different days using the same music, you’re going to thrive as an English horn player. You need the same finger and air comfort on the English horn as you have on the oboe, so don’t be afraid to play oboe etudes on the English horn.
Let me know if you try this method of getting comfortable with the English horn and how it works for you, OR if I’ve forgotten anything important!
This post was originally published in my weekly newsletter Oboe 101. If you'd like to get more tips delivered to your inbox weekly, you can sign up for free here! Oboe 101 is written for oboists, music educators, and family members.
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