General description
 

 

 
The french horn is not a small and light instrument. Today, we pay much attention to how the tools and equipment we use everyday effect our health and comfort. This is the science of ergonomics. The horn, while a marvelous instrument, does pose special ergonomic challenges because of its size and weight. The bigger the horn is or the smaller the player (younger players), the more important ergonomic considerations become.
 
Over the years if the horn is held with a statically tensed hands, many players suffer various consequences.
 
 
The hand first getting tired and stiff, later often one aquires many kinds of pains in the wrist, arm, elbow, upper arm and shoulder or in the upper back and neck. This can reduce the effectiveness and enjoyment of playing the horn.
 

Today the horn is surely one of the heaviest instrumet to be played without any support. No saxophone, bassoon nor cello are held with tense hands during playing. Nowadays even many oboist or clarinet players hold their instruments of a few hundred grams with neckstripe rather then with tense hands.

It does not have to be like this with the horn either! It is important to feel relaxed and comfortable when making music.The ERGObrass support is specially designed to be a handy medium to enable the player to keep his or her hands and upper body completely relaxed by removing the need for the body to support the weight of the instrument. Instead, the ERGObrass support will transmit the weight of the horn to the floor.
 


Freeing up the upper body can also help the most important aspects of brass playing: breathing and air flow. With ERGObrass, the only task remaining for the left hand is to balance the horn and keep the mouthpiece in the right place and angle for each situation, and, of course then your fingers stay relaxed on valve triggers. With the weight of the horn taken off of the body, the player’s touch and feel for playing are improved and stresses are reduced.

In the right picture the secretary of The Finnish Society for Musician's Medicine, physiotherapist Katarina Porander is demonstrating the impact of the ERGObrass for students in Sibelius Academy, Helsinki Finland.
 
 


The ERGObrass support can be used while sitting or standing.

You can play standing with the ERGObrass also with a plastic part attached to your belt. When you place the support rod into this counterpiece you can also move around while playing.

Jouni Suuronen of Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra in a church recital in Helsinki
 
 
 

A plate made of stainless steel is attached near the center of gravity of the horn. The support rod has a special round head. It shall be put one of the holes in the plate.There are many holes, you just experiment which one gives you the best feel of balance. The floor tube is designed to be used while seated and standing positions.

Some players like to sit having their back tight towards the backrest. Then you can place the support rod on the chair.

Now the feel is again a little bit different. It is very important that every player experiment all possible alternatives to find the best and convenient way in their personal needs to use the device.
The height adjustment of the instrument is done with a quick fingerscrew with your right hand. Simply open the screw, adjust the instrument in the desired height and lock up the screw. Nice and quick. The horn is now floating in a desired height on a smooth spring.
     
 
Even if the height screw is locked you can easily turn your instrument in any direction at any time.This enables to play the horn without any tension in hands, shoulder, back and throat - quite a relaxing feeling!


 
To play with a natural horn it is most simple and enjoyable as the right hand is free from carrying the horn

 

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