Many students often complain that the horn is uncomfortable to hold and unfortunately, most horns are not a great fit for all hand sizes. Here are some tips and tricks to help set up your horn for a more ergonomic left hand position.
Adjusting the Finger Hook
The easiest and cheapest change that you can make to your horn is adjusting the left hand finger hook. You can do this by taking your horn to a local repair shop and they will place the hook in the most comfortable spot for you. You can also purchase an adjustable finger hook and have it installed onto your horn. Adjustable finger hooks will allow you to change the position of the hook. This is particularly ideal for a younger student with growing hands. Here are two examples of adjustable finger hooks from the Pope Instrument Repair website.
http://poperepair.com/alexander-adjustable-fingerhook/
http://poperepair.com/duerk-adjustable-fingerhook/
Hand Straps
Hand straps wrap around your hand and the horn to allow the horn to balance more efficiently. Many young players tend to squeeze the pinky hook as they ascend into the upper register. When this occurs, unnecessary tension will make playing the horn more challenging. Using the strap will release the unnecessary tension and increase finger dexterity. There are two different versions of hand straps. One hand strap requires that the finger hook is removed and an anchor point is soldered onto the horn. These straps usually have adjustable eyelets, so that they can be adjusted to fit your hand. I personally use a Clebsch Strap and I would find it nearly impossible to go back to using a traditional left hand position! Here are some examples of hand straps that are soldered onto the horn.
http://poperepair.com/clebsch-strap-for-horn/
http://poperepair.com/alexander-hand-strap-for-horn/
http://poperepair.com/durk-organic-handstrap/
Another form of hand strap does not require taking your horn to a repair shop. Instead, it uses Velcro to attach the strap to the horn. These are the perfect way to try out a hand strap before permanently soldering one onto your horn. Here are two examples.
http://poperepair.com/leather-specialties-horn-holding-strap-velcro/
http://comfyhornstrap.blogspot.com/
Flipper
The flipper is another option for increased stability of the left hand. The flipper is a left hand aid that is soldered onto the instrument. Flippers are similar to the hand straps and take the weight off of the pinky finger and allows for increased dexterity of the fingers. Here are examples of flippers.
http://poperepair.com/alexander-flipper/
http://poperepair.com/duerk-flipper-handrest/
These are just a few tips on how you can gain the upper “hand” on your horn! If you have any unnecessary left hand tension while playing, I would encourage you to make some adjustments to your horn!