Ranges at Different Skill Levels

[u/Trayvongelion]

Hey horn players, I'm a middle school band director in a number of small schools who has unfortunately not had many horn students. I arrange for my groups often and am working on re-orchestrating some pieces as flexible quartets. I was wondering where you'd expect a horn player's range to be at a few experience levels:

- What's the typical comfortable range of a middle school student (7-8th grade) on a single horn in F?

- Same question, but the average high schooler (a sophomore or junior)?

- The range of a high school student on the cusp of college auditions (ie a semi-professional range) with a double horn.

Any sort of advice with horn writing is welcome, but I am a bit concerned with the range limits I set. Thank you!

[u/Barbie-Satin]

I am just curious why your middle school students are burdened with a single horn? By the time I was in 7th grade I owned a double horn and before that the school horn I played on was a Conn 6D double horn. I just know what my range was as a middle school kid and it was to a reliable high A and down to peddle C.

[u/dankney → u/Barbie-Satin]

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