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Can anyone give me some suggestions on how to go about playing the Tibetan "horn" my children gave me for my birthday? It is about seven feet long, collapsible (!), made of copper and brass. The mouthpiece is about 2" across, with a shallow depression, and a tiny aperture that looks as if you should plug your headphones into it. It is very hard to get anything resembling a seal around the outer rim, which is perfectly flat, with a sharp edge.

I don't have any idea what the fundamental pitch is, or even what general register I should be aiming for.

The thing is exotically beautiful, which is more than enough for me, but I'd love to be able to play it...

Sally, who finally mastered the Tibetan "singing bowl"

I got one also, what a kick! I had to drill a larger hole in order to make a sound, start with a 1/8 inch drill and go from there.

is it even a playable sound? Could you guys post some pics, im curious about this "horn"

hmmm...i should really remove that random signature, its caused me enough trouble lol.

There are perhaps 3 available notes playable on the Tibetan Trumpet. Something near an EE or maybe lower, a BB and maybe a D or E. Played at ceremonial settings, the players, usually in pairs, circular breath play loudly and for many, many hours uninterupted but punctuated by intermittent cymbal clashes. This forms the accompaniment for 20 to 30 chanting monks. Incense too!

Now that you've mentioned it, the signature does remind me of a guy who answered his cell while standing at a stall....

7' would give a fundamental around D a major third above the fundamental of the Bb euphonium.

I have heard these instruments on several occasions on TV. Probably due to the complex overtone pattern I cannot recall, whether they play the fundamental or the 2nd partial. My memory leans towards it being the fundamental.

Such instruments very often are offered on web auctions. I have abstained from acquiring one, as I suspect the instruments offered to be Chinese copies. A fact carrying too many layers of bitter irony to be acceptable for me.

If your sample is faithful to those in actual liturgy usage, my guess would be, that a combination of a relaxed embouchure and a quite high wind pressure would do the job.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre