french horn

The horn is a conically shaped instrument much like the cornet and Saxhorns. It has a tapered bore which steadily increases in diameter along its length, unlike the trumpet and trombone which are considered cylindrical. Unlike most other valved brass instruments, which use piston valves, the horn uses rotary valves. Piston valves are of French origin. The earlier horns used pistons, but then changed to rotary valves, of German origin. Each valve toggles a length of tubing, changing the length of the insturment and therefore the pitch. Each length of tubing is a separate part, and is moved to adjust the tuning of the insturment, making them tuning slides.

Compared to the other brass instruments commonly found in the orchestra, the typical range of the horn is set an octave higher in its harmonic series, facilitated by its small mouthpiece. A typical horn contains twenty-six feet of tubing (the longest of any instrument). Its conical bore is largely responsible for its characteristic tone, often described as "mellow". The typical playing range of a horn differs from its written range by a fifth down, and extends from the Bb below the bass clef to the F above the treble clef. Although this is the standard range found in classical repertoire, some players can play many notes beyond this range, both lower and higher.

The horn typically plays higher in its harmonic series than other common orchestral brass instruments, where the partials are closer together (and harder to distinguish), making the horn one of the more difficult instruments to learn.

History

Early horns were very much simpler than modern horns. These early horns were brass tubes wound a few times and had a flared opening (the "bell"). These early ("hunting") horns were originally played on a hunt, often while mounted. Change of pitch was effected entirely by the lips (the horn not being equipped with valves until the 19th century).

The horn (or, more often, pairs of horns) often invoked the idea of the hunt, or, in the later baroque, to represent nobility, royalty, or divinity.

Early horns were commonly pitched in F, E, E flat, B flat, and C, and since the only notes available were those on the harmonic series of one of those pitches, they had a no ability to play in different keys. The remedy for this limitation was the use of crooks, i.e. sections of tubing of differing length that, when inserted, altered the length of the instrument, and thus its pitch.

Eventually, hornists began to insert the right hand into the bell to change the length of the instrument, adjusting the tuning as much as a step. This offered more possibilities for playing notes not on the harmonic series being used for that piece. By the early classical period, the horn had become an instrument capable of much melodic playing.

Around 1815 the use of pistons (later rotary valves) was introduced, opening up a great deal more flexibility in playing in different keys; in effect, it became an entirely different instrument, fully chromatic for the first time. However, many traditional conservatories and players refused to transition at first, claiming that the valveless horn, or "natural horn", was a better instrument. Some musicians still use a natural horn, although only for trying to achieve the tone for which an older piece was written.

Types of horns

Despite the introduction of valves, the single F horn proved difficult for use in the highest range, where the partials grew closer and closer, making accuracy a great challenge. An early solution was simply to use a horn of higher pitch -- usually B-flat. The use of the F versus the B-flat horn were a hotbed of debate between horn players of the late nineteenth century, until the German horn maker Kruspe produced a prototype of the "double horn" in 1897.

Double Horn

The double horn combines two instruments into a single frame: the original horn in F, and a second, higher horn keyed in B-flat. By using a fourth valve (operated by the thumb), the horn player can quickly switch from the deep, warm tones of the F horn to the higher, brighter tones of the B-flat horn. The two sets of tones are commonly called "sides" of the horn. The first design of double horn did not have a separate set of slides pitched in F. Rather, the main key of the horn was Bb (the preference of German horn players) and it could be played in F by directing air through the Bb slides, an F extension, and another set of tiny slides. This "compensated" for the longer length of the F slides, producing a horn now called the "compensating double". It was, and still is, widely used by European horn players because of its light weight and ease of playing, especially in the high register.

In the words of Reginald Morley-Pegge, the invention of the double horn "revolutionized horn playing technique almost as much as did the invention of the valve." [Morley-Pegge, "Orchestral," 195]

The two most common styles ("wraps") of double horns are named Kruspe and Geyer (also known as Knopf), after the first instrument makers who developed and standardized them. The Kruspe wrap locates the Bb change valve above the first valve, near the thumb. The Geyer wrap has the change valve behind the third valve, near the pinky finger (although the valve's trigger is still played with the thumb). In effect, the air flows in a completely different direction on the other model. Both models have their own strengths and weaknesses, and are a matter of personal choice among horn players.

Vienna horn

Main article: Vienna horn

The Vienna horn is a special horn used primarily in Vienna, Austria. Instead of using rotary valves or piston valves, it uses the Pumpenvalve. Much like the Natural horn, this horn uses a system of crooks to change key. And because of its longer bell flare, is known for the rich legato sound quality.

Marching Horn

The marching horn is a single horn in Bb, Eb or F, with a front-facing bell and vertical piston valves. Although some consider it to have an inferior tone to concert horns, it is used in formation marching for several reasons. The most often mentioned reasons are lower weight, better projection, and a less cumbersome playing position, similar to that of a trumpet, mellophone, or marching baritone.

Other Modifications

The triple horn (with an additional F alto key) is slowly becoming more popular. It remains somewhat of a luxury item as it is both more expensive and heavier than more common double horns.

The horn, although not large, is awkward in its shape and does not lend itself well to transport. To compensate, horn makers can cut the bell. This allows for smaller and easier to manage horn cases. The player can screw on the bell when performing.

Notable Horn players

See also: List of horn players

• Dennis Brain (Royal Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras)
• John Cerminaro (New York Philharmonic)
• Dale Clevenger (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
• Philip Farkas (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
• Barry Tuckwell (London Symphony Orchestra)
• David Pyatt (London Symphony Orchestra)
• John Entwistle (of the Rock Band The Who)
• Lowell Greer (Natural horn performer)
• Hermann Baumann (Natural horn and Horn performer)
• Michael Thompson (Horn performer from Britain)

External links

• The International Horn Society
• British Horn Society
• hornplayer.net
• Professor John Q. Ericson's Horn Links
• Some online horn articles
• Ron Boerger's "Horn Players' FAQ"
• Horn fingering chart
• An online collection of horn orchestral excerpts
• How the valved horn emerged from the early Industrial Revolution
• HornRoller.com, News from the Hornosphere
• Acoustics of Brass Instruments from Music Acoustics at the University of New South Wales.
• French Horn Resource Page
• MIDI accompaniment files for horn players