Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio
F E A T U R E
Explore an Instrument: French Horn
F E A T U R E
Explore an Instrument: French Horn
What is the French Horn?
The French Horn belongs to the Brass Instruments’ family. The brass family can trace its ancestry back to herald French horns, hunting horns, and military bugles. The main instruments of the brass family include the trumpet, trombone, French horn and tuba.
The horn’s ancient musical ancestors are the conch shell and shofar, but its unique shape stems from its origins as a hunting horn in Europe. The horn or French horn consists of about 12 feet of narrow tubing wound into a circle. Some say its body looks like a meticulously-folded brass funnel cake.
Nobles and royals, including France’s King Louis XIV, were known for purchasing and using these horns to show off their wealth. That made french horn have a collectable value, and decorative versions were produced in ceramics, silver, and even glass.
At that time, the horn had no valves, so the musician would rely only on their lips and their right hand. The first horn with valves was created in 1814 by Heinrich Stölzel.
Q&A
Are French Horns French?
Contrary to its name, the french horn is not from France! The french horn was created in Germany.
How does the horn work?
To make sounds with the french horn one has to vibrate their lips inside the mouthpiece (it’s also called buzzing!). The mouthpiece is connected to the tubes of the horn, and this air-powered buzzing travels from the mouth, through the tubes and comes out of the bell! Just like the other brass instruments, horns have keys, which the horn player presses with his left hand. The keys adjust the distance the air travels inside the instrument, and that helps produce the different notes. The horn player also has to use their lips and control the amount of air used to help with the note changing!
What about the right hand?
You probably have noticed that horn players always have their right hand inside the bell. The hand in the bell helps with tuning, sound effects and of course, it helps hold the horn!
What do horns do?
French horns are like the chameleons of the orchestra. They can have a very loud and sharp sound, but can also produce a very soft, sweet and mellow sound.
In the orchestra we can see them in pairs, or in big sections with 8 players or more!
We also hear a lot of french horns in holiday songs and in many movie and video-game soundtracks! And that’s not all - we also see horn players playing jazz and blues!
Why do brass players dump water from inside their instruments?
You might have noticed that brass players clean their instruments by using the “spit valve” or by taking apart some of the tubes. That liquid is not just spit! Rather, it consists of condensed moisture from the breath of the player. The amount of water accumulated is directly in proportion to the size of the instrument, and the amount of metal exposed to the air, which in turn enables the process of condensation due to warm, moist air from the lungs meeting metal cooled by room-temperature air.
Excerpt from Tchaikovsky symphony 4. That’s the opening of the symphony! The first sound the audience hears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvDYBhCLnIo
The 3rd movement of Mahler’s 5th symphony. The entire movement is for “corno obligato” and orchestra. Meaning the first horn player has many solos, and “musical conversations” with the rest of the orchestra. It’s a very important part for horn players!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D9_uYfm0O0&t=2s
The French Horn belongs to the Brass Instruments’ family. The brass family can trace its ancestry back to herald French horns, hunting horns, and military bugles. The main instruments of the brass family include the trumpet, trombone, French horn and tuba.
The horn’s ancient musical ancestors are the conch shell and shofar, but its unique shape stems from its origins as a hunting horn in Europe. The horn or French horn consists of about 12 feet of narrow tubing wound into a circle. Some say its body looks like a meticulously-folded brass funnel cake.
Nobles and royals, including France’s King Louis XIV, were known for purchasing and using these horns to show off their wealth. That made french horn have a collectable value, and decorative versions were produced in ceramics, silver, and even glass.
At that time, the horn had no valves, so the musician would rely only on their lips and their right hand. The first horn with valves was created in 1814 by Heinrich Stölzel.
Q&A
Are French Horns French?
Contrary to its name, the french horn is not from France! The french horn was created in Germany.
How does the horn work?
To make sounds with the french horn one has to vibrate their lips inside the mouthpiece (it’s also called buzzing!). The mouthpiece is connected to the tubes of the horn, and this air-powered buzzing travels from the mouth, through the tubes and comes out of the bell! Just like the other brass instruments, horns have keys, which the horn player presses with his left hand. The keys adjust the distance the air travels inside the instrument, and that helps produce the different notes. The horn player also has to use their lips and control the amount of air used to help with the note changing!
What about the right hand?
You probably have noticed that horn players always have their right hand inside the bell. The hand in the bell helps with tuning, sound effects and of course, it helps hold the horn!
What do horns do?
French horns are like the chameleons of the orchestra. They can have a very loud and sharp sound, but can also produce a very soft, sweet and mellow sound.
In the orchestra we can see them in pairs, or in big sections with 8 players or more!
We also hear a lot of french horns in holiday songs and in many movie and video-game soundtracks! And that’s not all - we also see horn players playing jazz and blues!
Why do brass players dump water from inside their instruments?
You might have noticed that brass players clean their instruments by using the “spit valve” or by taking apart some of the tubes. That liquid is not just spit! Rather, it consists of condensed moisture from the breath of the player. The amount of water accumulated is directly in proportion to the size of the instrument, and the amount of metal exposed to the air, which in turn enables the process of condensation due to warm, moist air from the lungs meeting metal cooled by room-temperature air.
Excerpt from Tchaikovsky symphony 4. That’s the opening of the symphony! The first sound the audience hears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvDYBhCLnIo
The 3rd movement of Mahler’s 5th symphony. The entire movement is for “corno obligato” and orchestra. Meaning the first horn player has many solos, and “musical conversations” with the rest of the orchestra. It’s a very important part for horn players!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D9_uYfm0O0&t=2s
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