FRENCH HORN

HISTORY OF FRENCH HORN

The term French horn was created from the hunting horn that was used in
France.
Shofar (Rams horn)
Used for Jewish Rituals

Hunting horn

Less complex tubing and a smaller flared bell

Changing of pitch was controlled by air and embouchure
Only notes in the harmonic series because there were no valves

Natural horn

created with more tubing but still had no valves

could be tuned to different keys by adding different tubing
played by air, embouchure, and placing your hand in the bell

CROOKS AND VALVES

The Addition of Crooks

Crooks were different lengths of tubing that could be added to the horn
Around 1818 in Germany, rotary valves were added to the horn
This was added so that players did not have to change the different crooks
Also allowed for chromatic notes for the first time on the horn
Piston valves were also added to the horn in France around the same time

PLAYING FRENCH HORN

Posture for French Horn Playing
When sitting in a chair, sit erect and away from the back of the chair, with
both feet resting on the floor, the left ahead of the right.
The bell can be rested against the thigh or held aloft, depending on the
players sizeThe player should move the horn to a comfortable position
rather than adjusting their body to reach the horn.
The right hand is placed inside the horn to soften the tone quality, control
intonation, and to support the instrument.
The hand should be cupped, with the thumb even with the rest of the fingers
and should be placed on the wall away from the players body.

PLAYING FRENCH HORN

CONTINUED
Manufacturers create the horn to be sharp; this compensates for the fact
that the hand placed inside lowers the pitch.
Opening, closing the hand and changing the depth of the hand position in
the horn changes the pitch.
The left hand fingers should rest on top of their respective keys; the pinky
may rest in the pinky ring. The thumb should either be on the trigger or the
thumb ring
Bring the horn naturally to the head; the leadpipe should angle down slightly

PLAYING FRENCH HORN

CONTINUED

Embouchure Formation Example

OVERTONE SERIES AND PURPOSE

BEHIND DOUBLE HORN

Bb Side of Double French Horn

Bb Trumpet for
Comparison

STOPPED HORN
Stopped Horn technique is the act of fully closing off the bell of the instrument with
the either the right hand, or a special mute that assists with the stopping of the note.
The results of this produce a sort of nasally tone. The notation for stopped horn is
usually indicated by a + above the note that is to be played, and then an 0 for
notes that are to be played open. For passages that require a longer set of stopped
notes the words stopped horn is written out in the music.
The pitch of the stopped note lowers when the hand is placed in the bell. For
example, when playing a middle C (F-horn open) the pitch will raise the pitch by a
whole step.
Stopped horn originated in classical music, with pieces requiring the use of this
technique to lower the pitch accordingly.
Mozarts Four Horn Concertos, Concert Rondo, and Morceau de Concert were
written with this technique in mind.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MiS47axhbKE (c. 1:30)

VARIETIES IN FRENCH HORNS

Single Horn

Descant Horn

Vienna Horn

Double Horn

Natural Horn

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE

Required Items: Slide Grease, Mouthpiece Brush, Snake Brush, Valve Oil, and
a cleaning cloth.
Storing Your Instrument: When you arent using your horn, make sure to store
in a case to protect it from getting damaged.
Daily Maintenance: As you play the horn, water will build up inside from the
warm air your mouth produces. Make sure to rid of all water after each use
because the buildup of water can create serious problems in the future. And
use the cleaning cloth to rid of fingerprints to keep from tarnishing your
instrument.
Monthly Maintenance: Every month or so, the instrument should be taken
apart, and given an instrument bath.