Horn (instrument)

The horn is a brass instrument that consists of tubing wrapped into a coiled form. The instrument was first developed in France from the cor de chasse, or hunting horn in about 1650. Since 1750, when the instrument was refined and improved in England, it has been known as the French horn (although musicians, particularly players of the instrument, generally refer to it simply as the horn). In the 1960s the International Horn Society declared the official name of this instrument to be the "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, to save space.

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, and extends from the Bb below the bass cleff 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 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 were commonly pitched in F, and since the only notes available were those on the harmonic series of F, they had a limited 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 it insert the right hand into the bell to change the length of the instrument, adjusting the tuning as much as a note. 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 insturment. Some musicians still use a natural horn, although mostly 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 had a rather irksome flaw. As the hornist played higher and higher notes, the distinctions a player had to make with his or her embouchure from note to note became increasingly precise. 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." "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.

Natural Horn

As the Horn has evolved, some have chosen to remain with a more traditional horn. This horn is called the Natural Horn, and it has no valves, although it is still distinguished from the hunting horn by its shape and size. Even until recently, some European Conservatories would not accept students except on the Natural Horn. Mostly only period musicians still use the natural horn to achieve a sound as close to the composer's original intention as possible, but a handful of other professional musicians perform on a valveless horn.

Other Modifications

There is now a triple horn (with an additional F key for the high range) slowly becoming more popular, although it remains somewhat of an extra luxury item as it is both expensive and very heavy. Some feature two different tubes for mouthpieces making the horn even more difficult to play.

Recently French horn bells have been tinkered with to allow the reshaping of the horn case. Previously the case needed to be the same shape as the instrument, making the case a very odd shape. The bell can now be detached by screwing it out of a socket. This allows the case to be rectangular or flat and much more convienient.

Notable Horn players

Pietro Amato (The Arcade Fire)
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)
Lowell Greer (Natural Horn performer)

External links

The International Horn Society
British Horn Society
hornplayer.net
http://www.brass-forum.co.uk UK brass discussion forum
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
Brassmusic.Ru — Russian brass community
French-horn.be, Belgian horn community
Acoustics of Brass Instruments from Music Acoustics at the University of New South Wales.
French Horn Resource Page

Brass instruments