French Horn

The horn (commonly referred to as French horn) is a musical instrument in the brass family. It has the longest piping in the brass family, excluding obscure instruments. It also has one of the largest ranges of brass instruments, rivaling that of the trumpet or trombone.

Keys

Horns generally come in two musical keys:

• Concert F, making the Concert Bb scale an F scale
• Concert Bb, making the Concert Bb scale a C scale

Most modern horns are double horns, in that they are a built as a combination of the two keys. In these horns, an additional valve is used to switch from one horn to the other.

Range

An experienced horn player on an F French Horn can easily play from a Pedal-Tone F (directly below the bottom line of the bass clef) to a high F (far above the top of the treble clef's top line). This gives you an idea of it's range.

External Links

• International Horn Society
• The French Horn.net
• The 19th-Century Horn: An "online book" on the history and performing techniques of the horn
• The British Horn Society
• A Brief History of the Conn Company (1874-present)*