French horn
Brass instrument with tightly coiled tubing, funnel mouthpiece, and wide bell.
What it means
The horn, in art music usually called the French horn or orchestral horn, is a brass instrument with long, tightly coiled, conically widening tubing, a funnel mouthpiece, and a wide bell. The tubing of the usual horn in F measures about 3.7 metres when uncoiled. Its sound is warm, soft, and round and blends well with woodwinds and brass.
Musical use
The horn descends from the hunting horn and was taken into art music in the Baroque. The natural horn without valves could only play the notes of the harmonic series; further notes could be gained by hand-stopping in the bell. Valves were added in the early 19th century and made the scale fully playable. Today the double horn in F and B-flat is standard. In the orchestra and in wind quintets the horn takes melodies, harmonic filling, and signal calls, for instance in symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, and Mahler.
The horn should be distinguished from the trumpet, which is narrower, brighter, and cylindrically bored, from the flugelhorn, which has a softer sound, and from the alphorn, a long wooden horn without valves. It also differs from the trombone in build, mouthpiece, and sound.
Performance practice
On the horn, work for a secure embouchure, since the notes lie close together and slip easily. Keep the right hand calm and relaxed in the bell, since it influences tone and intonation. Practise legato and lip slurs carefully to achieve soft transitions.