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Table of Contents
Can you play French horn with right hand?
As noted above, Farkas presents a very specific type of right hand position in The Art of French Horn Playing that relates to his “new method,” which is for playing with the bell on the leg. 1. Hold the right hand flat with the fingers held together so that absolutely no space occurs between them.
What hand do you play the French horn with?
As a horn player, you’ve probably been asked this before! We know that the right hand must be inside the bell — but why does it really have to be there? 1. The instrument is built for it!
Is French horn only left handed?
The horn—the formal name of the instrument sometimes known as the French horn—is unique among standard brass instruments in that its valves are played by the left hand.
French horn right hand position: Two Approaches
Its ranks include four of the last six US Presidents, a quarter of all major league baseball players, and entertainment stars from Tom Cruise to Oprah Winfrey to Star Trek’s two Mr. Spocks (Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto).
The music world for left-handers
Left-handed dynamics play out in the music world in a variety of unexpected ways. Although “handedness” is generally defined by which hand a person typically writes with, many musicians—left-handed and right-handed alike—operate within a spectrum that requires a high degree of dexterity from both hands.
Orchestral strings, for example, must maneuver a bow skillfully with their right hand while the left hand employs other skills, controlling pitch and vibrato on the fretboard. For other musicians, such as flautists, the hands are of roughly equal importance, performing a task together, selecting pitches while supporting the weight of the instrument. There is variety in the brass section, where trumpet and tuba players operate valves with their right hands, while horn players operate valves with their left hands.
Pianists, on the other hand, are trained from a young age to play distinct musical lines simultaneously. It’s no wonder, then, that numerous left-handers have found a home at the piano keyboard, including some of the most celebrated talents of the 20th century – Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubinstein and Glenn Gould – as well as today’s stars like Daniel Barenboim and Hélène Grimaud, to name just a few. In fact, there are a number of piano concertos written only for the left hand, including one by the late former Minnesota Orchestra Music Director Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, which was composed for pianist Gary Graffman, who, due to a permanent injury to his right, could play only his left hand plays . (Another well-known pianist who played only his left hand, Leon Fleisher, died earlier this month at the age of 92.)
Speaking of the music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, at least one was left-handed, Antal Dorati, who directed the orchestra from 1949 to 1960 and used both hands at the same time,” notes his former student, conductor-composer José Serebrier. Like nearly all left-handed orchestral conductors, especially those working today, Dorati conducted using the same basic techniques as a right-handed conductor—holding the baton with his right hand and keeping time with standard beat patterns while making additional gestures and cues with his left hand .
CUSTOMIZE OR CUSTOMIZE?
Although left-handers have their own specialized pair of scissors and baseball gloves, musical instruments specialized in handedness are comparatively rare. Two notable exceptions are the guitar and electric bass, which have attracted left-handed players, who sometimes adjust their playing style by reversing the order of the strings or turning the instrument upside down, making it easier for them to strum and switch chords with their dominant hand like the reflection of a right-handed man.
In contrast, orchestral string players do not usually have this option: they sit close together and have to hold and bow their instruments in the same way in order not to meet. Percussionists play a menagerie of instruments, but most are not adapted for left-handed players – although left-handed drummers may position their instruments in a different layout to better suit their skill level.
PERSPECTIVES OF THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA
The Minnesota Orchestra’s left-handed musicians include Brian Mount, principal percussionist, Mark Kelley, co-principal bassoonist, Cecilia Belcher, assistant principal second violin, and Ellen Dinwiddie Smith, third horn. All four took time to talk about left-handedness.
Why is a French horn left handed?
The hand was used to regulate the pitch, so it made sense for the dominant hand to be put in the bell.
French horn right hand position: Two Approaches
Here’s my uneducated, probably wrong, guess: Horn players originally played valveless natural horns and modulated pitch with their right hand in the bell. (You can still play a major scale on the modern horn by moving your hand in and out of the bell.) My guess is that when horn players first started making valved horns, they wanted horn players to still have their Hands in the bell can be right. And I suppose that’s how the convention came about. I can’t guess why it stayed that way, unless the right hand is even more valuable in what it does in the bell.
The mythopoeic assumption is correct, the reason for this lies in the historical development of the horn. The hand was used to regulate the pitch, so it made sense to put the dominant hand in the bell. It may seem reasonable that this changed as valves were developed, but the manner in which valves were applied to the horn was fairly gradual; The natural horn was still taught at the Paris Conservatory well into the 20th century. It seems that some players used the valves as if they were simply a quick means of switching crooks. Other players used the valves in conjunction with hand stops to retain the distinctive sound of certain scale degrees, and of course hand stops are still an important tonal effect on the horn. Furthermore, many early valve horns were simply hand horns with a valve section replacing a simple hose loop and would likely have been designed to be held in the same way. And in many cases valve and natural horns were used together, so it would have been desirable if all instruments pointed in the same direction. Also, horn players hardly need to play fast anyway… at least violinists seem to be able to play their instrument fast with their left hand!_________________Richard Sandals
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What do you call someone who plays a French horn?
A musician who plays a horn is known as a horn player or hornist.
French horn right hand position: Two Approaches
The French horn (known simply as the French horn in professional music circles since the 1930s) is a brass instrument composed of tubing wound in a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B♭ (technically a variant of the German horn) is the horn most commonly used by musicians in professional orchestras and bands, although the descant and triple horn are growing in popularity. A musician who plays a horn is called a bugler or bugler.
Pitch is controlled by the combination of the following factors: air velocity through the instrument (controlled by the player’s lungs and diaphragm); diameter and tension of the lip opening (through the player’s lip muscles – the base) in the mouthpiece; plus, on a modern horn, left-hand operation of valves directing the air into additional sections of tubing. Most horns have lever-operated rotary valves, but some, particularly older horns, use piston valves (similar to a trumpet) and the Vienna horn uses double piston valves or pump valves. The rearward orientation of the bell relates to a perceived desire to produce a muted sound in concert situations, as opposed to the trumpet’s more piercing quality. A horn without valves is known as a natural horn, and it changes pitch along the instrument’s natural overtones (similar to a bugle). The pitch can also be controlled by the position of the hand in the bell, reducing the bell’s diameter. The pitch of each note can be raised or lowered slightly by adjusting hand position in the bell.[2] The key of a natural horn can be changed by adding different crooks of different lengths.
Three valves control airflow in the single horn, which is tuned to F or, more rarely, B♭. The more common double horn has a fourth trigger valve, usually thumb operated, which directs the air to a tubing set tuned to F or other tubing tuned to B♭, extending the horn range to over four octaves and mixing with flutes or clarinets in a woodwind ensemble. Five-valve triple horns are also made, usually tuned to F, B♭ and a treble E♭ or F. There are also double horns with five valves tuned in B♭, treble E♭ or F and a stop valve, which greatly simplifies the complicated and difficult hand stop technique,[3] although this is less common. Also common are treble doubles, usually offering B♭ and alto F branches.
A crucial element when playing the horn is the mouthpiece. Most often, the mouthpiece is placed right in the middle of the lips, but due to differences in the shape of the lips and teeth of different players, some tend to play the mouthpiece slightly off-center.[4] Although the exact placement of the mouthpiece varies from side to side for most horn players, the top to bottom placement of the mouthpiece is generally two-thirds on the upper lip and one-third on the lower lip. When playing higher notes, most players put a little extra pressure on their lips with the mouthpiece. However, this is undesirable from both an endurance and tone perspective: excessive mouthpiece pressure makes the horn sound forced and harsh, and reduces the player’s endurance due to the resulting restricted blood flow to the lips and lip muscles.
name [edit]
The name “French horn” first appeared in the late 17th century. At the time, French manufacturers were leaders in the manufacture of hunting horns, and they were credited with creating the instrument’s now-familiar, circular “hoop” shape. As a result, these instruments were also often referred to in English by their French names: trompe de chasse or cor de chasse (the clear modern distinction between trompes [trumpets] and cors [horns] did not exist at the time).[5]
German manufacturers first developed crooks to make such horns playable in different keys – this is how musicians came to use “French” and “German” to distinguish the plain hunting horn from the newer crooked horn, which in England also includes the Italian The name Corno bore cromatico (chromatic horn).[5]
More recently “French horn” is often used colloquially, although the adjective is usually avoided when referring to the European orchestral horn since the German horn began to replace the French-style instrument in British orchestras around 1930. Since 1971, the International Horn Society has recommended calling the instrument simply the horn.[7][8]
There is also a more specific use of “French horn” to describe a particular type of horn, distinct from the German horn and Viennese horn. In this sense, “French horn” refers to a narrow-bore (10.8–11.0 mm [0.43–0.43 in]) instrument with three périnet (piston) valves. It retains the narrow bell neck and leadpipe crooks of the late 18th century orchestral hand horn and most often has a “rising” third valve. This is a whole tone valve arranged so that with the valve in the “up” position the valve loop is activated, but when the valve is depressed the loop is cut off, raising the pitch by a whole tone.
history [edit]
“How to scream and blow horns.” – Facsimile of a miniature in a manuscript of Gaston Phoebus’ hunting manual (15th century)
As the name suggests, humans originally blew on the real horns of animals before they began mimicking naturally occurring horns with metal horns. The use of animal horns survives with the shofar, a ram’s horn, which plays an important role in Jewish religious rituals.
Early metal horns were less complex than modern horns, consisting of brass tubing wrapped around a few times and with a slightly flared opening (the bell). These early “hunting” horns were originally played while hunting, often while mounted, and the sound they produced was called a reheat). Pitch change was controlled entirely by the lips (the horn did not become valved until the 19th century). Without valves, only the tones within the harmonic series are available. By combining a long length with a narrow bore, the French horn’s design allows the player can easily reach the higher overtones, differing by whole tones or less, enabling him to play melodies before valves were invented.
Early horns were commonly tuned in B♭ alto, A, A♭, G, F, E, E♭, D, C, and B♭ basso. Since the only notes available were those of the harmonic series of one of these pitches, horn players had no way of playing in different keys. The remedy for this limitation was the use of crooks, i.e. H. pieces of tubing of different lengths, which, when inserted, changed the length of the instrument and thus its pitch.[10]
In the mid-18th century, horn players began inserting the right hand into the bell to change the length of the instrument, adjusting the tuning to the distance between two adjacent overtones depending on how much of the opening was covered.
In 1818, the German manufacturers Heinrich Stölzel and Friedrich Blümel patented the first valve horn with rotary valves. François Périnet introduced piston valves to France around 1839.[11] The use of valves originally aimed to overcome problems associated with changing crooks during a performance. Player unreliability, musical taste, and distrust, among other things, slowed their adoption into the mainstream. Many traditional conservatories and players initially refused to use them, claiming that the valveless horn, or natural horn, was a better instrument. Some musicians who specialize in period instruments use a natural horn to play in original performance styles to try to recapture the sound of an older piece’s original performances.
However, the use of valves opened up much more flexibility for playing in different keys; In fact, the horn became an entirely different instrument, fully chromatic for the first time. Valves were originally used primarily as a means of playing in different keys without crooks, not for harmonic playing. This is reflected in compositions for horns, which included chromatic passages as late as the late 19th century. [citation needed] When valves were invented, the French generally made smaller horns with piston valves and the Germans made larger horns with rotary valves.[clarification needed]
Types [ edit ]
Horns can be classified as single horn, double horn, compensating double horn and triple horn, as well as the versatility of detachable bells.
Single horn in F, student model.
Single horn[ edit ]
Single horns use a single set of tubes connected to the valves. This allows for ease of use and much lighter weight. They are usually in the keys of F or B♭, although many F horns have longer slides to tune them to E♭, and almost all B♭ horns have a valve to bring them to the key of A. The problem with single horns is the inevitable choice between accuracy or tone – while the F horn has the ‘typical’ horn sound, accuracy above third space C is an issue for the majority of players as you are inherently high in the harmonic series of the horn plays where the overtones are closer together. This led to the development of the B♭ horn which, while easier to play, has a less desirable sound in the middle and especially the low register where it cannot play all notes. The solution was the development of the double horn, which combines the two into one horn with a single leadpipe and bell. Both of the main types of single horns are still used today as student models because they are cheaper and lighter than double horns. Additionally, the single B♭ horns are sometimes used in solo and chamber performances, and the single F survives orchestrally as the Viennese horn. Additionally, single F alto and B♭ alto sofas are used in the performance of some baroque horn concertos, and F, B♭ and F alto singles are occasionally used by jazz performers.
Dennis Brain’s benchmark recordings of the Mozart Horn Concertos were made on a single B♭ instrument by the Alexander Brothers, now on display at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
double horn[edit]
near the leftmost valve) moves inward toward the three finger buttons. The valves of a Conn 6D double horn. The three lever buttons (above the large valves) can be pushed towards the large outer tube. The thumb button () moves inward toward the three finger buttons.
bottom view) Mouthpiece Lead pipe where mouthpiece is placed Adjustable hand rest Water key (aka spit valve) Fourth valve to switch between F and B pitches ♭ Valve lever, left hand operated Rotary valves Sliders to tune each valve Lang tubing for pitch F with Slide General Slide Short Tubing for Pitch B♭ with Slide Bellpipe Bell; The right hand is included in this scheme of a double horn (
Despite the introduction of valves, the single F horn proved difficult for use in the highest range where the partials were getting closer, making accuracy a major challenge. An early solution was simply to use a higher-pitched horn—usually B♭. The use of the F versus the B♭ horn was widely debated among horn players of the late 19th century until the German horn maker Ed Kruspe (namesake of his family’s brass instrument company) made a prototype of the “double horn” in 1897.
The double horn also combines two instruments in a single frame: the original horn in F and a second, higher horn in B♭. The use of a fourth valve (usually thumb operated) allows the horn player to quickly switch from the low, warm tones of the F horn to the higher, brighter tones of the B♭ horn, or vice versa, as the horn player can choose, whether the horn defaults to B♭ by making a simple adjustment on the valves. The two sets of sounds are commonly referred to as the “sides” of the horn. The use of the fourth valve not only changes the fundamental length (and thus the harmonic series and pitch) of the instrument, but also causes the three main valves to use proportional slide lengths.
In the US, the two most common styles (“wraps”) of double horns are called Kruspe and Geyer/Knopf, after the first instrument makers who developed and standardized them. The Kruspe wrap locates the B♭ shuttle valve over the first valve near the thumb. The Geyer wrap has the shuttle valve behind the third valve, near the pinky (although the valve’s trigger is still played with the thumb). In fact, the air flows in a completely different direction on the other model. Kruspe horns tend to be larger in the bell neck than Geyer horns. Typically, Kruspe models are made of German silver (also called German silver, an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc that does not contain real silver), while Geyer horns tend to be made of yellow brass. Both models have their own strengths and weaknesses, and while instrument choice is highly personal, a orchestral horn section will typically have either one or the other, due to the differences in timbre, response, and projection of the two distinct styles. [citation required]
In Europe, the most popular horns are probably those made by Gebr. Alexander of Mainz (especially the Alexander 103) and those made by Paxman in London. The Alex 103 is extremely popular in Germany and the Benelux countries. These horns do not strictly fit Kruspe or Knopf stocks, but rather have characteristics of both. Alexander prefers the traditional medium bell size they have been producing for many years, while Paxman offers their models in a range of bell sizes. In the United States, the Conn 8D, a production instrument based on the Kruspe design, enjoys great popularity in many areas (New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Philadelphia). Since about the early 1990s, however, orchestras have moved away from the popular Conn 8D for reasons ranging from changing preferences to a general dislike of Conn’s newer 8Ds. Geyer model horns (by Carl Geyer, Karl Hill, Keith Berg, Steve Lewis, Jerry Lechniuk, Dan Rauch and Ricco-Kuhn) are used in other areas (San Francisco, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Boston, Houston). The CF Schmidt double, with its unique piston shuttle valve, can occasionally be found in sections playing Geyer/Knop model gear.
Detachable bell[ edit ]
While not large, the horn is cumbersome in shape and does not lend itself well to portability where space is shared or limited, particularly on airplanes. To compensate for this, horn makers can make the bell detachable; This allows for smaller and more manageable horn housings.
Related horns[ edit ]
The variety in the history of the horn requires the natural horn, the Viennese horn, the mellophone, the marching horn and the Wagner tuba to be taken into account.
natural horn[ edit ]
A natural horn has no valves, but can be tuned to a different key by plugging in another tubing, just like during a resting period.
The natural horn is the ancestor of the modern horn. It descends essentially from hunting horns, with its pitch controlled by air velocity, porthole (opening of the lips through which air passes), and use of the right hand when moving and in and out of the bell. Although some recent composers have written specifically for the natural horn (e.g. György Ligeti’s Hamburg Concerto), it is now mainly played as a historical instrument. The natural horn can only play from a single harmonic series at a time, since the horn player only has one tube length at his disposal. A skilled player can actually change pitch by partially muting the bell with the right hand, enabling the player to reach some notes that are not part of the instrument’s natural harmonic series – of course, this technique works also on the quality of the sound. The player has the choice of key by using crooks to change the length of the hose. [14] [Verification Required]
Viennese horn[ edit ]
Viennese horn
The Viennese horn is a specialized horn used primarily in Vienna, Austria. Instead of using rotary valves or piston valves, it uses the pump valve (or Wiener valve), a double piston working in the valve slides, usually located on the opposite side of the body from the player’s left hand and operated by a long push rod. Unlike the modern horn, which has become considerably larger internally (for a bigger, broader, and louder tone) and considerably heavier (with additional valves and tubing in the case of the double horn), the Viennese horn very closely mimics the size and weight of the natural horn, (although the valves add some weight, they are lighter than rotary valves) even when using hooks on the front of the horn between the mouthpiece and the instrument. Although Viennese horn players typically use an F slur instead of the full key range, and it is condescended to use others, occasionally switching to an A or B slur for higher music. Vienna horns are often used with funnel-shaped mouthpieces resembling those of the natural horn, with very little (if any) backbore and a very thin rim. The Viennese horn requires a very specific technique and can be quite challenging even for experienced modern horn players. The Viennese horn has a warmer, softer sound than the modern horn. Its pump valves allow for a continuous transition between notes (glissando); Conversely, more precise actuation of the valves is required to avoid detuned tones.
Mellophone [ edit ]
Two instruments are called a mellophone. The first is an instrument shaped somewhat like a horn in that it is circular in shape. It has piston valves and is played with the right hand on the valves. Manufacture of this instrument declined sharply in the mid-20th century, and this mellophone (or mellophonium) rarely appears today.
The second instrument is used in modern marching and marching bands and is more accurately called the “marching mellophone”. It is a derivative of the F alto horn and held in F. It is shaped like a flugelhorn, with piston valves played with the right hand and a forward-facing bell. These horns are generally considered better marching instruments than regular horns because their position on the mouth is more stable, they project better, and they weigh less. It is primarily used as the middle voice of Drum and Bugle Corps. Although typically played with a cornet-like V-cup mouthpiece, their range overlaps the normal playing range of the horn. This mouthpiece switch makes the mellophone louder, less mellow and more tinny and more brilliant, making it more suitable for marching bands. Traditional conical horn mouthpieces are now commonly used using converters to achieve the smoother sound of a horn to make the marching band sound more like a concert band.
Because they are tuned to F or G and their pitch range overlaps that of the horn, mellophones can be used in place of the horn in brass and marching band ensembles. However, mellophones are sometimes unpopular with horn players because changing the mouthpiece can be difficult and requires a different approach. Mouthpiece adapters are available to allow a horn mouthpiece to fit the mellophone leadpipe, but these do not compensate for the many differences to which a horn player must adapt. The “feel” of the mellophone can be alien to a horn player. Another unfamiliar aspect of the mellophone is that it is designed to be played with the right hand instead of the left (although it can be played with the left). Intonation can also be a problem with the mellophone.[why?]
While horn players can be asked to play the mellophone, it is unlikely that the instrument was ever intended to replace the horn, largely because of the fundamental differences described.[15] As an instrument, it compromises the ability to sound like a horn while being able to be used like a trumpet or flugelhorn, a compromise that sacrifices acoustic properties in favor of ergonomics.
marching horn [ edit ]
The marching horn is quite similar to the mellophone in shape and appearance, but is tuned in the key of B♭, just like the B♭ side of a double horn. It is also available in F alto, an octave above the F side of a double horn. The marching horn is also played with a horn mouthpiece (unlike the mellophone, which requires an adapter to fit the horn mouthpiece). These instruments are primarily used in marching bands, so the sound comes from a front-facing bell, as diversion of the sound from the rear-facing bell becomes a problem in open-air settings. However, many collegiate marching bands and drum corps use mellophones instead, which in many marching bands better balance the tone of the other brass instruments. moreover, mellophones require less specialized training from trumpeters, who vastly outnumber horn players.[16]
Wagner tuba[ edit ]
The Wagner tuba is a rare brass instrument that is essentially a horn modified to have a larger bell throat and a vertical bell. Despite its name and somewhat tuba-shaped appearance, it is not generally considered to belong to the tuba family, as the instrument plays more like a horn due to its relatively narrow bore. Invented specifically for Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, it has since been written by various other composers, including Bruckner, Stravinsky and Richard Strauss. It uses a horn mouthpiece and is available as a single tuba in B♭ or F, or more recently as a double tuba similar to the double horn. It is usually played in a similar range to the euphonium, but its possible range is the same as that of the horn, extending from low F♯ below the bass clef to high C above the treble when read in F. The deep pedal tones are much easier to play on the Wagner tuba than on the horn. Wagner viewed the regular horn as a woodwind instrument rather than a brass instrument, as evidenced by his placement of the horn parts in his orchestral scores in the woodwind section, rather than in their usual place above the trumpets in the brass section.
repertoire [edit]
Paxman horns
Discussion of the repertoire of horns must take into account the different needs of orchestras and concert bands as opposed to marching bands, as above, but also the use of horns in a variety of music, including chamber music and jazz.
Orchestra and wind band[ edit ]
The horn is most commonly used as an orchestral and concert band instrument, with its unique tone used by composers to create specific effects. Leopold Mozart, for example, used horns to indicate the hunt, as in his Jagdsinfonie (hunting symphony). Telemann wrote much for the horn, and it features prominently in the works of Handel and in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1. After the hand-holding technique was developed, which allowed fully chromatic playing, composers began to play the horn in earnest to write. Gustav Mahler used the horn’s uniquely haunting and distant sound in his symphonies, particularly in the famous Night Music (Serenade) section of his Seventh Symphony.
Many composers have written works that have become favorites in the horn repertoire. These include Poulenc (Elegie) and Saint-Saëns (Morceau de Concerto for horn and orchestra, Op. 94 and Romance, Op. 36). Others, notably Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose friend Joseph Leutgeb was a well-known horn player, wrote extensively for the instrument, including concertos and other solo works. Mozart’s A Musical Joke satirizes the limitations of contemporary horn playing, including the risk of accidentally picking the wrong crook.
The development of the valved horn was used by Romantic composers such as Bruckner, Mahler and Richard Strauss, whose father was a well-known professional horn player. Till Eulenspiegel’s Freuden Streich by Strauss contains one of the best-known horn solos of the period, based on the chromatic lightness of the valved horn. Schumann’s Concert Piece for Four Horns and Orchestra is a remarkable work in three movements. Brahms had a lifelong love affair with the instrument, with many prominent passages in his four symphonies. Today, however, players typically play Brahms on modern valved instruments.
Chamber music[edit]
There is an abundance of chamber music repertoire for horn. It is a standard member of the wind quintet and brass quintet, and often appears in other scorings, such as in Brahms’ Horn Trio for violin, horn and piano (but for which Brahms specified the natural horn). The horn can also be used alone in a horn ensemble or “horn choir”. The horn choir is particularly useful because the expanded range of the horn gives the composer or arranger more options, both in register and tonally and contrapuntal.
Orchestra and wind band horns [ edit ]
A classical orchestra usually has at least two French horn players. Typically, the first horn played a high voice and the second horn played a low voice. Composers from Beethoven (early 1800) onwards commonly used four horns. Here the first and second horns played as a pair (first horn high, second horn low) and the third and fourth horns played as another pair (third horn high, fourth horn low).
Music written for the modern horn follows a similar pattern, with the first and third horns being high and the second and fourth horns being low. This configuration serves several purposes. It’s easier to play high when the adjacent player is playing low and vice versa. Pairing makes writing for horns easier, as the third and fourth horns can take over the first and second horns or play contrasting material. For example, if the piece is in C minor, the first and second horns might be in C, the tonic major key, which might receive the most notes, and the third and fourth horns might be in E♭, the relative major -key, its to fill in the blanks.
Many orchestral horn groups in the 2010s also have an assistant[17] who doubles the first horn part for selected passages, meddles in loud parts, plays in place of the principal when a first horn solo is imminent, or alternates with the principal when the part is tiring to play.[18] The assistant is often asked to play a passage after a long period of silence. Also, he or she may be asked to enter in the middle of a passage, precisely matching the sound, articulation and overall interpretation of the solo horn, allowing the solo horn to rest a little.
In jazz[edit]
At first, the French horn was rarely used in jazz music. (Note that the word “horn” in jazz slang refers to any wind instrument.) Notable exponents, however, began to incorporate French horns into jazz pieces and ensembles. These include composer/arranger Gil Evans, who took up the French horn as an ensemble instrument from the 1940s, first in Claude Thornhill’s groups and later with the pioneering cool-jazz nonet (group of nine) conducted by trumpeter Miles Davis and in many other projects, sometimes involving Davis, and Don Ellis, a trumpeter in Stan Kenton’s jazz band. Notable works by Ellis’ jazz french horn include “Strawberry Soup” and other songs on the album “Tears of Joy”. Notable improvising horn players in jazz include Julius Watkins, Willie Ruff, John Graas, David Amram, John Clark, Vincent Chancey, Giovanni Hoffer, Arkady Shilkloper, Adam Unsworth, and Tom Varner.
Notable buglers[ edit ]
Zu den Leuten, die eher für ihre anderen Errungenschaften bekannt sind, aber auch Horn spielen, gehören die Schauspieler Ewan McGregor und David Ogden Stiers, der Komiker und Fernsehmoderator Jon Stewart, der Journalist Chuck Todd, der Bassist und Sänger von The Who, John Entwistle, und der Rapper und Plattenproduzent B.o.B. [19]
Gallery [ edit ]
See also[edit]
How can I make my French horn sound better?
- Buzz the mouthpiece. …
- Practice on the F-side of the double horn. …
- Find a correct hand position. …
- Practice with a drone. …
- Find the right tongue position/vowel sound. …
- Learn to “taste” each note before playing it. …
- Find a good mouthpiece. …
- Focus on the music, not the notes.
French horn right hand position: Two Approaches
1. Sing the part.
Singing is an essential part of the performance, but the physical demands of playing the brass sometimes make us lose sight of our musical goals. In a classroom setting, avoid embarrassing individual students by having the entire class sing through a challenging passage together. Help students develop their inner ear enough to sing along in their heads as they play.
2. Hum the mouthpiece.
Insist on a buzzing, tuned sound backed by a controlled but relaxed airflow. A helpful tip is to have one player (preferably the strongest) play the part on the horn while the rest of the section buzzes along.
3. Practice on the F side of the double horn.
Practicing passages solely on the F horn for a limited time requires more intense concentration than using the double horn, and this type of practice can be very beneficial in improving overall accuracy.
4. Find a correct hand position.
Incorrect hand position can affect tone quality, articulations, intonation and accuracy. Three simple pointers to achieve good hand position are:
The palm of the right hand is slightly cupped, like swimming freestyle or holding shampoo. Let the right hand conform to the shape and size of the bell – resulting in a slightly rounded shape when the back of the hand is pressed against the right side of the bell. Align the thumb knuckle with the bell mount, and then insert the right hand until the thumb touches the top of the bell and the bottom edge of the hand touches the bell.
5. Practice with a drone.
Like the hum of the mouthpiece, regular practice with a drone helps develop our inner ear. Drone practice is particularly useful for working on scales (slow) and lyrical passages.
6. Find the correct tongue position/vowel sound.
Many professional brass players advocate using different vowels for better accuracy. Some basic rules for the horn are: low register – “toh” or “thoh”; Middle register – “tah” or “dah”; High register “teh” or “tee”. Whistling can also help students feel the different vowels and tongue settings.
7. Learn to “taste” each note before playing it.
Our kinesthetic sense is one of our strongest and can be used to great advantage to improve accuracy. Encourage your students not only to hear each note before playing, but also to develop a feel for the embouchure and tongue adjustment each note requires.
8. Find a good mouthpiece.
A quality mouthpiece can make a real difference for intermediate to advanced players. For beginners, a mouthpiece with a fairly thick rim and shallow cup will usually give the most immediate results.
9. Focus on the music, not the notes.
With all this talk of technicalities, it’s important to remember that we need to go beyond playing individual notes and create real phrases in our performances. Quite often, we deliver our most accurate performances when we don’t just focus on “getting the notes,” but instead pursue each phrase with a specific goal in mind. Finding simple phrases of one or two words to help your students “work into the character” for a specific work or passage is a fun and useful way to improve overall accuracy.
10. Practice getting into the “zone.”
This last tip relates to #9 and is one of those elusive concepts to describe let alone teach. Professional athletes, musicians and others who consistently perform at a high level have described feeling lost in the task at hand to the point where everything else fades into the background. While there is no quick and easy way to find this state of mind and body, numerous authors have written brilliantly on the subject.
Accuracy Exercises:
Feel free to adapt and/or extend these simple exercises.
I. Mouthpiece buzzing – practice with and without the drone. If desired, continue in the upper/lower area.
II. Note Tasting – Throughout each rest, focus on feeling (and hearing) the next note in the row. Repeat the attack of each missed note correctly at least three times before continuing. As the range expands, use the appropriate tongue positions and vowels to ensure accuracy. Continue as high and as low as is comfortable. For extra practice, vary the dynamic level and/or note length with each cue.
III. Diatonic/Chromatic Accuracy – Practice with and without the drone. Exaggerate the dynamics shown and repeat each missed note or interval correctly three times before continuing. (Try the F side of the horn as well).
*Alternative dynamics and articulations as in the previous exercise.
* Practice at a slower tempo if needed to ensure accuracy and clean articulations.
dr James Boldin is Associate Professor of French Horn at the University of Louisiana-Monroe and has had a diverse career as an educator and performer. He has appeared at four international horn symposia and numerous regional horn conferences and is active as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician. He has published two books with Mountain Peak Music and released a solo recording with MSR Classics. Visit http://jamesboldin.com for more information
Related reading:
Stance for the developing horn player
Three tips to improve Stopphorn
Avoid the most common pitfall – tension!
Diagnose sheet metal stress and help students achieve better sound
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Why is my French horn sharp?
A deep mouthpiece with a large bore produces a lower overall pitch level on a horn, and a shallow mouthpiece with a small bore produces a higher overall pitch level. The combination of these two factors has left these classic horns of older design history playing sharper and sharper in a modern context.
French horn right hand position: Two Approaches
It could be your game, but there are other factors that go into it.
Issue 1 – Old School Designs
I won’t name any brands in this article, but some of the classic horn designs are often said to be quite sharp, I would agree. Among the many possible reasons for this are two main factors:
They were originally designed to be played with a fairly covered hand position and they were designed to be played with a fairly deep and large mouthpiece
On Point 1: As a student in the early 1980’s I was actually somewhat shocked when I first heard live performances from some of the older, big names of the time. They used fairly covered hand positions rarely heard today. A more covered hand position sounds “darker” (actually duller) and results in a lower pitch level for the horn.
On point 2, the large mouthpieces used in the past are not used nearly as often today. A deep, large-bore mouthpiece produces a lower overall tone level on a horn, and a shallow, small-bore mouthpiece produces a higher overall tone level.
The combination of these two factors has resulted in these classic horns of older design history playing sharper and sharper in a modern context. Over time, there has been a trend in the horn world towards smaller mouthpieces and more open hand positions, with the goal of achieving a tone with more clarity and presence in the hall.
Issue 2 – Horns for a European market
Second, the horn market is international and most areas outside the US do not play at A=440. A horn made in and for an area where A=442 is standard will need to be pulled out quite a bit to produce A=440. Some instruments will accommodate this pitch problem related to slide length better than others.
And more …
It should also be noted that an older horn with leaky valves can get a bit wobbly in pitch, valve rotations need to be right, no objects stuck in the horn, the shape of the oral cavity, etc.
Know what your slides are doing!
And even a very good horn, when played with a mouthpiece that doesn’t fit properly or doesn’t match the horn, can have odd pitch tendencies.
This article is obviously not comprehensive, but will hopefully relieve a bit of stress if you feel like your horn is sharp all the time. In short, while there could be a production issue with your end of the horn, if it’s persistently sharp it’s not necessarily your problem, you may need to either pull out more in general, or if that’s not an option, get a different horn. Definitely try other horns and let others try your horn to better know what tendencies you are fighting against.
For more information on tuning your horn, see this article.
Horn Lesson: Perfecting your right-hand position
See some more details on the topic french horn right hand here:
French horn right hand position: Two Approaches
French horn right hand position is one of the most important – and ignored – techniques by teachers. Here are two different & effective – techniques to try!
Source: colindorman.com
Date Published: 3/19/2021
View: 1685
Horn/Technique/Right Hand – Wikibooks, open books for an …
Hold right hand out flat with palm down and drop thumb to create a 90-degree angle with fingers. · Place the hand inse the bell until …
Source: en.wikibooks.org
Date Published: 10/8/2021
View: 1785
Why is the French horn a left handed instrument when … – Quora
the French Horn is the only brass instrument played with the left hand on the valves. · The French Horn is sometimes called just “F Horn” or “Horn in F” since …
Source: www.quora.com
Date Published: 1/25/2022
View: 4705
Hornmasters: Farkas on Right Hand Position
Most active horn teachers have read the Farkas book at some point, but mostly not recently. One thing you may have missed is that Farkas described a “new method” for the right hand in the bell.
Step back and look at some stats
I suspect very few professional players use the right hand the way he describes it. I am basing this statement not only on my experience, but also on raw data from an unpublished research project conducted by a former ASU horn professor, Ralph Lockwood. This illustration is from his survey, and more information from that survey is available in a two-part article starting here. [A final summary of the results was published as A 1982 Horn Right Hand Position Survey: Tips, Notes, and More. The Horn Call 45, No. 3 (May 2015), 50-55.]
More than one way of holding a horn
There are many variations to consider and as teachers and players we can lose perspective that there might be another way that is also valid but not exactly what our teachers taught us. In this part of the Hornmasters series we will see this clearly.
And back to Farkas and his “new method”
As mentioned above, in The Art of French Horn Playing, Farkas introduces a very specific type of right-hand position that relates to his “new method” of playing with the bell on the leg.
1. Hold your right hand flat and pinch your fingers together so there is absolutely no space between them. Pay special attention to the thumb, which should be on the edge of the hand and in the same plane as the fingers. Now grasp your hand lightly, as you would hold your hand when swimming. Watch your thumb again. It should touch the side of your index finger, but not in a way that creates an opening between your thumb and hand. 2. Now hold the hand in a vertical plane, with the pinky closest to the floor and the thumb pointing up. Do not hold the palm up as if holding a handful of water, as this position does not allow the right hand to adequately support the horn. 3. Insert this slightly cupped hand, held vertically, into the horn bell so that only the backs of your fingers and the top of your thumb are touching the metal. This means that the hand is on the side of the bell furthest from the body. The fingers should be slightly curved and rest against the side of the horn bell, especially at the tips. The curve of the hand then brings the thumb naturally to the gable roof of the bell. It rests on top of the throat so the horn is partially carried by it…. This allows the palm and heel of the hand to be opened or closed like a door, with the hinges being the thumb knuckles at the top and pinky at the bottom of the bell.
This hand position is quite vertical and relates to his holding position of the horn on the leg and also on the outside of the thigh so the horn needs to be supported slightly but not fully.
In terms of a general set of hand closures, Farkas states that this is the case
When the heel of the hand is about an inch and a half or two from the side of the bell closest to the body, the tone should be about right; However, this depends on the size of the bell and hand size, and can only be determined through careful, analytical listening. If the tone sounds too dark or muffled, swing your hand a little further or pull your hand out of the bell a little…. Of course, if the sound is too open, reverse this procedure.
So what does Ericson do?
Personally, I play standing and off the leg with my hand rotated slightly counterclockwise, as Farkas described above. And my initial training was to play palm up with the bell on the leg, which is very different and representative of a different school of horn playing.
If you’re a student reading this carefully for the first time and are suddenly curious about your hand position, it’s a great topic to explore again with your current teacher. And read on for more thoughts on the topic.
Next in the Hornmasters series
Why Do French Horn Players Have Their Hand in the Bell?
As a horn player, you’ve probably been asked this before! We know the right hand has to be in the bell – but why does it really have to be there?
1. The instrument is built for it!
The product of hundreds of years of refinement, the modern horn was literally built around the expectation that the right hand would be in the bell. From a practical point of view, it helps the player hold the instrument comfortably. Our characteristically dark and soft timbre is as much a product of our hands as the alignment of our bell. Speaking of…
2. The hand works like a music stand or soundproofing.
If we look at the other main wind instruments in the orchestra or band, we’re not the only ones who change our sound with an object in front of the bell. Sure, horn players could use their hand, but trumpeters rarely point their bells directly at the audience, trombonists usually aim at an angle, and the tuba and euphonium send their sound into the air. Why is the bell facing backwards?
3. The roots of the horn are in hunting.
Horns were originally used for hunting and were placed around the player’s shoulders while riding. Equestrian practice consisted of holding the reins with the left hand and horns and weapons with the right hand. Some believe this is because the majority of people are right-handed. The horseman with the horn slung over his right shoulder was in front of the hunting party so he could warn the game party. During this time several horn signals were detected. Each had a different meaning and signaled specific information to the hunting party about the game and the direction in which they should go. The rider with the horn pointed the bell to the right and away from the horse’s ear and rang it to the hunting party behind him.
4. The hand helps us predict where our sound will go.
Other brass instruments have the advantage of directing their sound more or less forward towards the audience. As long as they can see where their bells are pointing, they generally know who can hear them. As horn players, we have to be careful not to sit too close to walls, corners or, above all, percussion instruments such as the timpani. All of these things can distort our sound and make it difficult to predict how we will actually sound to our audience. Playing in percussion instruments can even hurt our approach because the reflected sound is so powerful!
5. It’s tradition!
Originally used for hunting, horns had no valves and the instrument could only be used to play tones in the natural overtone series. Over time, horn players learned that by changing the shape of their hands in the bell, they could produce other tones. This technique, known as the hand horn technique, made the horn a valuable member of the orchestra and a viable solo instrument in the 18th century.
Even now that we have valves, there is a large remnant of the old hand horn technique – stopped horn! Think about how different the sound of the instrument is, and remember that when we close the bell with our hand, we even have to transpose to account for how much we’ve adjusted the length of our instrument.
**************
Next time someone asks you why you have to put your hand in the bell to play the horn, you can have an answer ready! For advice on right side placement see this link on our education page. Karen Houghton and Janet B. Nye have published in this article an excerpt from their book Success: A Balanced Curriculum for Young Horn Players that explains proper right-hand technique. Happy horn playing!
— dr Sally Podrebarac
French horn right hand position: Two Approaches
There are few parts of French horn technique that are more mysterious or controversial than the correct position of the French horn’s right hand. Indeed, the wide variety of hand sizes and shapes, as well as the wide variety of horn designs and bell neck sizes, means there really is no one-size-fits-all approach.
So while my specific right hand position won’t work for every person or horn (although I believe it will work for a wide range of people and instruments), the act of thinking and being aware of your right hand has a huge benefit : consistency. Consistency is the most important characteristic of a right-hand position—without consistency, there’s basically no point worrying about tone, intonation, or accuracy of notes across the staff.
Richard Merewether’s (and mine) right hand position
The hand position I use is best described in Richard Merewether’s book The Horn, The Horn with the following illustration and text:
From this observation has emerged the clear fact that while patchy or (in the earlier French and Belgian schools) non-existent hand presence may serve for the smallest bells, ALL instruments fare better, in tone and intonation, over their widest range, with the Using a specific method – the one traditionally employed by the great hand horn virtuosos of the 19th century. PAXMAN does not claim to have discovered this – only to have confirmed its effectiveness and importance by investigating the acoustic reasons for it. The illustration below is taken from H. Kling’s late 19th century method, and it is precisely this position that is most effective on every type of instrument, from the classic hand horn (which it was partly intended for) to all bell sizes, from neck and tube length down to the modern bb soprano descant horn – with a precise range of about 4 3/4 octaves.
This represents the hand position for normal “open” playing, but note that it’s also an ideal starting position for instantly closing the bell by simply bringing the heel of your hand to the nearer side while keeping the nails and backs of your fingers on the further wall of the bell; this is essential to good hand stop technique. Also note that no part of the thumb other than the nail and upper knuckle – certainly not the base of the thumb – is held against the metal. When this occurs on only the smallest bells, notes written as for F horn at the top of the treble staff (e.g. F and F#), whether played on the F horn or the Bb, will be noticeably flattened and lose their tonal center. Also, their respective lower octaves tend to be sharp at the foot of the treble, and hence important intervals in the horn’s main melodic register are destroyed. The larger the bell neck, the more pronounced this effect. It should also be noted that the tip of the thumb must be deliberately raised to the base of the index finger to fill a gap there, and not just left lying next to it. Unfortunately, some illustrated methods are published that appear to condone this error, which will almost certainly bring the entire side of the hand (all index fingers and thumb) into contact with the bell wall, and the resulting difficulty in intonation for many styles of horn.
This is just an excerpt from Merewether’s hand position chapter. The full free chapter is available here on Osmun’s website. Unfortunately, this book is long out of print, but you will occasionally see copies for sale on eBay or in estate sales. Note that the image is from a different, older source – the hand should be slightly more curved (both at the knuckles and fingertips) than the illustration suggests.
Special care should be taken to ensure there are no gaps between the fingers, thumb and palm and (as far as possible) no gaps between the backs of the fingers and the bell wall. It’s also worth noting that correct hand position is becoming increasingly important for F or Eb alto horns (whether treble, triple or single models) and horns with larger bells (Conn 8Ds, Yamaha 668’s, etc.).
Englebert Schmid’s right hand position
While I believe the above position (I call it the “Merewether hand position”) is best for me and most instruments (especially Paxman horns as they were designed by Richard Merewether), it is not the only approach for the right hand position you will see.
One that has attracted a lot of attention lately was demonstrated in a video by horn maker Englebert Schmid.
You should definitely watch the video as Mr. Schmid explains his approach and reasoning well, but here’s the TL;DR if you’re interested enough to read this article but not interested enough to watch the video!
Schmid recommends a fairly straight hand position (similar to the Merewether position), but placed almost in the center of the bell torch rather than against the opposite wall, so that only three fingers (thumb, index finger, and pinky) are touching the bell. His rationale for this is that touching the bell neck/shank with the back of your hand actually deadens the sound and reduces the resonance of the bell flair. His experiment to prove it – playing a horn with a bell with about 1/4 of the flare missing is certainly interesting. While it’s difficult to see the exact difference between the two hand positions in the video, Schmid’s hand position appears to be a little lighter and more angular — although it’s difficult to tell what change she has personally.
I tried Schmid’s hand position on my horn (Paxman 75M) and while it was certainly different and interesting I went back to the Merewether position after a couple of weeks. While intonation wasn’t bad with the Schmid position, it was a little less predictable than I’m used to, and bearing the weight of my horn – which is quite heavy – wasn’t as comfortable.
Right hand approaches for other horns
However, like any custom horn, Schmids perform best when you play them as they are designed to be played. Things like prolonged use of the Bb horn, using a compatible mouthpiece, and even a different right hand position all contribute to a custom horn playing at its best.
If you have a custom, handcrafted horn that you cannot tune properly, it may not be your fault or the horn maker’s fault. Most custom horn builders are very quick to respond to horn questions and are happy to talk to you about how they play, what mouthpieces they recommend for their instruments, and if you might be able to meet them in person (perhaps when you pick up your instrument). You can even talk to them about things like right hand position to make sure the horn they make plays for you as well as it does them!
If you’re playing a “standard” or “mass-produced” horn, a standard (seawether-like) hand position generally works best, but don’t be afraid to experiment. There are some very good players who use unconventional techniques, and while tradition and standard approaches are important, quality results are the real goal in music making!
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