Topmusicanswers
The French horn is often played with the right hand inside the bell. It is the only brass instrument with a funnel shaped mouthpiece. The French horn consists of about 20 feet of narrow tubing wound into a circle. The player obtains different notes on the horn with a clear mellow sound by pressing the rotary valves.
- Why is the French horn played with a hand inside?
- How easy is it to play the French horn?
- What notes does the French horn play?
Why is the French horn played with a hand inside?
The hand helps us predict where our sound will go.
As horn players, we have to be careful not to sit too close to walls, corners, or especially percussion instruments like the timpani. All of these things can distort our sound and make it hard to predict how we actually sound to our audience.
How easy is it to play the French horn?
The French horn is widely considered to be the most difficult brass instrument to play. ... Because the partials (available notes in the harmonic series) are so close together in the third octave, the horn's most comfortable range, it is fairly easy to miss or “crack” a note.
What notes does the French horn play?
The Open Notes on a French Horn
Like all brass instruments the French Horn can play several "open notes" that are played with without any fingerings. The open notes are from the harmonic Series and are (listed from lowest to highest) C, C, G, C, E, G, Bb, C, D, E, F, G, Ab, Bb, B, and C.
