Topmusicanswers
- What notes can a natural horn play?
- How does natural horn work?
- Who invented the natural horn?
- How long is a natural horn?
What notes can a natural horn play?
Natural horn and the modern horn
- B♭ alto – T0.
- A – T2.
- A♭ – T1.
- G – T12.
- G♭/F♯ – T23.
- F – open.
- E – 2.
- E♭ – 1.
How does natural horn work?
Changing the pitch with the right hand
In contrast to the modern horn, the natural horn originally had no bell, and the only way to change the pitch was by changing the speed with which air was blown into the instrument. As a result, the notes that were emitted were limited to natural harmonics.
Who invented the natural horn?
This particular model was introduced by the Paris maker Raoux in 1781, but is derived from the German Inventionshorn, introduced in Dresden in the 1750s [Fitzpatrick, 228, 127]. This type of horn features crooks which are inserted into the middle of the instrument in the manner of tuning slides.
How long is a natural horn?
The F horn has an effective length of 360 cm when none of the levers are depressed, while the B♭horn is 270 cm, and the high-F, 180 cm. The longest horn is the F horn, and it has the lowest tonal range. A double horn is an instrument with two tubes of different pitches.
