French Horn Review AND Stopping

Friday, February 14th <3

Multiple Choice

Is this a Single Horn or a Double Horn?

• Single Horn

• Double Horn

​Yup - it's a SINGLE horn. Notice how
there are only 3 rotary valves, and
NO thumb trigger.

​ Single Double Triple

​ Single Double Triple

​Look at the valves...

​And then there's Scott's Horn...

​Truthfully, no one needs 7 valves on a
horn - 5 valves is already more than enough, and it's usually used to really, REALLY stabilize the upper range of the horn, especially for those that are older.

Multiple Select

What keys are the Double French Horn pitched in?

• F

• Gb

• A

• Bb

• C

​F and Bb!

• The single horn is in F.

• The double horn is in F (longest side, on the front)

  • AND Bb (shorter side, behind the F side)

• The Bb side is used to offer alternative fingerings to stabilize pitches (namely, in the upper register, but also can be used in the lower register.

​Trigger is notated with a "T" or by putting the fingerings in brackets.

Multiple Choice

If a French Horn plays an F, what note will it sound? (concert pitch)

• UP a P4

• DOWN a P5

• UP a P5

• DOWN a P4

​The french horn SOUNDS A PERFECT FIFTH LOWER than written.

​}

​Because of this, it's best to start horns in
Concert F major (C major)

Hotspot

(generally) WHERE should we start using the trigger?

​Definitely want to start using the trigger above Ab or A-natural in the staff.

​T23 T12

Open Ended

What is this type of horn called?

Open Ended

Bonus: what are these attachments for the Natural Horn called?

​Yup, those are crooks. (Natural trumpets have them too)

​There are two ways to change the pitch on the natural horn...

​Let's think about this...

​That's right! Embouchure and....

​HAND POSITION!!!!!!!!!!

​Stopped Horn/Hand Stopping/Horn Stopping

• By covering the bell in its entirety and blowing at a ff or fff (really loud!) dynamic, we can create a sound effect that is "stopped" horn.

• Sounds very edgy, tinny, "brassy"

​Because we're effectively making the horn shorter;

• the pitch goes UP when we stop the horn. (by a semitone)

• therefore, we have to use a fingering for a lower pitch. (If we want to play "stopped F", we need to use the fingering for "E" a semitone below.

​notation for stopped horn

​Stopping mutes do the same thing, and are great for long passages...

​Open...

​Stopped... but we didn't adjust the fingerings accordingly

​Probably sounds a semitone too high

​Stop the horn, now use these fingerings...

2 12 2 12 2 2 2



12 12 12 2 2 2

​(hopefully that worked)

​So

​Actually means

​Actually means

​So

​...while Stopping the horn